- Auckland Blues star played at the Rugby World Cup
- Wants to counteract a dip in form in the run-up to the Super Rugby season
- Is a good friend of Souths superstar Latrell Mitchell
An All Blacks superstar is coming to Redfern, but don't get too excited, Rabbitohs fans: he's only there for pre-season.
New Zealand winger Caleb Clarke has announced he will link up with Souths for pre-season training to get him in the best possible condition for his Super Rugby side, the Auckland Blues.
The 24-year-old is one of the most dynamic finishers in world rugby and is also a close friend of star Souths fullback Latrell Mitchell.
However, Clarke could only make two appearances at the Rugby World Cup amid a dip in form and will want to use the extras to recapture his best ball.
He believes the NRL club's hard preparation will give him the edge he wants for the upcoming Super Rugby season.
New Zealand All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke will join South Sydney for pre-season training
It comes after Clarke played just two games at the Rugby World Cup as his form dipped
Clarke is a good friend of Souths star Latrell Mitchell (pictured left with teammate Cody Walker) which is why he chose the Bunnies for training
“I've always been a Rabbitohs fan and thought I could learn from the NRL boys in my spare time before joining the Blues campaign,” Clarke told Newshub.
“After a year that didn't go as well as I had hoped, I want to do something different in terms of preparation for 2024,” he said.
“Being in an environment with people I look up to and can learn from can provide the edge I want to gain and take with me into this new season.
'I'm always looking to improve my game.
'I saw (fellow All Black) Jordie Barrett training with the Storm last year and thought I'd do the same.'
Fellow All Black Barrett spent a pre-season with the Melbourne Storm and Richmond Tigers AFL squad ahead of the Rugby World Cup to hone his skills and enjoyed the experience.
“I like the style of play: kicking, catching and running all day,” Barrett said at the time.
Rabbitoh's training has begun at the team's home ground (pictured) with new recruit Jack Wighton hitting the hard yards after transferring from Canberra
New Zealand All Black Jordie Barrett has also spent time with an NRL club for pre-season training – which has been an inspiration to Clarke
“It probably suits my skill set, but I just enjoyed being around some great athletes and great coaches, and I was able to play soccer in the afternoons, which I enjoyed.”
Souths CEO Blake Solly has welcomed the addition of Clarke to the pre-season squad and has no doubt that the Rabbitohs players can also learn from his professionalism.
“It would be great to welcome an athlete of Caleb's quality and success to the club,” he told Newshub.
“The players and coaching staff are really looking forward to spending some time with Caleb.
“We have watched his success from afar and hopefully we can learn something from him, just as we hope Caleb will learn something from our players and coaches as well.”