South Sydney players on the “brutal” Wayne Bennett honesty session

If South Sydney were in any doubt about the seriousness of the defeat to the Bulldogs, coach Wayne Bennett set his stumbling stars straight with an honesty session that will be taken out on the Broncos.

Bennett left no doubt as to his expectations of his players. Photo: Brett Costello

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South Sydney players have lifted the lid on the “brutal” Wayne Bennett honesty session that spared no one after their shock loss to Canterbury.

In the lead-up to Bennett’s showdown against his former club Brisbane and ex-Souths coach Anthony Seibold on Friday, Rabbitohs stars revealed the “brutal’’ game review has them believing they can become the first team to win the NRL premiership from outside the top four.

Lock Cameron Murray told The Daily Telegraph that Bennett’s spray has the Bunnies itching to redeem themselves against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.

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Bennett left no doubt as to his expectations of his players. Photo: Brett Costello

“It is always uncomfortable to have those tough conversations but you have to do it,” Murray said.

“You have to be honest with each other to grow. There is no hiding from the fact that no one played as well as we can in the loss to the Bulldogs.

“Now we’ve had the tough chat, everyone knows what we have got to do to turn it around.

“But time is running thin because we need to start putting some good performances together before we hit in the finals.

“You can’t go into the finals without having some momentum and confidence behind you. Finals footy is a different beast and you need to be prepared.”

The Rabbitohs know they stuffed up big time. Photo: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

The Rabbitohs are in fifth position with three games remaining against Brisbane (A), Warriors (A) and Roosters (H).

In the NRL era since 1998, no team has won the premiership after finishing outside the top four.

Murray, though, insists the Rabbitohs aren’t worried about the record books.

“We are not sitting back, looking at all the stats and saying, ‘if we don’t do this statistically, then we are no chance’,” he said.

“We’ve always got that belief in ourselves, so regardless of where we finish we know we can perform well in the finals.

“We’ve shown what we can do this year and we know that we have it in us.”

Adam Reynolds has shrugged off recent criticism. Photo: Brett Costello

Souths halfback Adam Reynolds said the Rabbitohs are revelling in being discounted as genuine contenders this season.

“It is a good position for us to be in,” Reynolds said.

“Everyone has written us off and I love hearing everyone write us off. It just gives us an incentive and more drive.”

Reynolds also hit back at suggestions that Souths are the NRL’s dirtiest team.

The Daily Telegraph revealed that Rabbitohs players have received more weeks suspended then serial wresting offenders the Melbourne Storm.

Reynolds laughed off these claims.

“I wouldn’t call us a dirty team — we play the game pretty fairly,” Reynolds said.

“I feel like we are pretty good. We don’t over wrestle teams. If anything, we are talking about not giving away penalties.

“We are trying to be really clean, so for us it is a different motto. We obviously don’t want to give silly penalties away and it something we’ve spoken about.”

Originally published as South Sydney players on the “brutal” Wayne Bennett honesty session