Josh Schuster edges closer to NRL return: How Wayne Bennett and Brad Fittler helped former star on comeback trail

WATCH: Josh Schuster’s attempts at an NRL return have been dogged by injuries and doubts about his passion for the game. But the former rugby league prodigy is set to return at last.

One-on-one meetings with Wayne Bennett, a pep talk from Brad Fittler, and plenty of hard work has Josh Schuster edging closer to ending his 19-month NRL exile with the South Sydney forward on track to be available for selection in the coming weeks.

A calf injury, suffered in December, has hampered Schuster’s top flight comeback after he was handed an NRL lifeline by the Rabbitohs last September.

Schuster, who has a history of calf injuries, has been on a rehabilitation program since the latest setback and is ticking all the right boxes.

He was spotted running at Heffron Park this week and is expected to be integrated into team training as he enters the final stages of his injury rehab.

With no other setbacks, it’s understood Schuster could be available for selection in the next 4-6 weeks. Though there is a view he could return to the field even sooner.

Considered a prodigious talent coming through the grades, Schuster struggled to cement a starting spot during his time at Manly and was eventually released from his contract in April last year.

His last NRL match was back in August of 2023.

Josh Schuster’s NRL return edges closer. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

But Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett has been fully invested in unlocking Schuster’s immense potential and has been having one-on-one meetings with the 23-year old in bid to keep his NRL comeback on track.

Injured Rabbitohs skipper Cameron Murray told this masthead Bennett, who is known for his mentorship of troubled players, can turn Schuster’s career around.

“He’s under the right coach to unlock his potential,” Murray said.

“The calf injury he picked up is unfortunate but he’s at a really good club. We pride ourselves with embracing everyone and empowering them to be the best version of themselves and be comfortable to be true to who they are.

“That brings out the best that they can offer.”

Josh Schuster last played in the NRL in 2023. Picture: NRL Photos

Bennett isn’t the only high-profile figure backing Schuster to prove his detractors wrong.

Last Friday night, former NSW coach Brad Fittler went out of his way to give Schuster a personal pep talk after the Rabbitohs’ win over the Dolphins at CommBank Stadium.

Fittler’s message was simple, he, and all NRL fans, wanted to see Schuster back out on the field living up to his lofty potential and backed him to do so.

Schuster, who took time away from the game after being released by Manly, has spoken about his mental health battle and the impact it had on his performances.

Questions about his desire to play rugby league professionally, even since joining South Sydney, have also dogged Schuster for years.

Josh Schuster has been working hard ahead of his NRL return. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

But Murray said Schuster had proven those suggestions wrong by his actions since arriving at Heffron Park.

“He turns up every day, he sits on the assault bike and the watt bike and does all his rehab specific training. None of it looks like a lot of fun to be honest but he has turned up and done it without complaining,” Murray said.

“He’s proven to everyone around him that he is ripping in and that he wants to show everyone that he can train hard. He’s a competitor, regardless of the type of training he is doing.

“We can all see he’s putting in the work. We are all noticing it.”

Schuster’s best position has also been a point of contention.

It’s understood he’s viewed as a backrower at the Bunnies despite suggestions he could be better suited at lock or even in the no.6 jumper, where he made his NRL debut in 2020 – in performance Benji Marshall labelled the best he’d ever seen from a rookie.

Originally published as Josh Schuster edges closer to NRL return: How Wayne Bennett and Brad Fittler helped former star on comeback trail