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South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett staying calm despite mounting pressure

South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett staying calm despite mounting pressure

7NEWS17-07-2025
Wayne Bennett is remaining calm as pressure mounts in South Sydney 's dismal season, saying he's become used to the heat during 40 years in the rugby league coaching furnace.
Bennett insists he has seen signs the Rabbitohs are on the right track despite a horror year of injuries and on-field results that threatens to end with the club's first wooden spoon since 2006.
Missing eight players to injury, Souths could drop to the bottom of the ladder this weekend if they lose to resurgent Penrith on Friday and Gold Coast beat Wests Tigers on Sunday.
It's been a far cry from Bennett's first stint in charge, which ended with a grand-final appearance in 2021.
The results have been enough for media coverage to begin questioning veteran mentor Bennett.
'I've spent 40 years under pressure, mate. I don't feel it. It doesn't worry me,' he said.
It's not all doom and gloom from where Bennett is standing, though the coach felt it was inevitable lifting the Rabbitohs up the ladder would take time.
'You can't click your fingers and think it's all going to work tomorrow for you. You've got to stay true to it and you've got to get the players to buy into it. I believe that's happening,' he said.
'I know we're doing the right things and I know we're on the right track. But we're not where the top teams are.'
Bennett said Souths' attitude and their attack had impressed him.
'They've been pretty brave, there's pretty good morale in the place still. We've had no crisis meetings, which I'm very pleased about,' he said sardonically.
'Their ball control has improved a great deal, there's a lot of energy in their games.'
Souths received some rare good news this week with mid-season recruit Brandon Smith likely to miss only two or three more weeks with what had been feared a long-term knee issue.
Veteran playmaker Cody Walker, meanwhile, is four to six weeks away after tearing a calf muscle during his rehabilitation for a hamstring injury.
Campbell Graham, Cameron Murray, Latrell Mitchell, Alex Johnston and Jamie Humphreys are among other key men to have been sidelined in a diabolical season of injuries.
Of the top-30 squad, only Jai Arrow and Keaon Koloamatangi have featured in every game but Bennett shrugged at suggestions Souths may need to review their strength and conditioning or training practices.
'A lot of them have been on the field, they haven't been training injuries,' he said.
'Cody's is coming on a rehab run which he's got to do to get himself back from the hamstring injury and he tears a calf muscle. You can't blame anybody for that.'
Friday's clash with Penrith will mark only the fourth NRL game for Englishman Lewis Dodd, recruited on big money to become the Rabbitohs' new halfback but largely overlooked by Bennett this season.
The coach wants to see some physicality from Dodd when he comes on from the bench for his first NRL game since round nine.
'(He needs to) put his body on the line, he's a small guy and a lot of big players out there playing against him,' he said.
'You've got to be committed to stopping them and taking them on with the ball. If he does that, I'll be pleased with him.'
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Bennett not keen on spoon talk as Bunnies fall to last
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Not that the veteran coach is interested in the topic. "I knew someone would ask that question," Bennett responded when asked if he was concerned about the spoon. "I am not answering it." Souths didn't lack spirit on Saturday, scoring with their only good set of the first half when Jye Gray stepped across field and put Tyrone Munro over on the siren. But otherwise the lack of good ball meant halfback Lewis Dodd had little chance to create anything in attack, before he was taken off with 12 minutes to go. The centre of attention when he arrived in Gosford as Souths' first-choice half five months ago for a pre-season trial, Dodd had only started one NRL match since. The big-money Englishman did produce one of the key moments of the opening 40 minutes in defence, holding up Nicho Hynes after the Sharks halfback split Souths open. "We only had two sets ... the rest of the time we were in the back of the field and finding it pretty hard to come out," Bennett said. "He (Dodd) didn't let anybody down." Souths will have regular No.7 Jamie Humphreys back from a concussion next week, after Bennett blooded playmaker Ashton Ward on Saturday night. Wayne Bennett has swatted away wooden-spoon talk after South Sydney slumped to last on the ladder following a gutsy 14-12 loss to Cronulla. Hours after Gold Coast upset the Warriors to move off the foot the NRL ladder, the Rabbitohs were gallant but ultimately beaten by the Sharks on Saturday night. Cronulla spent most of the game camped on the Rabbitohs' line, with more than 70 per cent of the game played inside the Sharks' attacking half. But Souths still did enough to take a 6-2 lead at the break, holding firm as the Sharks bombed opportunities with dropped balls and forward passes. Ultimately Will Kennedy's bat-on for Ronaldo Mulitalo and a Blayke Brailey try proved enough for the Sharks' third straight win. 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But Souths' eighth straight loss on Saturday night marked the worst losing streak of Bennett's career, with the Bunnies behind the Titans on for-and-against. Bennett's men have two guaranteed points with a bye in round 26, while matches against Gold Coast and Parramatta could determine the fate of the spoon. Not that the veteran coach is interested in the topic. "I knew someone would ask that question," Bennett responded when asked if he was concerned about the spoon. "I am not answering it." Souths didn't lack spirit on Saturday, scoring with their only good set of the first half when Jye Gray stepped across field and put Tyrone Munro over on the siren. But otherwise the lack of good ball meant halfback Lewis Dodd had little chance to create anything in attack, before he was taken off with 12 minutes to go. The centre of attention when he arrived in Gosford as Souths' first-choice half five months ago for a pre-season trial, Dodd had only started one NRL match since. 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‘We'll lose the fans': Bennett's solution to Origin debate as UK recruit prepares for $2m acid test
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