Luke Keary admits he could make the switch to rugby union with future at Rabbitohs uncertain

LUKE Keary is open to making the switch to rugby union as his future at Redfern beyond this season remains up in the air.

South Sydney's Luke Keary during the South Sydney v St George rugby league game at the SCG. Pic Brett Costello

LUKE Keary says he is open to making the switch to rugby union as his future at Redfern beyond this season remains up in the air.

Keary was solid for the Bunnies in Thursday night’s 16-12 win over Manly and has had no problems calling the shots in the absence of halfback Adam Reynolds.

While Keary would love to stay at Souths, it remains to be seen if the club will be prepared to pay his asking price.

Rightly or wrongly, his pre-Christmas run-in with owner Russell Crowe has done him no favours.

And he also enters an open market where no shortage of playmakers are up for grabs.

Keary’s manager first floated the idea of rugby and pointed out he had been an Australian Schoolboy fullback.

Keary said while his preference was to remain in the NRL — and specifically the Rabbitohs — he was no stranger to rugby.

“I would never put the pen through it, I played it a lot when I was younger, and I didn’t come back to rugby league until I was about 18 or 19,” said Keary, now 24.

South Sydney admits his future could lie in rugby union. Pic Brett Costello

“Buy my main focus is rugby league and South Sydney. That’s at the top of my list. Everything else comes underneath that.

“I definitely enjoy my time here, and I’ve become friends with most of the boys. I can’t worry about everyone else, and I’ll just do my own thing. If I play good enough footy and do all the right things, it will work out.’’

What Keary lacks in class he makes up for with sheer determination.

A rival NRL club seems the most likely scenario. The most Keary could expect to make from a Super Rugby club would be about $250,000, less than half of what he could earn in the NRL. It’s understood his management has been in touch with the Waratahs.

But Keary would have to rely on a top-up from the Australian Rugby Union for the switch to be financially viable, which is unlikely.

Originally published as Luke Keary admits he could make the switch to rugby union with future at Rabbitohs uncertain