Brandon Smith has reacted to news of an earlier-than-expected switch to the Rabbitohs.
The Roosters hooker is on-track to join rivals South Sydney "by the end of the week", according to News Corp.
Smith was already confirmed to be joining the Redfern-based club for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, but is now set to have the move fast-tracked.
There are still some details that need to be ironed out, though.
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The Roosters are reportedly demanding $200,000 for Smith's services, while Souths are struggling to find the required cap space to pay above $160,000.
As he waits for the deal to be finalised, Smith admits that the push for an early switch has come as "a bit of a surprise".
The New Zealand international is also confident that he has all but certainly played his final game for the Tricolours.
"It definitely looks that way [that he's played his last match for the Roosters] from the articles and conversations I've had," Smith said on The Bye Round Podcast.
"Everything I have read so far, it doesn't seem like I'm very wanted.
"It was a very good time, I enjoyed myself [at the wedding of teammate Angus Crichton] – but obviously the elephant in the room, on the way back, I got some strange news.
"It was a bit of a strange one. Something has happened overnight, and my manager rang me this morning and told me.
"Nothing is official yet, and we've still got a lot of things to sort out beforehand, like where my 40k is gonna go.
"It's a bit of a surprise, but I'll have more details for you tomorrow."
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Smith joined the Roosters from the Storm in a high-profile deal in 2023.
He has made 41 appearances for the Tricolours to date but has failed to make as significant an impact as expected, with injuries taking their toll.
Smith also confirmed the awkward reality of having to continue to train with the Roosters, despite his impending departure.
He is continuing his recovery from an ACL injury and is roughly six weeks away from returning to the field.
"Robbo rang me just before, on the way here," Smith added.
"It was a good conversation, it was nice, and he told me they are trying to save some money. It was direct, but he was also pretty surprised by how it's come about today.
"It's gonna be weird going into training, I've still got to do that. We're meant to have the week training with the reserve grade side this week.
"It's not gonna happen overnight – they're not gonna be able to draw up a contract overnight. So it's gonna be an awkward one."