Jamie Humphreys is very, very close to agreeing a three-year deal that would take him to the Perth Bears in 2027. The 24-year-old South Sydney playmaker has emerged as one of the expansion club’s early targets, with one report saying the move is now close.

Adrian Proszenko said Humphreys was “very, very close to agreeing to a three-year deal to go to Perth,” while also saying the Bears had already signed Toby Sexton and Tyran Wishart and were close to Jonathan Sua. Proszenko added: “A big body who could potentially play in the back-row, but my understanding is he has been signed as a half. Jonathan Sua is also close to signing.”

The reported chase matters because Souths have not been able to offer Humphreys as much money as he would like, with a salary cap squeeze tightening after the club’s big-money signing of Payne Haas from the Broncos. Humphreys, 24 years old, has played 24 games for Souths since arriving from Manly in 2025 and has spent significant time on the sidelines because of injuries, even as he has played an important role when available.

That has left South Sydney weighing a loss that would cut into its long-term planning in the halves. Humphreys said last month that he loved the squad, the fans and representing the history of South Sydney, and that he would love to stay. “I love this squad. I love being here. I love the fans. I love representing the history of the club and what it means to put on the South Sydney No.7 jersey. Long-term. I’d love to stay here,” he said.

But the race for the No.7 jersey has already shifted. Ashton Ward has seemingly been leap-frogged by Humphreys in the battle to wear it long term, and Souths now face the possibility that the player they had hoped to build around may instead become one of Perth’s first headline signings.

The Bears are moving quickly to stock a roster for their first seasons, with Toby Sexton and Tyran Wishart already in the fold and Sua also nearing a deal. Luke Metcalf has also become available to rival clubs after the Warriors gave Tanah Boyd a long-term extension, adding another name to a market already beginning to move.

For Souths, the question is no longer whether Humphreys has value. It is whether a club under cap pressure can hold onto a 24-year-old half it still wanted in the jersey long term, or whether Perth Bears will turn that squeeze into one of their defining early wins.