Knight knocks back big bucks to re-sign with Rabbitohs

Rising Rabbitohs prop Liam Knight knocked back the best part of $500,000 to recommit at Redfern.

Knight signed a new three-year Souths deal on Thursday afternoon, spurning a lucrative offer from the Gold Coast to remain in Sydney until the end of 2023.

NRL.com understands the Titans' three-year offer was worth around $150,000 a year more than what the Rabbitohs could afford to table.

But Wayne Bennett's influence proved decisive for the 25-year-old.

After arriving as a late pre-season pick up from Canberra last year, Knight discovered career-best form under Bennett in 2019, prompting his re-commitment with Souths despite more money on offer elsewhere.

"I absolutely love this club, the playing group and the coaching staff. It was impossible for me to leave," Knight said.

"I'm really excited about the future and it’s great to know my future is at Souths."

Knight’s re-signing holds added significance for the Rabbitohs given the exits of Sam and George Burgess and John Sutton leaves them looking short for forward depth.

Football manager Shane Richardson lauded Knight’s loyalty "with some massive offers coming his way", as well as his rise from a fringe first grader to landing on Brad Fittler's radar with selection in his NSW Emerging Blues camp.

“We’re very pleased to have Liam re-sign with us for three more years and we look forward to him being one of our forward leaders for years to come,” Richardson said.

"Our coaching staff have done a great job to develop him and his game over the past year and we know he still has his best football in front of him.

"He has shown great loyalty to the club with some massive offers coming his way from other teams, but he wants to play his football here at South Sydney."

Knight's knockback continues the Titans run of outs on the recruitment front, coming in the same week that English prop Luke Thompson confirmed his move to Canterbury in 2021.

New Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook had also pursued Thompson having coached him to a Super League title at St Helens.

The club is also reeling from another cruel ACL rupture to star forward Ryan James, whose own future is clouded with another season on the sidelines and his contract expiring at the end of 2020.

The loss of James rules out any realistic chance of Jai Arrow being released early to join South Sydney.

The Gold Coast's future front-row stocks look far more promising, with 20-year-old Moeaki Fotuaika tied up for another three seasons and Storm big man Tino Fa'asuamaleaui arriving next year.