Winger Alex Johnston is staying at the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
In a major backflip, the club offered Johnston a two-year deal on Monday, which he has accepted.
Johnston has accepted more than $100,000 a season less than he could have got from the Melbourne Storm.
It is a huge coup for Rabbitohs fans, who started an
online petition to overturn the club’s
original decision not to offer him a contract beyond this season.
Alex Johnston has rejected a richer deal from Melbourne to remain at South Sydney next season. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
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This season he is the NRL’s equal second-highest tryscorer (14) behind Wests Tigers winger David Nofoaluma.
Johnston, 25, faced the prospect of being forced out of his beloved club due to salary cap restraints.
The off-contract South Sydney flyer had the
ideal chance to put himself back in the shop front window during last week’s loss to the Storm, with Manly also believed to be interested in securing his services, but in the end it only further convinced the Rabbitohs that one of their most popular players should stay at Redfern
Johnston’s developing on-field chemistry with fullback Latrell Mitchell had already emerged as the
key to keeping him at South Sydney next year.
While Souths still await a decision from teenage sensation Joseph Suaalii, they had also been working just as hard to try and find enough money in the salary cap to keep their beloved local junior.
Hollywood superstar Russell Crowe
used a private plane to jet Suaalii and his family to his Nana Glen property in an attempt to keep him at the Rabbitohs.
It is a blow for the Storm, who are losing both Josh Addo-Carr and Suliasi Vunivalu at the end of the season and saw Johnston as an ideal replacement for Addo-Carr in particular.
