South Sydney have re-signed Sam Burgess and his twin brothers to ensure they aren't caught up in the multimillion-dollar feeding frenzy that is the open market when November 1 ticks around.

Players coming off contract at the end of 2018 will officially become fair game for rival clubs from the first day of November, a date that will begin a bidding war for the NRL's elite talent.

South Sydney have re-signed Sam Burgess before he become a free agent on November 1. Credit:NRL imagery

The race will immediately begin for the biggest names in the game, including Michael Morgan, Ash Taylor, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Boyd Cordner, Angus Crichton, Josh Hodgson, Luke Keary, James Maloney, Josh Mansour, Sam Thaiday and Nathan Brown. Veteran stars Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Paul Gallen, Robbie Farah and John Sutton will also become free agents, although they will almost certainly finish their careers at their existing clubs.

With just over a week to go before rivals can pounce, several clubs are frantically trying to finalise deals to secure their best and brightest. The Rabbitohs are a case in point. Fairfax Media can reveal Souths have come to terms with Clive Churchill medallist Sam Burgess, as well as his brothers, Tom and George, on an extension until the end of 2019. The deal, which is expected to be announced shortly, will give new coach Anthony Seibold stability in his forward pack for the next two seasons.