Wayne Bennett’s return to the Rabbitohs already has a whiff of impending mediocrity about it.
A three-year swansong to, possibly, probably, put the finishing touches on an unprecedented career, the first season back is crucial to Bennett’s chances of racking up an eighth premiership.
It’s far too premature to write off the Rabbitohs despite their calamitous pre-season and Bennett’s never ever going to accept any of his teams just making up the numbers.
But the danger signs are many for year one in Bennett’s second coming at Souths.
Their captain and most reliable forward, Cameron Murray, is out for the year with a torn Achilles while Latrell Mitchell will miss the first six rounds with a bung hamstring.
Campbell Graham’s broken hand, Cody Walker’s calf problem, Alex Johnston’s Achilles comeback and Euan Aitken’s pectoral will be resolved a few weeks into the season but it all adds up.
And then there’s the No.7 jersey which has been a point of contention for the Bunnies ever since their bone-headed decision to toss club legend Adam Reynolds only a one-year deal when the Broncos were offering three times.
Reynolds guided them to the 2021 decider a few months later and after losing their next playoff match the following season, they have not made the finals despite having one of the NRL’s more impressive rosters.
Souths have invested in young English playmaker Lewis Dodd on a three-year deal but he struggled to make his mark in the trials, again early days, before his pre-season campaign to impress Bennett abruptly ended when he was sin-binned for a high shot half an hour into the Charity Shield.
Bennett didn’t bring him back on the field in the second half as Jamie Humphreys put in an impressive display and the Manly recruit now seems certain to get the gig for Round 1 against the Dolphins in Brisbane with Dodd copping a one-game ban for his hit on Dragons winger Sione Finau.
Throw in reports about Josh Schuster struggling to regain fitness after his exit from Manly and a potential bargain buy could turn into another wasted roster spot at the Rabbitohs.
Souths are coming off a woeful 2024 campaign in which they finished second-last with their second-worst defensive record, thanking their lucky stars for the Wests Tigers saving them on both fronts.
Jamie Soward, Wayne Bennett and Dean Young celebrate after the 2010 Grand Final win by St George Illawarra. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
Bennett of course won’t show any outward signs of concern. He never has.
But the Rabbitohs were well off the pace against a Dragons team not expected to be a finals side this year after an inexperienced line-up lost to Manly in their opening trial.
Much has been made of the supposed hoodoo of following Bennett into the coaches box at a club but to get Souths back in the title hunt, the 75-year-old mentor needs to defy a trend of veteran coaches taking on one assignment too many.
Several of rugby league’s best coaches finished their career with a whimper and in some cases, an undignified tap on the shoulder that it’s time to go.
Tim Sheens was the most recent example with his disastrous Wests Tigers return in 2023.
Jack Gibson failed to produce anything near his premiership-winning magic in his final fling at Cronulla while the less said about Chris Anderson’s short-lived 2007 sojourn with the Roosters the better.
Des Hasler’s Titans stint is heading down a similar path and he is also embarking on a crucial season, the make or break middle year, of his contract.
Bennett will employ his time-honoured modus operandi at the Rabbitohs – a simple game plan with minimal errors while demanding total buy-in from his players.
It worked the first time around at the club but that was when Reynolds was a virtual playing coach on the field in his prime, the now 35-year-old Cody Walker had quicker acceleration off the mark to give the team attacking spark and Mitchell was one of the NRL’s best fullbacks.
Mitchell would struggle to be rated in the top half of fullbacks if you are judging him on the past couple of seasons.
Due mainly to injuries and a few suspensions, Mitchell has not played more than 17 games in a season in his five years at Souths, tallying a career-low 11 in 2024.
Latrell Mitchell is tackled. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Mitchell was dynamic when he was on the park last year, averaging more than one try assist per game and he’s still only 27, but his injury history is getting lengthy as he enters his 10th season in the NRL.
Bennett always had an enviable roster during his 15 seasons at the Broncos which yielded six premierships, he walked into a team on the rise at St George Illawarra and took them to the promised land in 2010.
His time at Newcastle was bankrolled – at least to begin with – by plenty of dough before club owner Nathan Tinkler’s empire went down the tinkler.
Bunnies hope can feel optimistic given the fact that Bennett is returning to the fold after successfully completing what had up until recently been his toughest mission – the launch of the Dolphins into the NRL despite a modest roster.
If Walker cannot shake off his calf complaint, Souths may be turning out against Bennett’s most recent former club in Round 1 with a spine of Humphreys and Wests Tigers cast-off Jayden Sullivan in the halves, Jye Gray at fullback and Peter Mamouzelos at hooker.
Seasoned campaigners in Jack Wighton, Tevita Tatola, Jai Arrow and Keaon Koloamatangi will still be on deck so Bennett will have some experience on the field for opening round.
But with three straight road trips to face the Dolphins, Dragons and Sharks before hosting Penrith in Round 4, the outlook appears grim in the short term before they start getting anywhere close to their first-choice line-up on the park.
Lucky old Wayne loves a challenge.
