‘It’s in the grand final’: Wayne Bennett hails South Sydney miracle as one of the greatest wins of his incredible coaching career

Wayne Bennett isn’t one to make grand statements after a game, but the veteran mentor says South Sydney’s win over the Roosters is one of the greatest he’s been a part of out of the more than 1000 matches he’s coached.

Wayne Bennett has coached more than 1000 games of professional rugby league including premierships and famous State of Origin victories, but he rates Friday night’s gutsy comeback against the Roosters as one of the best he’s ever been involved in after his side somehow fought back despite losing three stars to injury.

South Sydney’s 20-14 victory over their fiercest rivals was the latest chapter added to their storied rivalry, with Bennett determined to make mention of what a quality contest it was and how both teams played the game in the right spirit.

The win was their fourth of the season as Mitchell fired a stunning triple cut-out pass for Isaiah Tass to score a crucial late try to break the deadlock when it looked like the Roosters would run away with it.

Latrell Mitchell delivered two clutch moments to help Souths to a famous win over the Roosters. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images

The Bunnies had one man on the bench for the final 30 minutes after starting halves Jamie Humphreys and Cody Walker limped off with hamstring injuries, while winger Mikaele Ravalawa also left the field with a similar setback.

Most teams would have folded under those circumstances, but Bennett’s troops - already without Cam Murray, Campbell Graham and Alex Johnston - don’t know what it means to give up as they roared home to leave their coach proud as punch.

“It’s up there. In my coaching career, it’s in the grand final,” he said, unable to remember a time when he lost both halves in a game during his near 50-year career.

“To overcome what they overcame tonight against a quality football team that was playing well themselves was pretty special.

“It’s everything. It’s what you want your team to do, it’s what you want to be a part of knowing that they won’t give up.

“Words don’t explain it well enough. It’s the actions, and they’ll stay in your memory for a long time.

“Everybody that played tonight and everybody who saw what they did and the way they overcame adversity after adversity and stayed in the game (will remember that).

South Sydney’s win came at a cost with Cody Walker one of three players to suffer hamstring injuries. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images

“When they went up 14-8, it could’ve been 30-8 in 10 minutes, but we went down the other end and no one was thinking that they couldn’t win. No one was thinking it was over and they stayed at it.

“I’ve got a lot of young boys in that team and they’ve grown up a real lot. They’re starting to understand about how you can win and how you’re never as tired as you think you are and how you can keep fighting.”

Walker didn’t return after half-time and said he doesn’t know how severe the injury is, although he’s long odds to fly to Perth for next week’s game against the Cowboys, with Lewis Dodd set to partner Jayden Sullivan in the halves.

Mitchell’s willingness to take control of the contest is further proof of just how special he is, with the superstar fullback starting at centre and then finishing in the halves where he fired the bullet pass of the season to set up the winner in his first game back from injury.

Talk about a lucky bounce!

A perfect drop out from Latrell 😍

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“He had to do something, he was kind of social loafing out there… he was good,” Bennett said.

“He did (his job), being a superstar. It’s going to take him a while, he’s been out of football for a long time and there are guys four or five weeks in front of him.

“Each week he’ll get better now.”