Has South Sydney’s premiership window closed? Not according to mastercoach Wayne Bennett
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have bowed out in the preliminary final for three years straight. Where to now for rugby league’s most decorated club?
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Wayne Bennett wants to farewell South Sydney with a title win and the mastercoach believes his side has what it takes to be grand finalists in 2021.
Rather than accept the Rabbitohs’ premiership window has been closed after three straight preliminary losses, Bennett, who has has won seven titles with Brisbane and St George Illawarra, said his squad was shaping to go at least one step further next season.
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“We had a great end to the season, we struggled in the beginning and struggled when we came back from COVID but each week we got better and played some of our best football in the last month so there is lots to look forward to if we handle it properly,” Bennett said.
“We are a better team than we were last year and if we can be better again next year it might be enough to get us over the hurdle and put us into the grand final.”
After crashing out against the Sydney Roosters in 2018 and to the Canberra Raiders in 2019, the Rabbitohs suffered a similar fate on Saturday night against Penrith, going down 20-16 in a gallant performance.
Skipper Adam Reynolds also echoed Bennett’s sentiment and refused to entertain the idea that a grand final appearance was beyond the club’s reach.
“It’s disappointing. We’ve been in three straight and lost three so it’s never a good feeling losing in these games,” Reynolds said.
“It’s a challenge in itself to get here and I couldn’t be any prouder of our squad.
“I think we did a tremendous job with a number of players out and no-one whinged, we just got on with it.
“We’ll come back next year and go again.”
The Rabbitohs’ season was punctuated with serious injuries to a number of key players, which only made the task of getting to a grand final from outside of the top four even more difficult.
A hamstring injury ended the season of marquee recruit Latrell Mitchell in round 16 and speedster James Roberts has also been sidelined since round 11 with a pectoral rupture.
Form outside back Campbell Graham was cruelly rubbed out of Saturday night’s clash with a groin injury.
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“It all has its impact but we have overcome so much with injuries this year. We’ve gone on with it and made no excuses. Ethan Lowe has retired now, we lost James Roberts for the season, Braidon Burns [knee] and Latrell [Mitchell], Campbell Graham [on Saturday]. But Jed Cartwright did a great job out there, I could not have asked more of him,” Bennett said.
“We kept patching up the team and getting on with life.”
But Bennett confirmed Mitchell, Roberts and Burns will all be fit and ready come round one next season.
Queensland utility Ethan Lowe has retired after aggravating a neck injury in round 10 against Newcastle but the Rabbitohs can look forward to injecting Jai Arrow into their pack for next season.
“We’re not losing any body and we are getting a couple of players on top of what we have got. We get the injured players back which is good, and they will be back,” Bennett said.
One player who could be missing for round one is fill-in fullback Corey Allan.
Allan, who made the most of his chance in the No. 1 jumper vacated by Mitchell while he was out injured, was cited for a shoulder charge on Penrith’s Josh Mansour in Saturday night’s game.
Allan will miss one week if he takes the early plea.