Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett’s high praise for George Piggins after he was rushed to hospital

South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett has labelled club legend and saviour George Piggins ‘a fighter’ after he was rushed to hospital with an infection.

South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett has thrown his support behind Rabbitohs legend and club saviour George Piggins after he was rushed to hospital with an infection.​

South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett has thrown his support behind Rabbitohs legend and club saviour George Piggins after he was rushed to hospital with an infection, hailing him a “fighter”.

Piggins was reportedly rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Wednesday morning and he remains in a serious but stable condition.

The 75-year-old is in the intensive care unit suffering from a severe infection.

Piggins played hooker in South Sydney’s 1971 premiership triumph, representing the Bunnies from 1967 to 1978.

He is also a former Rabbitohs chairman and coach, leading the club to the minor premiership in 1989.

South Sydney chairman George Piggins (right) shakes hands with NRL chief executive David Moffett after their meeting to confirm the Rabbitohs would be the Telstra Premiership's 15th club in 2002. Picture: Mark Williams

Perhaps most importantly, Piggins was at the head of the 2001 march through Sydney’s CBD that led to the club’s reinstatement to the NRL.

Bennett has only met Piggins once, but he has always known him to be one of rugby league’s most resilient characters.

“I was only a young guy growing up, but I always saw him as that fighter who didn’t give in and wouldn’t give up,” Bennett said.

“He carried that through to keep the club alive as well – it is his DNA.

“He is South Sydney; I don’t think there is much doubt about that.

“As a player and what he did after that. The club is still here because of George. He was one of the real keys to getting them back when they got kicked out.

“I’ve only ever met him once, but I know the regard he is held in here at the club.”

Piggins walked away from his 42-year association with the Rabbitohs after Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court won an ownership vote for the club in 2006.

He vowed never to attend an NRL fixture again, such was the depth of the feud, amid claims the Hollywood star and his co-owner hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on Piggins and his family.

But the former Australian representative’s stance has since softened, attending the club’s first premiership win in 43 years in 2014, while he was regularly seen at Rabbitohs training in Redfern.

Bennett knows club legends like Piggins will be watching on when Souths take on the Titans on the Gold Coast on Friday night.

South Sydney fullback Latrell Mitchell will miss a month after failing to defend his charge of making dangerous contact with the head of Tigers winger David Nofoaluma. Picture: Toby Zerna

The super coach is expecting a tough game against the Titans after they suffered a 36-0 loss to Manly in Mudgee last weekend.

“That is one thing that I’m pretty certain about, they will want to make up for what they did last week,” he said.

“So, that makes them pretty formidable.

“They’ve had a good start to the season, but they just had a bad weekend, and they will want to prove to everyone that is not who they are.

“We’ll have a quality game on our hands.”

Bennett is also confident that the Rabbitohs will survive without suspended star fullback Latrell Mitchell for the next month.

“We played a lot of games last year without him, and we got the job done, so I don’t think anyone is lacking any confidence here to be able to move on and get it done,” he said.

Originally published as Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett’s high praise for George Piggins after he was rushed to hospital