Rabbitohs Extend Contracts of Six Young Players

The South Sydney Rabbitohs are delighted to announce the contract extensions of six of the brightest young stars in the Rabbitohs ranks with Lachlan Ilias, Blake Taaffe, Peter Mamouzelos, Davvy Moale, Terrell Kalo Kalo and Josiah Karapani all re-signing with extended contracts.

All six players have been excelling in the Rabbitohs’ pathways teams in recent seasons and will be promoted to South Sydney’s top 30 squad from development contracts in the coming years.

Ilias, 21, is a halfback or five-eighth that joined the Rabbitohs in 2019 after representing the Australian Schoolboys in Rugby Union in 2018. In 2019, he helped lead the Rabbitohs’ Jersey Flegg under 20s side to the premiership. Ilias has been training full time with the Rabbitohs since November last year and has been playing in the Club’s Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup teams so far in 2021. Lachlan has extended his contract with the Rabbitohs until at least the end of the 2023 season.

Taaffe, 22, is a South Sydney junior from the La Perouse Panthers that plays in the halves or at fullback, impressing in the last two Charity Shield matches, as well as playing in the halves alongside Ilias in the 2019 premiership-winning Jersey Flegg team. Taaffe represented the New South Wales under 20s team in 2019 and has been playing at the NSW Cup level since that same season. Taaffe has also extended his contract with the Club until at least the end of the 2023 season.

Mamouzelos, 20, is another South Sydney junior from the Maroubra Lions that has been a mainstay in the Rabbitohs’ Jersey Flegg side throughout 2019 and 2021. He is quick out of dummy half in the Damien Cook mould and has represented Greece in seven matches including World Cup Qualifiers throughout 2018 and 2019. Mamouzelos has extended his tenure with the Rabbitohs until at least the end of the 2024 season.

Moale, 18, is another South Sydney junior from the Coogee Randwick Wombats that plays in the front row for the Rabbitohs’ SG Ball and Jersey Flegg squads in 2021. Standing 186cm tall and weighing 112kg, Moale has been training with the NRL squad in 2021 and played a senior trial match in the 2021 pre-season as a 17-year-old. Moale has re-signed until the end of the 2023 season.

Kalo Kalo, 18, is a utility back equally comfortable playing at fullback, on the wing or in the centres. Terrell has risen through the junior representative ranks at the Rabbitohs to feature at SG Ball level and is predicted to play at the highest levels in the NRL and potentially representative football. Kalo Kalo attends Scots College in Sydney and has been part of their 1st XV since 2017. Terrell has signed with the Rabbitohs until at least the end of the 2023 season.

Karapani, 19, is a centre or winger that has been displaying his power and pace with the Rabbitohs SG Ball side in 2021. Josiah joined the Rabbitohs from the New Zealand Warriors junior representative system, looking for an opportunity this year which saw him relocate to family living in the South Sydney district. Josiah has signed with the Rabbitohs until the end of the 2024 season.

Rabbitohs Head of Football, Mark Ellison, says these six young players are part of the future at the Rabbitohs.

“Lachie, Blake and Pete are all best mates, inseparable at training and outside of footy, and they have similarly strong combinations on the field as well having played and trained alongside each other for the past three years.

“Davvy, Terrell and Josiah are in the next age group down but they have been holding their own when asked to train or play up one or two levels, and at only 18 or 19 years of age, they are only going to develop further physically and in terms of their football. They are graduating through our ‘Black Rabbits’ elite development program and we’re really excited to see them progress as they get the opportunity to train with the full squad on a regular basis.

“They join a host of young players at our Club on extended deals including guys like Latrell (Mitchell), Cam (Murray), Campbell (Graham), Junior (Tatola), Keaon (Koloamatangi), Jaxson (Paulo) and Hame (Sele) who are all 24 years of age or under.

“They have learned a lot from the senior members of our squad and will continue to do so as they put in the hard work to earn first grade debuts at our Club.”

Biographies:

Name: Lachlan Ilias
Date of Birth: 9 May 2000
Place of Birth: Sydney, NSW
Position: Halfback, five-eighth 
Height: 184cm
Weight: 90kg
Junior Club: Leichhardt Wanderers
Rep Honours: Rugby League: NSW under 16s (2016); Rugby Union: Australia Schoolboys (2018); Australian Youth 7s (2018); NSW Schoolboys (2017-18); NSW Youth 7s (2017); CAS 1st XV (2017-18)

Name: Blake Taaffe
Date of Birth: 21 April 1999
Place of Birth: Sydney, NSW
Position: Halfback, five-eighth, fullback 
Height: 179cm
Weight: 88kg
Junior Club: La Perouse Panthers, The Entrance Tigers
Rep Honours: NSW under 20s (2019)
Awards: Jersey Flegg Player of the Year award (2019); Man-of-the-match in Jersey Flegg Grand Final (2019)

Name: Peter Mamouzelos
Date of Birth: 9 January 2001
Place of Birth: Sydney, NSW
Position: Hooker
Height: 178cm
Weight: 87kg
Junior Club: Maroubra Lions
Rep Honours: Seven matches for Greece (2018-19)

Name: Davvy Moale
Date of Birth: 23 March 2003
Place of Birth: Christchurch, NZ
Position: Prop
Height: 186cm
Weight: 112kg
Junior Club: Coogee Randwick Wombats
Rep Honours: Rugby League: NSW under 16s (2019); NSWRL Harold Matthews Cup Rep Team (2019); Rugby Union: NSW under 16s 1st XV (2019); CAS under 16s 1st XV (2019)

Name: Terrell Kalo Kalo
Date of Birth: 28 February 2003
Place of Birth: Sydney, NSW
Position: Utility back
Height: 183cm
Weight: 92kg
Junior Club: Glenmore Park Brumbies
Rep Honours: Rugby League: NSW under 16s (2019); NSWRL Harold Matthews Cup Rep Team (2019); Rugby Union: NSW Gen Blue (2019); Scots College 1st XV (2017-21)
Awards: NSW under 16s Player of the Year award (2019)

Name: Josiah Karapani
Date of Birth: 19 January 2002
Place of Birth: Auckland, NZ
Position: Centre, wing
Height: 183cm
Weight: 93kg
Junior Club: East Tamaki Rugby Union, Pakuranga College
Rep Honours: New Zealand Schoolboys under 18s (2020); Samoa under 18s (2019); NZ Residents under 16s (2018)