‘I spent 40 years of living under pressure': Wayne Bennett not feeling the heat as the master coach addresses South Sydney's form slump
The most experienced man in the game has enjoyed unrivalled success at several clubs, but things haven't gone to plan in his second stint at the Rabbitohs who are only ahead of the Titans on the ladder.
Not even Bennett's magic dust has been able to save them, with the Rabbitohs enduring a horror injury toll that forced stars Cody Walker, Latrell Mitchell and Campbell Graham to miss plenty of games, while skipper Cam Murray hasn't played at all after rupturing an achilles in the pre-season.
South Sydney's poor record in all grades has become a talking point this week, with Bennett's players quick to leap to the defence of the man who could very well coach Australia at the end of the year.
'I spent 40 years of living under pressure so I don't feel it, it doesn't worry me,' he said ahead of the game against a Penrith side missing Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo.
'I know we're doing the right things and we're on the right track, but we're not where the top teams are.
'Regardless of what our results are, that's what we're driving pretty hard here as coaches is to fix up some areas that we need to be better at, regardless of who's playing and regardless of how well we're playing.
'Some of the things that we're dishing up at the moment aren't going to put us in that position in 12 months' time or two years' time.
'It's a process. I know how it works and I've done it long enough, so we'll get there.'
The Rabbitohs started the season strongly but have fallen away in recent weeks, with injuries to key personnel not helping.
New recruit Brandon Smith injured his knee in his first game for the club but is expected to be back in 2-3 weeks, while Walker has been restricted to just eight appearances as he battles calf and hamstring issues.
There were fears he'd be ruled out for the season, but Bennett is confident he'll be back in 4-6 weeks.
'He was at rehab training the other day and hurt another part of his leg,' he said, confident the veteran five-eighth will see out his 2026 deal.
'He's going to do another year here. They're injuries that you can miss them or get them, so we're taking a risk with it and hopefully we get more out of him going forward.
'He's been handling it pretty well. It's not easy for him, but at the same time he's doing everything right and we're doing everything right with him.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SBS Australia
10 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
Tour de France: Australian Storer helps save Tudor's celebration blushes
Australian star Michael Storer has bagged the much coveted daily combativity prize for being the most aggressive rider after his constant attacks enlivened a thrilling afternoon on the 15th stage of the Tour de France. But the Perth rider's illustrious Tudor Pro teammate Julian Alaphilippe will want to forget the embarrassment of celebrating a stage win in the ancient city of Carcassonne which he later discovered was actually only a third-place finish. At the end of the 169km route from Muret, the race had actually already been won by UAE Team Emirates' veteran Tim Wellens, wearing the Belgian champion's jersey, with compatriot Victor Campenaerts (Visma Lease-A-Bike) second in a fitting one-two on the eve of Monday's rest day, which is Belgium's National Day. The pair had both been in the breakaway with the buzzing Storer but the Australian was eventually swallowed up amid the sprint for third, won by Alaphilippe, who celebrated as though he had won the stage. Alas, the former double world champion had been without a working radio due to an early crash, during which he had also dislocated his shoulder, so hadn't realised the two Belgians were ahead. "I tried to put in the best sprint possible and thought about the stage win. Like an idiot, I raised my hands, but there were a few guys ahead of me," the 33-year-old later told French television while also revealing he had put his dislocated shoulder back himself. "I remembered what they did to me in the hospital previously and managed to pop it back in," Alaphilippe said. "The day could have gone better — but I could also have had to go home, so it's okay." While Raphael Meyer, CEO of the ambitious Swiss-based Tudor team, pointed out they would have been very happy with third if offered that before the stage, he also paid tribute to Storer's "amazing" ride after the 28-year-old had come home among the pack of sprinters behind Alaphilippe in 22nd place. Further back, there was no change at the top of the general classification, with the main favourites finishing some six minutes after Wellens following a few exhausting days in the high mountains. Tadej Pogacar remains four minutes 13 seconds clear of Jonas Vingegaard (Visma Lease-A-Bike) with Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe) third, just shy of eight minutes off yellow. Ben O'Connor remains the top Australian in the standings in 12th place, 25:44 behind Pogacar. The day's breakaway had formed after the crash had split the peloton. With Vingegaard and Lipowitz delayed, UAE and Pogacar tried to slow the peloton to enable them to catch up — mirroring a similar sporting response by his rivals when he crashed a few days ago. The breakaway was gradually whittled down to four with Storer attempting to go solo at that point only to be reeled back in. With a little over 40km to go, the leading group was eight-strong, at which point Wellens, who had been sitting on the others' wheels, launched his break which quickly became decisive as the rest dithered over how to respond. "It was a very special victory," said Wellens, after his maiden Tour win. "Everybody knows the Tour de France, everybody wants to ride the Tour de France but not many get to win at the Tour de France, so it's very beautiful."
ABC News
10 minutes ago
- ABC News
Kurtley Beale named captain of First Nations and Pasifika XV to face British and Irish Lions
Kurtley Beale will get his chance to face the British and Irish Lions on a second tour after being named captain of the First Nations and Pasifika XV team for Tuesday's clash in Melbourne. The 95-cap flyhalf, who famously slipped while taking a potentially match-winning penalty in the first test against the Lions in 2013, was robbed of the chance of facing the tourists for Western Force last month by a hamstring injury. Beale is one of six indigenous players in the line-up, with the rest of the match-day squad made up of players with Pacific Islands heritage. Tongan-born prop Taniela Tupou and Fijian-born winger Filipo Daugunu were released from the Wallabies squad for the match and will have a chance to show coach Joe Schmidt that they should be in the reckoning for the second and third tests. Tuaina Taii Tualima, Charlie Gamble and Seru Uru make up a formidable back row, while former Wallabies Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Darcy Swain will feel they have a point to prove to Schmidt when they link up in the second row. Former Australia loose forward Pete Samu was prevented from playing by Lions management because he did not fulfil the stipulation in the tour agreement that all players should have featured in Super Rugby this season. Head coach Toutai Kefu, who helped the Wallabies beat the Lions 2-1 in the 2001 test series, nonetheless felt he had selected a side that could hand the tourists their first defeat in Australia on this tour. "The team has a really nice feel to it, with a blend of not only youth and experience, but also cultures," the World Cup winner said. "The Lions have shown how strong they are on this tour. No matter who plays, they will be very hard to beat, but we're not here to make up the numbers. "We want to win this game and make history." Beale, 36, one of only 15 indigenous Australians to have represented the Wallabies, has recovered sufficiently to lead a strong backline at Dockland's Stadium. Kefu said the veteran was a natural pick for the captaincy on Tuesday night. "Kurtley is the most experienced player in the squad and was the natural selection for captain," Kefu said. "He is an extremely talented footballer and has been there and done it on the big stage." The Lions are unbeaten on their Australia tour, coming off a 27-19 win in the first Test over the Wallabies on Saturday. Tuesday's contest will be the last tour match the Lions will play, followed by the final two Test matches against the Wallabies. 15–Andy Muirhead, 14–Triston Reilly, 13–Lalakai Foketi, 12–David Feliuai, 11–Filipo Daugunu, 10–Kurtley Beale, 9–Kalani Thomas, 8–Tuaina Taii Tualima, 7–Charlie Gamble, 6–Seru Uru, 5–Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4–Darcy Swain, 3–Taniela Tupou, 2–Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1–Lington Ieli Replacements: 16–Richie Asiata, 17–Marley Pearce, 18–Mesake Doge, 19–Mesake Vocevoce, 20–Rob Leota, 21–Harrison Goddard, 22–Jack Debreczeni, 23–Jarrah McLeod Reuters/ABC
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Rebel rugby raid on stars as real as a PNG corruption scandal
His agent Bruce Sharrock confirmed the story was correct, but had one detail wrong - the million dollar figure we floated was 'unders'. R360 is believed to be offering deals up to $US2m a season, more than double Kalyn Ponga's $1.4m a year at the Knights which makes him the highest-paid player in the NRL. If they're throwing well over a million at Tuivasa-Sheck in the twilight of his career, how much will be thrown at other known targets in Ponga and Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen? And how much will be thrown at as yet unknown targets? For R360 to pull off its grand plan of eight franchises bouncing around the world F1 and LIV Golf-style between June and September next year and beyond, it needs at least 200 players - or 25 per team. The competition will primarily interest a northern hemisphere audience, and will target players currently in the Investec Champions Cup (formerly Heineken Cup), the premier European competition. If you want to sell a new competition to European rugby fans you need players known to them. But they will want international players to boost interest and television rights in other parts of the world in this global-based sports economy. There's even talk of a pacific-based team. Finding proper answers about exactly where R360 is at is like trying to catch air, but a few things are known. By September, organisers need three things to secure the proposed Saudi Investment Fund and other private equity funding. It needs the eight franchises purchased and formalised as legal entities, a broadcast partner on board and the two hundred players signed. It is believed they have the commitment of 140 players. While this is a huge problem for rugby, with the World Cup looming in 2027, it's also a big problem for the NRL. With the Perth Bears entering in 2027 and PNG scheduled for 2028, the NRL needs players. As many as it can get. With 17 teams right now the playing ranks are already thin, and some positions are desperately short such as halves. When it grows to 19 teams, a further 70-odd players are needed. Even ten players signing with R360 would hurt. The live example is LIV Golf. In Australia, many think it's a success because the Adelaide event is so popular. But, it's a rarity and is about the only one. In the United States, it is an absolute disaster. Poor crowds are an issue, but the bigger issue is television viewing numbers. On Fox Sports in the US, the average number tuning in is about 175,000. Some Sundays have drawn about 400,000. That's compared to an average PGA Tour audience of about three million on CBS and NBC. The LIV number is beyond disastrous and tanking worse than the careers of many who signed their careers-away to play. Luckily for them, they were paid up front as for many their form and relevance has disappeared without a trace. Cam Smith anyone? Loading Whether LIV is working or not doesn't matter - what matters is they signed great players such as Phil Mickelson, our own Smith and Marc Leishman, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau etc and took them out of the PGA Tour and the Tour is now weaker for it. Threats to the NRL have come and gone before, and it has survived. It always will. But right now, times are delicate. Some teams, such as the Wests Tigers have been appalling for years and new teams are coming.
