Greg Inglis could decide Alex Johnston’s fate at Rabbitohs

The immediate retention of fullback Alex Johnston and the Rabbitohs’ leading tryscorer for 2018, Robert Jennings, has proven a major sticking point for the club.

• BENNETT: ‘I was happy to be sacked by Broncos’

• LAST STEP: Bennett could get Cook deal over the line

ALEX Johnston’s future at Souths could be decided by Greg Inglis after Wayne Bennett said the Test star would be offered the chance to become the club’s first-choice fullback next season.

The immediate retention of Johnston and Robert Jennings, the Rabbitohs’ leading tryscorer this year, has been a sticking point for the club in the off-season.

The two key outside backs were the focus of an email which former coach Anthony Seibold sent to Rabbitohs hierarchy to illustrate Bennett’s involvement with Souths over recent weeks.

On Monday, Bennett was far from confident that both Johnston and Jennings would be at the club next year.

He felt Johnston would stay, but as for Jennings?

“I’m not so sure about him,’’ Bennett said.

“I’m not totally up to date on him.”

Alex Johnston wants to play fullback. Picture: Brett Costello

There is an underlying reason why Bennett is confident that Johnston will stay at Redfern.

Now that Cronulla have signed Warriors reject Shaun Johnson, the Sharks can no longer afford to sign Johnston at his asking price — and they were the main pursuers of the Bunnies flyer.

The Sharks saw Johnston as the ideal replacement for NFL-bound Valentine Holmes.

And having made no secret of his desire to be recognised as a first-choice fullback, Johnston was keen to explore the Sharks offer.

But Cronulla couldn’t afford to wait for the coaching circus at Souths to be resolved and risk missing out on New Zealand Test star Johnson.

Johnston has been the fullback at Souths for the past two seasons, ever since Inglis suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2017.

Wayne Bennett speaks to the media after joining the Rabbitohs. Picture: AAP

Yet his most significant development from a winger to a fullback was made last season under Seibold, when the one-time Test player started in 25 matches for Souths in the No. 1 jumper.

In contrast, Inglis played just one game at fullback last season, in round 12. His remaining 14 games this year were played at left centre.

However, Bennett indicated that as a possible Immortal in the future, Inglis had earned the right to pick any position he wanted to play in next year.

“I want to talk to GI about where he wants to play, where he thinks the team will benefit most from his position,’’ Bennett said.

“He’s been one of the great players in our game and when it’s all added up in history and Immortals and everything else, he’s going to be right amongst them all.

Robert Jennings could be on his way out of South Sydney. Picture: Getty Images

“So I don’t like telling those guys where they have to play when they have given so much. I want them to be happy where they are playing.

“I put Darius (Boyd) in the centres this year (at Brisbane) and he was happy to do that because that’s what the club needed.

“And I’m sure Greg will be in the same boat.

“But I need to talk to him first and just make sure that if he doesn’t want to play fullback that centre is his preferred position, or vice-versa.’’