Wayne Bennett: Cody Walker is staying at South Sydney

Cody Walker is set to spurn Gold Coast Titans and sign a two-year contract extension with South Sydney, according to super coach Wayne Bennett.

Cody Walker (L) and Wayne Bennett have a good relationship. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty

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Wayne Bennett has boldly declared five-eighth Cody Walker will spurn interest from the Gold Coast Titans to sign a new deal with South Sydney.

The Rabbitohs have presented their final offer to Walker for a two-year contract extension that will keep the former NSW Origin No.6 at Redfern until 2022.

Rabbitohs boss Shane Richardson declared the club could do no more to keep Walker after making a $1.3 million offer and the ball was now in the player’s court.

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Cody Walker (L) and Wayne Bennett have a good relationship. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty

Walker, 29, started his professional career in the Titans’ under-20s team in 2009 alongside current Gold Coast captain Ryan James, and had received interest from the club to return to Queensland.

However, Rabbitohs coach Bennett says that won’t be happening, guaranteeing Walker will ink a new deal before Christmas to remain at South Sydney.

“Cody isn’t going anywhere – he will stay at Souths,” Bennett told The Courier-Mail.

“We just have to do a deal and the deal is close to being done.

Cody Walker made his Origin debut in 2019. Picture: AAP/Dave Hunt

“We won’t lose a bloke like Cody Walker. You can’t easily replace a player of his ability. There’s now an offer on the table so it will be finalised soon.”

Walker is one of the NRL’s great late-bloomers.

He floated between the Titans, Panthers, Storm and Rabbitohs lower grade teams between 2009-15 before earning an NRL debut at South Sydney in 2016.

Walker has made 96 NRL appearances in the past four seasons, barely missing a game, and is now considered to be a crucial part of South Sydney.

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While he is not off-contract until the end of the 2020 season, Walker’s management is hoping to secure his future in the coming weeks.

“We have an offer from Souths now and we are working through it,” said Walker’s manager Matt Rose.

“Hopefully we come to an agreement in the next fortnight but it’s all looking positive.

“At this stage, everything is moving towards a deal with Souths. They had to look at their cap situation with Sam Burgess retiring, so we were happy to wait and see how they landed. Now we have picked up talks and we should get something done.

Sam Burgess’s medical retirement could free-up plenty of cap space. Picture: Brett Costello

“I believe in the next two to three weeks we will get something done. Cody isn’t off-contract until the end of next year, so there’s been no need to rush the process.

“He’s had quite a bit of interest. Cody could earn more money elsewhere but there’s other factors. He really enjoys playing under Wayne and I believe he could sign one more deal after his next contract.”