South Sydney have shored up their backline stocks by extending the contract of centre Hymel Hunt until the end of 2018 NRL season.

Signed on a one-year deal from Melbourne last summer, Hunt played 13 games for the Rabbitohs despite suffering a major pectoral injury that forced him to miss three months.

However coach Michael Maguire saw enough to hand the 22-year-old a new two-year deal.

“We’re excited to see him back at full fitness and seeing what he can achieve throughout the pre-season as we work towards the start of the 2017 season,” Maguire said.

Hunt will compete with the likes of Bryson Goodwin, Aaron Gray and Robert Jennings for a spot in the three-quarter line next season.

He scored three tries for the Rabbitohs this year.

“I really wanted to stay and keep building on what we’ve done this year, so I couldn’t be happier about re-signing,” Hunt said.