South Sydney have made themselves the first club to be able to make a clean play for Wayne Bennett, after their axing of embattled coach Jason Demetriou. Rabbitohs players will begin NRL life after Demetriou on Wednesday, with interim coach Ben Hornby to finalise preparations for Thursday’s clash with Penrith.
Rabbitohs in crisis. But Souths officials will immediately begin planning for 2025 and beyond, as they search for a full-time predecessor for Demetriou. Bennett appears the most enticing option. The veteran coach will hand over the reins at the Dolphins at the end of this year, and was always going to be a target for any club searching for a new coach. Bennett worked with South Sydney as recently as 2021, taking several of their current stars to the grand final.