SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Can Wayne Bennett get this South Sydney team back into premiership contention?
For the second consecutive season the South Sydney Rabbitohs have missed the top eight with their star-studded line-up.
Something had to give, and it did, with the club signing Wayne Bennett to take over what was a sinking ship.
We know this relationship is a successful one, with Bennett taking South Sydney to two preliminary finals and a grand final during a three-year tenure between 2018-2020.
To bring the famous cardinal and myrtle back to the promised land, Bennett will need to get 34-year-old Cody Walker back to his gamebreaking best.
The mastermind coach has shown his cards early reportedly moving Walker back to his preferred position of five-eighth.
To help boost their halves, South Sydney have also bought an exciting 22-year-old halfback from St Helens in Lewis Dodd.
In his 2024 season with St Helens, Dodd recorded seven tries and nine try assists.
Other halves options for Bennett could be NSW Cup halfback Lachlan Ilias, exciting young gun Jamie Humphreys, who was picked up from Manly and potentially even silky big man Josh Schuster, who is another new acquisition.
Jack Wighton is another option that Bennett could ultimately use in his halves, but Wighton is set to start 2025 in the centres.
Finally, for the Bunnies to turn their fortunes around, superstar Latrell Mitchell needs to return to his best.
Positively for South Sydney, Mitchell has already began transforming himself following the white powder scandal, demolishing his in-house bar, and turning it into his own private home gym.
Another question to ponder is, with Cameron Murray set to miss much of the season with injury and Mitchell making these positive lifestyle changes, does this open the door for Latrell to take over the reigns as captain?
Rising star’s baptism of fire to fill gaping Panthers hole: Every NRL team’s biggest question
www.foxsports.com.au
