2022 Rabbitoh News - Gray, Mellars and Le Blanc Sign for 2023-24

Gray, Mellars and Le Blace sign for 2023-24

24th Jun 2022

The South Sydney Rabbitohs are pleased to announce the signing up-and-coming stars including Queensland U19s State of Origin player Jye Gray (2023-24), Haizyn Mellars (2023-25), Liam Le Blanc (2023-24).

Gray, 18, is from the Gold Coast and has played at the junior elite levels in both Rugby League and rugby union where he has represented the Southport School 1st XV. He has been part of the Brisbane Broncos EPD squad since the age of 15 and played under 19s State of Origin for Queensland this week as an 18-year-old. He was awarded the QRL’s Mal Meninga Cup five-eighth of the year award in 2022. Strong, fast and skillful, Jye has the ability to be dangerous as a ball runner and has great game awareness to ball-play as well. He will be studying a business degree at university next year. He has been signed on a development contract in 2023 with a club option on a top 30 contract for 2024.

Mellars, 18, is the son of former NRL player Vince Mellars and former New Zealand Olympian and national basketball representative Charmian Mellars. A very talented basketballer himself, Haizyn converted to Rugby League in 2020 and was an inaugural member of the Rabbitohs South-East Queensland EPD program in the same year, as a product of Marsden State High School. Haizyn was selected in the 2022 Queensland Emerging Origin squad and represented the Queensland under 18s Schoolboys this year. Built in a similar mould to Campbell Graham, he is a very tall, athletic player with great skills and a strong leap. He competes strongly for the ball in the air and does the tough work out of the back field. Haizyn will also be looking to study at university in his first year in Sydney in 2023. He will train with the NRL side in the 2023 pre-season before progressing to a development contract in 2024 and a top 30 position in 2025.

Le Blanc, 17, is a middle forward who is another graduate from the Rabbitohs South-East Queensland EPD program. He has also excelled in both rugby codes, playing his Rugby League with Norths Devils in Brisbane and he is in his third season of 1st XV rugby union at Nudgee College in 2022. Liam is also part of the Queensland Emerging Origin squad and the Queensland under 18s Schoolboys in 2022. He has a similar style of play to Jai Arrow, having the ability to play up front as well as being comfortable in a ball-playing lock role. He is a high work rate player with a strong offload. He too will look to study at university in 2023. He is contracted to take part in the NRL pre-season in 2023 before moving onto a development contract in 2024.

Rabbitohs Head of Elite Pathways and Player Development, Joe O’Callaghan, says these players will form part of a bright future for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the years to come. "We’re delighted to have secured the services of Jye, Haizyn and Liam on extended deals from 2023 out of Queensland We’ve worked hard to develop our EPD programs both in NSW and South-East Queensland. These programs have allowed these young players to develop in our system whilst still being able to have the support of their family and friends in a home environment. That is very important to us knowing these players can be supported at a young age without having to take them out of their home environments until they are ready."


Jye Gray
Date of Birth  - 4 March 2004
Place of Birth - Liverpool, NSW

Height: 169cm
Weight: 78kg

Position       - 5/8
Junior Club    - Burleigh Bears

Representative Honours - QLD Schoolboys U18s (2021-22)
                       - Queensland U19s (2022)

Awards - Mal Meninga Cup 5/8 of the year (2022)

Haizyn Mellars
Date of Birth  - 5 May 2004
Place of Birth - Howick, NZ

Height: 193cm
Weight: 90kg

Position       - Centre, Wing
Junior Club    - Wynnum-Manly

Representative Honours - Queensland Emerging Origin squad (2022)
                       - QLD Schoolboys U18s (2022)
                       - QLD Basketball U18s (2022)
                       - QLD City U17s (2021)

Liam Le Blanc
Date of Birth  - 13 September 2004
Place of Birth - Ingham, QLD

Height: 185cm
Weight: 98kg

Position       - Prop, Lock
Junior Club    - Norths Devils

Representative Honours - Queensland Emerging Origin Squad (2022)
                       - QLD Schoolboys U18s (2022)
                       - QLD City U17s (2021)