Lachlan Ilias’ time at South Sydney appears to be drawing to a close after his manager, Braith Anasta, confirmed the halfback was informed he was free to negotiate for a deal elsewhere.
The shock revelation comes off the back of a nightmare opening few months to the season for Ilias, who was dropped from the side before sustaining a serious leg injury while playing in the NSW Cup.
The hammer blow comes in the wake of the club reportedly signing Lewis Dodd from St Helens.
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The Sporting News looks at the potential landing spots for Lachlan Ilias below.
Who could Lachlan Ilias sign for? Ranking the likely destinations for South Sydney halfback
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Bulldogs have been in the market for a halfback for years, with Drew Hutchison and Toby Sexton their current options.
Hutchison was signed from the Sydney Roosters in the off-season and was viewed by many as a utility before impressing Cameron Ciraldo enough to be partnered alongside Matt Burton in the halves.
Meanwhile, Sexton made the switch from the Gold Coast midway through the last campaign and enjoyed some immediate success with the Dogs.
Although he has since been pushed to the periphery in favour of Hutchison and forced to ply his trade in reserve grade for the time being.
Ilias’ 52 NRL appearances to date rank him higher on the scale for experience than Sexton but behind Hutchison, who is closing in on his 100-game milestone this year.
The 23-year-old is a long-term prospect and could feasibly gel well with Burton as the two offer very different skillsets.
Ilias could be the organiser the five-eighth seems to require with his communication skills often praised while he was being groomed to take over from Adam Reynolds at Redfern.
"It's low-level interest, because I haven't been able to negotiate or talk," Anasta said on NRL 360 when asked about possible interest from the Dogs.
"I've got no idea…there's a lot of teams who could do with a half at the moment."
Gold Coast Titans
Des Hasler’s revolution on the Gold Coast hasn’t gone to plan this year with the club only claiming their first win under his stewardship in Round 8.
Tanah Boyd started the season as the first-choice halfback but was then dropped from the side as the coach attempted to find a winning combination alongside veteran Kieran Foran.
AJ Brimson was shifted out of the centres after an early experiment and put into the halves, before an injury to Jayden Campbell resulted in his return to fullback.
This opened up the door for Boyd’s rapid recall, only this time he has been installed in the No.6 jersey with Foran tasked with running the team.
This clearly doesn’t bode well for Boyd’s long-term prospects as a halfback and could point towards an opportunity for Ilias.
The halfback struggled to stamp his authority over the Bunnies at times though and he would be leaving one side stuck at the bottom of the ladder for another in the same situation.
Yet Anasta noted how a move was exactly what his client needed to re-establish himself.
"I think a fresh start for him at a new club, especially the way Souths are at the moment, will do him the world of good," Anasta said.
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North Queensland Cowboys
Chad Townsend is nearing the end of his lucrative multi-year deal with North Queensland that he signed in 2022.
The experienced playmaker has been great for Todd Payten's outfit as they shocked the competition two years ago during their surge up the ladder and into a preliminary final.
However, results have been mixed recently and Townsend is winding down his career. The Cowboys may find the chance to pair an up-and-coming half alongside Tom Dearden too tempting to pass up.
After all, Townsend will be 34 years old by the time the 2025 campaign begins and currently has Jake Clifford as his understudy, who only rejoined the club on a short-term deal from Hull FC in the off-season.
Meanwhile, Anasta admitted Ilias was blindsided by the news the Bunnies essentially didn’t want him, just a year on from Jason Demetriou claiming he would go on to become the club’s greatest halfback.
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Although despite the disappointment, things could actually work out for Ilias if he is to link with the Cowboys, who are packed full of young talent and could be easier to manage out on the field.
"I spoke to [chief executive] Blake Solly over the weekend...he is free to negotiate with clubs as we speak," Anasta said.
"Of course, he's hurt…there was all this fanfare and drama around him being dropped, but he took it like a champion. He went about his business - unfortunately, he broke his leg.
"He is disappointed because he loves the joint. He's given his heart and soul to the place, and he didn't see it coming.
"But I see it as a relief for Ilias, because he hasn't developed the way he should have there."
