Weekend Read: All signs point to success at South Sydney under Wayne Bennett – again

The second coming is almost upon Rabbitohs fans as Wayne Bennett officially takes charge at the club. But Bennett has a significant job on his hands, and there are several factors between him and success, writes BRENT READ.

The second coming is almost upon us.

Wayne Bennett, the messiah in the eyes of many South Sydney fans, is about to saunter through the doors at the Rabbitohs and spread his magic dust over a club that was on its knees at the end of last season.

Bennett has had an extended break and left the early part of pre-season in the hands of his assistants. He is now ready to take charge again and you can picture it now – Bennett stationed under the posts at Heffron Park, watching quietly with that familiar crooked smile on his weathered face.

He won’t necessarily say a lot, but his silence has always spoken a thousand words. Bennett has a way of staring right through you. Journalists know that better than most, many of us having been on the end of one of those abbreviated answers followed by an unsettling glare in a post-match press conference.

Plenty of the Rabbitohs have had the experience as well and walked away better for it. They certainly haven’t been the same since his departure at the end of 2021, enjoying early joy under his successor Jason Demetriou before things spectacularly unravelled last season.

It was an unmitigated disaster and Bennett has a significant job on his hands, his cause not helped by the NRL and the stiff draw they have handed him to start the year.

The Rabbitohs are coming off a season of abject disappointment and they have a wretched opening to 2025 but Bennett has faced bigger challenges before.

Wayne Bennett art by Boo Bailey.

Witness what he did at the Dolphins, surprising many with the way he turned a fledgling club into a force in the blink of an eye.

Players still want to play under him and for him. That may be the most significant factor of all. You only have to look at the smile that comes across Latrell Mitchell’s face when Bennett’s name is mentioned.

Wayne Bennett’s bond with Latrell Mitchell will likely dictate where they finish in 2025.

Their bond will largely dictate where Souths finish next season. Mitchell is the club’s most important player – and one of the most influential in the competition – but he is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career.

Bennett will back himself to get the best out of the big man and if he does, Souths are suddenly a different proposition. They become a premiership contender overnight. The draw becomes a non-factor.

They will fear no one if Latrell is flying. Yes, there are holes to fill but the departure of Lachlan Ilias to St George Illawarra has left them with money to spend.

A middle forward is on their radar. Matt Lodge will be discussed. They also have a need for depth in the outside backs and it will be a juggling act for Bennett, albeit one he has no doubt navigated before given the length and breadth of his career.

Next year marks the 40-year anniversary of Bennett’s first premiership as a top grade coach – with Souths in the Brisbane competition. It’s not the only anniversary on his doorstep. Next year also marks the 15-year anniversary of his last premiership in the NRL – that was 2010 with the Dragons and while he has gone close since, most notably the last time he was at Souths when his title hope was ended by the Penrith juggernaut, he hasn’t been able to add another premiership to his resume.

As much as Bennett savours his relationship with players, there’s also a competitive flame burning inside the super coach. You don’t coach into your 70s without having lashings of hunger and desire.

No doubt it gnaws away at Bennett that he has gone so long without tasting a title. He is a winner but he hasn’t celebrated the ultimate victory for what feels like an eternity.

Seven premierships are plenty – eight if you include that title in Brisbane with Souths – but there’s always room for another. He has three years to deliver one at the Rabbitohs.

Get it done and it may be his most significant milestone yet.

SMITH’S FUTURE ON SHAKY GROUND

Brandon Smith unequivocally denied he would ever return to the Cowboys, his first club. Picture: Evan Morgan

You always know where you stand with Brandon Smith. At least, the Cowboys do. Smith has put some distance between himself and his former club on his regular segment with James Graham on The Bye Round podcast this week, insisting he has no desire to return to Townsville and the “blistering heat”.

While Smith made it clear he is committed to the Sydney Roosters, the feeling does not appear reciprocal. The Roosters have made overtures to Reece Robson and the quiet word on the street is that Smith is free to leave.

If I was in charge of a club, I would grab him with both hands. Smith has had his issues and he isn’t afraid to speak his mind, but he is still a heck of a footballer who has time on his side.

At some point next year he will return from a knee problem and hopefully remind everyone why the Roosters shelled out huge money to bring him to Sydney.

Things haven’t quite worked out but he is only 28 and time is on his side. He is still a world class player who can spend time at lock or hooker. At the right price, he is a bargain. And the sense is that Smith and his management are no longer in the driving seat.

Smith appears on the outer at the Roosters. Picture: NRL Photos

Smith will need to take a significant hair cut on his current salary, which is believed to be in the vicinity of $900,000 a year.

He may be forced to accept half that. At that price, he would be a canny purchase for the right club. He can still make a difference and he seems intent on proving it once he returns from the knee problem that prematurely ended his 2024.

Perhaps the Roosters will change tack if they miss out on Robson. Maybe Smith still has a future at the club. It seems unlikely at the moment as the Roosters plot a different course. All Smith can do is his best.

Surely that will be good enough to secure a new home.

Originally published as Weekend Read: All signs point to success at South Sydney under Wayne Bennett – again