Debate rages over Wayne Bennett

South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly has blasted claims coach Wayne Bennett is too old, describing the suggestion as “laughable.”

South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly has blasted claims coach Wayne Bennett is too old, describing the suggestion as “laughable.”

And Solly refused to use the club’s horror toll to justify South Sydney’s poor performances this season.

Souths are second last in the NRL, last in NSW Cup and last in Jersey Flegg but Solly has a message to fans: “No-one is more frustrated by the results than the people playing for working at the club.”

The Rabbitohs have been dogged by 11 losses in 17 games this season with a season of promise under returning master coach Bennett quickly evaporating.

Now Bennett’s age – he was born on January 1, 1950 – has come under the spotlight.

This masthead spoke with Solly on Monday with the club CEO firing back at critics of Bennett.

BENNETT JUDGEMENT

Colleague Phil Rothfield questioned if Bennett was past it in his Monday column.

Rothfield wrote: “Bennett is now 75 years of age. I get people asking me all the time if the old super coach is still up with the modern game. I don’t say that nastily but it’s true. His last premiership was 15 years ago at the Dragons.”

Solly responded quickly by saying: “Any suggestion that he’s too old is laughable.

“Wayne is certainly regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all-time. Anyone who knows him can see his energy and passion for the game.

“His desire for success and love of the game is as strong now as it was when he started coaching.

“He has been tremendous since he rejoined the club.”

Pressed on whether Bennett’s age was a factor, Solly said: “I don’t think so.

“No-one is more passionate about us having success on the field than Wayne. We are very confident Wayne is the man to bring success to the club.”

Pressed about whether Souths retained an appetite to extend Bennett beyond 2027, Solly said: “We will sit down with Wayne at the end of the season.”

Solly has backed Wayne Bennett. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

INJURY HORROR

Souths have been without players this year through injury for a combined total of more than 200 weeks. That is around 100 matches more than their closest injury-ravaged rivals.

Those missing injured players include Cam Murray, Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Jack Wighton, Davvy Moale, Euan Aitken, Brandon Smith, Mikaele Ravalawa, Jye Gray, Liam Le Blanc, Campbell Graham and Jayden Sullivan.

“The injuries have been challenging but we don’t want to use them as an excuse for poor performance,” Solly said.

“We have had key players unavailable for large periods. Our internal figures show we have missed players through injury for well over 200 games.

“It would be a challenging start to the season for any club if you took Cameron Murray (who ruptured an Achilles pre-season) out.

“If you look at the start of the season, when we had some of those key players available, we won four of the first five games.

“The fact we’ve had so many NRL players unavailable means that it also tests the depth through NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg but we can’t fault the effort of commitment of the players or coaching staff in any of those teams.”

Solly still maintains hope his side can somehow string together enough wins to play finals footy.

“If there’s a mathematical chance then we can,” he said. “We have had injuries all through the season but that hasn’t stopped the team winning some close games against great opposition.

”We’re hoping between now and the end of the season we do that more often.”

UNITED PLAYERS

Solly insisted the playing group was strong and unified.

“There is no problem at all with the playing group,” he said. “They have been excellent through some tough challenges.

“The disruption with players missing has been difficult but their effort and commitment has been excellent.

“These injuries have presented a challenge but also given opportunities for other players to step up.

“We are really excited about the progress of players like Tallis Duncan, Jye Gray and Tyrone Munro.”

INTERNAL PAIN

Solly said every employee at Souths was feeling the pain this season.

“No-one is more frustrated by the results than the people working at the club,” he said. “We understand that the fans and members want us to do better.

“I think we will see a big improvement as some of those key players when they return between now and the end of the season.

“If you look at Brandon Smith’s impact in the 40 minutes he played the other night before getting injured, we can see what he is going to deliver for us.”

DODD DILEMMA

English halfback Lewis Dodd remains languishing in NSW Cup despite being paid around $750,000 a season.

“Wayne said publicly last week that he and Lewis have spoken,” Solly said.

“Wayne has told him where he is at and what the opportunities are at Souths for Lewis.

“As Wayne said, it all comes back to Lewis showing us his ability.”

PROUD BUNNIES

Solly claimed Souths, being a famous foundation club, were always in the spotlight.

“Expectations are always high but that’s not an issue for us,” he said. “We welcome that. It’s a sign of being a big club.

“Those expectations are there and no-one at the club resiles or has any fear about that.

“The administration and football department are as united as they ever have been.”

“The fans and members should be genuinely excited about the future.”

BUZZ STANDS BY BENNETT COMMENTS

- Phil Rothfield

So Blake Solly says it’s laughable to suggest that Wayne Bennett, at 75, is struggling to stay in touch with the modern game.

Others see it as disrespectful to the man who has won seven premierships – and I can understand that.

I’m just looking at the condition the South Sydney Rabbitohs are in right now. It’s not good.

They are second last in the NRL, last in NSW Cup and second last in Jersey Flegg.

This isn’t the Titans. This is South Sydney.

And Bennett, as head coach, needs to accept some of the responsibility.

Yes, they’ve had the most shocking run with injuries.

And yes, it’s not his fault that the club made a gigantic blunder in letting champion halfback Adam Reynolds leave four years ago.

Blake Solly and Wayne Bennett are overseeing South Sydney’s horror year.

Now that’s what’s really laughable.

Or the fact Solly and recruitment boss Mark Ellison signed Lewis Dodd from St Helens on $750,000-a-season for three years to play in reserve grade.

That too is laughable.

Now back to Bennett - and any suggestions that I’ve disrespected him.

Last year I sat in a room with a dozen other judges to vote on the next immortal, the ultimate award for the greatest players in history.

I was the one who spoke up at that meeting about Bennett and his contribution to the game.

That after coaching more than 900 games and winning seven grand finals that he was worthy of Immortal status as the first coach to ever be inducted.

That is how highly I think of him.

Others in the meeting wanted the Immortals to be kept only for players. And that’s fair enough too.

In this job of ours, we are paid to express opinions.

Souths are a hot topic at the moment after two years of poor performances.

That’s why I wrote the column about Bennett and compared his record this year to younger coaches Cameron Ciraldo and Andrew Webster who have the Bulldogs and Warriors humming in the top four.

And I make no apologies.

Originally published as Debate rages over Wayne Bennett