Record next after huge Rabbitohs deal

The 26-year-old was already signed on for next season and is now locked into the club until just before his 31st birthday, which should result in him becoming a one-club player.

“I‘m stoked to be staying at the club for a further three years and hopefully it’s another step in staying as a one-club player,” Johnston said.

“The last couple of years have been massive and I‘ll be doing everything I can to ensure we go one step further than we did this year and win more premierships for this club.”

Johnston made his debut in 2014 and scored a try in Souths‘ drought-breaking NRL title win that year.

Second on the all-time try scoring list for the Rabbitohs, with 136, Johnston’s new deal should guarantee he passes club legend Nathan Merritt’s 146 try record.

Johnston almost left the club last year, linked to a move to Melbourne.

But he said he was pleased to sort his future out so quickly this time around.

“I joked with ‘Ello’ (Souths head of football Mark Ellison) that I wanted to be the first to re-sign this time around and it’s great to have it all sorted out nice and early,” Johnston said.

Ellison said he was happy to know Johnston was extending his tenure with South Sydney.

“Alex is a tremendous finisher and is really building the other areas of wing play such as kick returns and defence,” Mr Ellison said.

“He is a proud Indigenous man that rose to the Rabbitohs from La Perouse in the Souths Juniors competitions and has gone on to represent Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Indigenous All Stars so far in his career.

“He is a popular member of the squad and is becoming one of the leading senior players at the club.

“We’re very excited to be able to extend his contract for a further three years on top of his existing contract and look forward to seeing him score many more tries in that left corner in the years to come.”