Wayne Bennett was decidedly curt in his post-match press conference following South Sydney’s narrow 14-12 defeat to the Sharks, dismissing questions regarding the possibility of his team finishing at the bottom of the ladder. Despite his impressive coaching history, including seven premiership wins, Bennett has never led a team to such a dismal position, a reality that looms as the Rabbitohs now sit 17th on the table after the Titans’ unexpected win over the Warriors.
When pressed about the prospect of the Rabbitohs securing the wooden spoon, Bennett responded sharply, “I knew someone would ask that question, I’m not answering that.” The atmosphere was tense, with Bennett providing minimal commentary on various topics, including the officiating of the match.
One notable point of contention was a controversial try awarded to Blayke Brailey, which ultimately decided the match in favour of Cronulla. Bennett chose to downplay concerns about the refereeing, saying, “We talk about the referees, we get in a fair bit of trouble here.” He sarcastically suggested that a journalist should contact the referees directly for their perspective, asserting that he had little interest in discussing the officiating further.
In a similar vein, Jack Wighton refrained from discussing his sin binning, which Bennett also opted to bypass in terms of comments. The Rabbitohs, despite struggling with possession and field position, managed to compete against a top-eight team for the entire 80 minutes. Bennett acknowledged the effort but remained guarded in his analysis, noting, “It was high. They couldn’t give much more than they gave,” but expressing reluctance to elaborate.
With the Rabbitohs now facing the Broncos next weekend, they continue to battle against a season that could end with their first-ever wooden spoon under Bennett’s coaching. The coming match presents yet another challenge for a team struggling to find its footing in the competition.