THE nephew of Hull KR star Rhyse Martin has signed a development contract with NRL top-flight side, South Sydney Rabbitohs, aged just 15.
Malakai Martin, a loose-forward that has been plying his trade with the Townsville Blackhawks, has been awarded a scholarship as part of the Rabbitohs and Blackhawks partnership which began in 2024.
A year nine student at Kirwan State High School, Martin play his first season of Queensland Rugby League under 16s Cyril Connell Cup football in 2025 with the Blackhawks, and will have the opportunity to take part in all of the Rabbitohs’ development and training programs as part of the club’s north Queensland Elite Pathways Player Development (EPPD) program.
Rabbitohs pathway recruitment manager Brent Hill said: “We spotted Malakai playing for Kirwan State High School against the Junior Bunnies in an under 16s development game earlier this year, and he was very impressive.
“He won the man-of-the-match award that day and he has continued to show that he is willing to work hard and learn from his coaches to achieve his goals. Malakai will continue his development by playing for the Blackhawks in Townsville and for his school at Kirwan State High.
“This will allow him to develop his game whilst staying at home under the guidance of the Blackhawks’ and Rabbitohs’ coaching staff.
“It has proven to be a successful program in south-east Queensland and we look forward to kicking off our north Queensland EPPD program with these first two scholarships ahead of the start of 2025.”
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