SOUTH Sydney half Luke Keary is off-contract at the end of the season and has refused to rule out leaving Redfern to chase another opportunity.

The 24-year-old won the 2014 premiership with the Rabbitohs, but has a history in rugby union and is believed to be on the radar of a number of NRL clubs.

As his options away from South Sydney expand, so does his asking price, with some reports emerging that it is now up around $800,000-per-season.

An incredible sum of money usually reserved for the top 10-15 players in the competition, Keary’s expectations may not be far off the mark considering the severe shortage of superstar playmakers who are off-contract in the NRL.

Round 19

The Market Watch team reveal the future of some of the biggest off-contract halves in the competition, while Penrith star Jamie Soward talks about his retirement plans and what the future holds for veteran Peter Wallace.

However, on the Market Watch podcast, former player and Fox Sports guru Ben Ikin was asked if Keary is worth that amount of money, and if not, does he have the potential to be.

“No and maybe,” was Ikin’s response.

“$800,000 a year players win games on their own and I’m yet to see Luke Keary at the end of 80 minutes, be the player that I say ‘he was the one that owned that result.

MARKET WATCH:Halves circus to reshape NRL landscape

“How often can you say that about Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Darren Lockyer?

“My values might be out, but from what I understand of the market and player values, that if you’re getting paid $800,000-a-year, a little bit like what Daly Cherry-Evans is suffering through over there at Manly, he’s on $1 million-a-year over there ... then there is no excuse for you.

“You get paid to be the champion, you get paid to be the matchwinner and there’s no excuses when you can’t provide that.”

Keary made his debut for the Rabbitohs at the end of 2013 and went on to help the team to a premiership victory the following season alongside star halfback Adam Reynolds.

Fox Sports understands that a player of Keary’s potential and experience is worth around $500,000 in the market but the shortage of halves means his asking price has been bumped up significantly.

MEDIA WATCH:‘Greenberg must take on AFL’

However Ikin said Keary has arrived and clubs will know what they are going to get from him by now.

Of course, if the Rabbitohs choose to re-sign Keary it will force fellow half Cody Walker to look elsewhere for a regular first grade gig after battling to make his first grade debut at the age of 26.

Only three games into his NRL career, Walker’s market value is significantly less but Ikin said clubs would be willing to take a gamble on a player with such untapped potential.

Ikin was asked if it would be better to sign Walker for less to lash out on a player like Keary and he admitted he was torn.

“I’m a Luke Keary fan and Cody Walker’s potential is unrealised,” he said.

“I think Luke Keary has arrived, he’s a premiership player.

“Cody Walker is one of those players who can do things you can’t coach, and they’re pretty rare.

“They’re difficult players to handle, the brilliant ones.

“You need a sprinkling of those guys in your premiership teams because they provide the spark in your performance that can never arrive off the back of character or game plan or tactics.”

Ikin’s advice for Walker and his management is to hold off on contract negotiations until he gets more games under his belt, because his price will rise.

“If I’m Cody Walker’s manager I’m holding off, I think there’s better football in him,” he said.

Download the new FOX SPORTS App to get the latest news and scores from your NRL team.