One of the stars of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup in 2022 has earned himself promotion to the South Sydney Rabbitohs Top 30 NRL squad next year.
In a club statement the Rabbitohs said Hawkins had been a regular in the NRL training sessions throughout his year and wore the No.7 for South Sydney’s 26-0 win over Parramatta in Round 22 at CommBank Stadium.
A Matraville Tigers junior from the South Sydney district, Hawkins has played four NRL games since making his debut against the Brisbane Broncos in Round Five, 2021.
Hawkins won the Rabbitohs’ NSW Cup Player of the Year award in 2021 and is leading many of the key statistics across the entire competition in The Knock-on Effect NSW Cup this season.
He is top for try assists, kicking metres and number of kicks; and fourth for line-break assists and engaging the line.
Rabbitohs Head of Football, Mark Ellison, says Hawkins has real “football smarts”.
“Dean has been a great servant to the Club over a number of years now, progressing through the grades from Junior Bunnies up to first grade,” he said.
“He has all of the attributes to do the job at the NRL level and has made the most of the opportunities he’s been given.
“He’s a no fuss operator, calm under pressure and is a very smart footballer. He’s perfect for the role he plays at our club.
“He’s a South Sydney junior that loves the club and we’re looking forward to working with him again next season.”
