Wayne Bennett has backed his former assistant coach, Jason Demetriou, to get through the drama at the Rabbitohs whilst weighing up on the issues at the club.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have been in turmoil as of late, with Sam Burgess parting ways with the club effective immediately with the club's season on the line and the departure of John Morris to the Wests Tigers at the end of the season.
The decision comes after reports circled that Burgess and fellow assistant coachย John Morrisย tried to holdย Jason Demetriouย accountable for the treatment of starsย Latrell Mitchellย andย Cody Walker,ย as he has failed to hold them to the same standards as the rest of the roster.
"I am not inside so I don't know a whole lot about it but it is not what you want this time of a footy season at any club," Bennett said on Thursday via theย AAP.
"They were great guys. I loved coaching them. They are really good people," he said on star duo Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker.
"Jason is the coach there now. What's happened here is a great example of what happens (when you lose) and it is how you handle it," the former Rabbitohs coach added.
"They are under pressure. Simple as that. They haven't performed as well as they should have in a lot of people's minds.
"Pressure is the thing that makes or breaks teams, makes and breaks the individuals and makes and breaks the coaches. It is whether you handle it or don't handle it."
The Dolphins head coach would also go on to speak about the prospect of recruiting Sam Burgess to the Dolphins. He admitted he wanted the former premiership winner at the club due to his invaluable leadership with the player and that he brings the right vibe to the club.
While Burgess will take over Super League club the Warrington Wolves in 2024 for two seasons in his first head coaching role, Bennet believes he will definitely be a future NRL coach and will likely make a comeback to Australia after his contract with Warrington expires.
"I did want Sam here," Bennett said.
"We would have been great for Sam and Sam would have been great for us. Wiser people convinced him that wasn't going to be good for him, so he didn't come.
"He is a real man. He is someone who if you were in a tough place is the first bloke you'd want beside you.
"That stuff rubs off on players. Players get that vibe. Players get that feel. The players I have got here, he would have added to."
"You don't know what is going to happen in coaching. You just have to look at South Sydney."
"Sam will go over there (to Warrington), do two years at least and he will be an NRL coach. I have no doubt about that."
