Wayne Bennett‘s greatest strength in his ‘golden’ years is not so much as a coach but more as a man manager – and that skill may propel South Sydney up the ladder in 2025.
After a dismal season in 2024 when they won only seven games and were just edged out by the Tigers in the wooden spoon battle, the Rabbitohs have gone back to the master coach after his two-year stint kicking off the Dolphins in the big league.
In star duo Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker, the Bunnies have two of the most talented – but also most temperamental – players in the NRL.
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Rival players and coaches know the pair can easily be baited and niggled off their game – and this is where Bennett’s mind mechanics come in.
If he can get the pair thinking football and keeping their cool, the Rabbitohs will be well on their way to being in finals contention.
The club under-achieved with the lack of a consistent halfback one of their major problems, but they have moved to fix that by signing St Helens playmaker Lewis Dodd.
But he may take time to adapt to the NRL after an underwhelming start to his Sydney career in the trials last weekend.
Another option at half if Dodd struggles is Jamie Humphreys from the Sea Eagles, a talented youngster who could prove a surprise packet.
Watch for Bennett to work his magic on another enigmatic player, fellow Manly recruit Josh Schuster.
There is no doubting Schuster’s talent but he has lost his way in the past couple of seasons and Bennett will hit his reset button – watch for him to shine.
The Bunnies will miss Thomas Burgess and Damien Cook – two of the mainstays of the pack in recent years – and haven’t really signed anyone to replace them.
Peter Mamouzelos has been groomed to take over at hooker but may take a while to learn what it takes to be a regular NRL player in the demanding dummy-half role.
Injuries have already been unkind to Souths, with luckless centre Campbell Graham and veteran winger Alex Johnston unlikely to be fit for round one.
A suspected Achilles rupture for skipper Cameron Murray would be a major blow, while Latrell could miss the start of the season with a hamstring issue.
2025 gains
Jamie Humphreys (Sea Eagles), Euan Aitken (Dolphins), Lewis Dodd (St Helens), Josh Schuster (Sea Eagles), Jayden Sullivan (Wests Tigers)
2025 losses
Thomas Burgess (Huddersfield), Damien Cook (Dragons), Dean Hawkins (Eels), Taane Milne (released), Michael Chee Kam (Sea Eagles), Leon Te Hau (released), Lachlan Ilias (Dragons), Izaac Tu’itupou Thompson (released)
Best buy:
Schuster is a class act who can play both centre and second-row. The NRL never saw the best of him at Manly but a shift of clubs and a new attitude could see him blossom.
It’s a big season for:
Latrell looks great in pre-season vision, much trimmer than in the past few years and Bennett could bring out the best in him.
Biggest question mark:
Do the Bunnies have the heavy artillery up front and a match-winning halfback to be a genuine finals force?
Predicted finish: 13th
Predicted 17 for round one: 1. Jye Gray 2. Fletcher Myers 3. Jack Wighton 4. Isaiah Tass 5. Tyrone Munro 6. Cody Walker 7. Lewis Dodd 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Peter Mamouzelos 10. Davvy Moale 11. Jai Arrow 12. Keaon Koloamatangi 13. Euan Aitken 14. Jamie Humphreys 15. Sean Keppie 16. Tallis Duncan 17. Josh Schuster
Odds to win comp: $18