SEN host Jimmy Smith believes Cody Walker signed his one-year extension with South Sydney because it was the best deal on the market.
While the five-eighth was linked to The Dolphins alongside former coach Wayne Bennett, Smith believes Walker was told by the master coach that he wasn’t in his plans.
With Walker not being pursued by the start-up club, Smith has a theory as to why that may be.
“If you’re looking at 2024, beyond this deal that he’s currently signed he’s going to be 34 years old,” Smith said on SEN 1170 Mornings.
“I know it’s different to Adam Reynolds, you probably think physically he’s probably in a better spot than Reynolds and he hasn’t had the wear and tear, he didn’t play his first game until he was 26 years of age.
“I would be really interested to see if it was the Rabbitohs who said, ‘No, we’re only giving you one year’.
“If it was the Rabbitohs that were only offering one year, why didn’t you sign two years somewhere else?
“Because of the really great relationship you have with Wayne Bennett, isn’t that a logical one? Aren’t you a two-year player at The Dolphins? Then you think, well if Wayne’s not doing that, who’s Wayne got in his back pocket already?”
With Smith believing Bennett would’ve offered Walker a deal if he didn’t have someone else lined up, he detailed who he thinks must be in the master coach’s sights instead.
“I wonder what the five-eighth of the Melbourne Storm is doing? Cameron Munster,” Smith asked.
“I know that it happens very quickly, but if Wayne’s saying to Cody, ‘Cody, we don’t want you here, sign what you can now’.
“He would give him the tip-off saying, ‘Take that deal on offer with the Rabbitohs’, the reason he’s saying that is because he has someone else to play in that six jersey in their first game.”
SEN host Matt White agreed, stating Bennett would already know exactly who he expects his playmakers are in Round 1, 2023.
“Exactly, there’s no way in the world Wayne Bennett going to leave himself without a man that he wants,” White added.
The Dolphins have been free to sign players coming off-contract at the end of 2022 from November 1 this year.
They’re yet to announce their first signing at this stage.