NRL news: South Sydney Rabbitohs homeless to start 2025 as Accor Stadium hosts Race of Champions
Wayne Bennett’s hopes for a fast start in his South Sydney return have suffered a massive blow, with the Rabbitohs kicked out of Accor Stadium for the start of the 2025 season.
Wayne Bennett’s South Sydney face a daunting early road test on his return to the Rabbitohs – and he has F1 racing icons Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher to thank for it.
Bennett and the Rabbitohs will be forced to spend the opening three weeks of the season away from the comforts of home because Accor Stadium is being turned into a racetrack to host the first-ever Race of Champions.
The unique event, which pits some of the world’s best drivers in identical cars to decide who is the fastest, will be held inside a revamped Accor Stadium on March 7 and 8, which coincides with the opening round of the premiership.
Vettel and Schumacher, the son of F1 legend Michael Schumaker, are among the racers taking part in the event. Aussie V8 Superstar Jamie Whincup will also be involved.
It is understood it takes at least a week to install the purpose-built bitumen track and then the same time to dismantle it. Once the track is removed, the field will then be replaced with ready-to-play turf.
It will mean Souths and Bennett will be forced to spend the opening three rounds of the premiership on the road. The Bulldogs are in the same boat as Souths, although they have the benefit of being able to play up to two of home games at their spiritual home, Belmore Sports Ground.
Souths don’t have that luxury, which means it is Accor Stadium or bust for Bennett and the Rabbitohs astray look to bounce back from a season of abject disappointment.
Bennett, a seven-time premiership winner, will be desperate to make a fast start to the season given the way the Rabbitohs limped to the finish line last year.
The club is coming off a season when they only narrowly avoided the wooden spoon, losing their last seven games in the process.
Coach Jason Demetriou paid the ultimate price for the dismal performance after he lost his job midseason and Bennett has been convinced to return three years after he departed the club to take charge of the Dolphins.
His record in his previous stint at the helm of the Rabbitohs was remarkable. In his previous three seasons in charge, Bennett lost a grand final to Penrith and led the club to two preliminary finals.
He won 68 per cent of his games but the challenge is infinitely more difficult this time around given the way Souths finished last season and the fact they will be on the road for at leat three weeks to begin 2025.
The good news is that Bennett should have access to superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell given the All Stars game set to be played on February 15 at CommBank Stadium before the start of the premiership.
Mitchell, who has a one-week ban hanging over from last season, should be given the green light to serve that ban in the All Stars game, meaning he would be free to play in round one when Souths meet Bennett’s former club, the Dolphins.
As hard as their start to the season is, the bookmakers haven’t totally deserted the Rabbitohs. They are fifth on the line of betting at $15, behind only Melbourne, Penrith, the Brisbane Broncos and the Cronulla Sharks.
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