Rabbitohs band together for departing Bennett

THE Rabbitohs have made it their mission to send Wayne Bennett out a winner and believe the super coach is the secret weapon in South Sydney’s quest for an NRL premiership.

Bennett will coach what could be his last game for the Rabbitohs in Friday night’s preliminary final against Manly at Suncorp Stadium.

His three-year reign at Redfern is coming to an end and this is arguably the strongest position Souths has been in during his time at the helm. After shocking the Panthers in week one of the finals, the Rabbitohs have had time to rest and reset ahead of a showdown with Manly, who finished the regular season by sneaking into fourth spot on the ladder.

While the Sea Eagles boast the inform Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans, the stars have aligned for Souths to break their run of three straight preliminary finals losses and qualify for next Sunday’s decider at Suncorp Stadium.

A grand final would be a fitting way for Bennett (pictured) to depart the Rabbitohs and return to Queensland ahead of his expected appointment as head coach of the Brisbane expansion team in 2023.

And Rabbitohs players would love nothing more than to give Bennett a fairytale farewell. While Bennett has won seven premierships as a coach with the Broncos (six) and Dragons, it has been 11 years since he last tasted title success.

Bennett was reluctant to talk about his time at Souths but said the Rabbitohs were ready to take the next step.

“I don’t want to talk about myself and my time now,” he said. “It’s the players’ time, not mine.”

There is no doubt the Rabbitohs players have responded to Bennett.

He has developed strong bonds with many of the key players, including Cody Walker, who has relished being coached by the 71-year-old.

“Wayne is our X-factor to win the premiership,” he said.