Wayne Bennett’s coaching under the microscope after disastrous South Sydney season

South Sydney is second last on the NRL ladder, last in NSW Cup and second last in Jersey Flegg. It’s grim reading for Wayne Bennett who was brought home as South Sydney’s saviour.

With Origin done and dusted, the big story in the run home to the finals is Wayne Bennett’s coaching at the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

The club is second last on the NRL ladder, last in NSW Cup and second last in Jersey Flegg.

Bennett was brought home to the Rabbitohs this year after the sacking of Jason Demetriou.

In fairness, no club in the NRL has suffered more injuries to key players.

However, 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.

South Sydney as a club are struggling across the board under coach Wayne Bennett. Picture: Jeremy Piper

It’s interesting that another old coach, Dessie Has­ler, 64, is also struggling. Him and Bennett sit at the bottom of the ladder.

Of the older coaches, only Craig Bellamy, 66, is doing well at the Melbourne Storm. Ricky Stuart, who claims he’s only 58, is on fire at Canberra.

You then look at the top four of the ladder and see how well the younger guys like Cameron Ciraldo and Andrew Webster are doing as head coaches in a game that has changed so much over the last decade.

At Souths, I actually put it down to their poor recruitment more than Bennett’s coaching. History shows it was a mistake to not try harder to keep champion halfback and club legend Adam Reynolds four years ago.

An even bigger mistake was to sign Lewis Dodd from the UK Super League on $700,000 a season to play reserve grade.

The Rabbitohs face a tough draw against Penrith (away) then the Sharks in Gosford before travelling to Brisbane to face the Broncos. Then it’s round 23 against the Titans in what could well be a wooden-spoon decider.

Bennett’s future, possibly with PNG, would be as a head of football not as a head coach and that’s maybe where his future lies.

Originally published as Wayne Bennett’s coaching under the microscope after disastrous South Sydney season