ROBBIE Farah could be headed to Redfern.

Fox Sports’ chief NRL reporter James Hooper is reporting the veteran hooker is on the verge of signing with South Sydney, and the deal could be done by the weekend.

Farah will cut his contract with Wests Tigers short, ending a tumultuous 12 months at the club he led to the 2005 NRL premiership.

Hooper revealed Farah was close to heading to Cronulla but is confident he will instead sign with the Rabbitohs.

Round 20

“If you had asked me a week ago I would have said all roads lead to up up Cronulla, and Robbie Farah joining the Cronulla Sharks, being in the Shire next season,” Hooper told NRL Tonight.

Robbie Farah with Benji Marshall's wife Zoe. Source: News Corp Australia

“But as we know rugby league moves in mysterious ways at the best of times, and over the course of the last week South Sydney have absolutely rolled out the red carpet.

“Their owner Russell Crowe ... and also all of their senior players — Sam Burgess, Greg Inglis — have all been campaigning really heavily in Robbie Farah’s ear.

“I think we’ll see over the course of the next 48 hours Robbie Farah will officially sign with the Rabbitohs to play for 2017 and 2018.”

Farah is contracted to the Tigers until the end of 2017 but has been forced out of the club he’s been at for more than a decade.

His relationship with coach Jason Taylor broke down towards the end of the 2015 season and he subsequently lost the captaincy to young forward Aaron Woods.

Farah was then dropped to reserve grade despite representing NSW during Origin, and has been denied the opportunity to reach 250 games with the Tigers, which he could have done this weekend.

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Hooper says the Rabbitohs deal hinges on the Tigers coming to the party.

“The issue that is dragging the chain a little bit is the Wests Tigers,” Hooper said.

“We know it’s obviously been a messy divorce with Robbie and the information that I’ve been given, the Tigers have handled this poorly.

“They want Robbie out but they are the issue and the reason it has taken as long as it has.”

The Rabbitohs have used Cameron McInnes and Damien Cook in the hooking duties this season.

They have also offloaded playmaker Luke Keary for 2017, leaving room in their salary cap.

But it’s understood the Tigers will chip in to pay a percentage of Farah’s salary when he does leave the club.