South Sydney Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly has predicted that Wayne Bennett's return will see a change of fortunes for the struggling club.
After making the grand final under Bennett's tutelage in 2021, the Rabbitohs have been on a greasy slope downhill, the last two seasons seeing the club miss the finals.
So poor was their form under former mentor Jason Demetriou in 2024 that the club elected to cut ties with the man Bennett installed to replace him at the now Maroubra-based club.
That has led to the Rabbitohs bringing the veteran coach back into the fold for 2025, and Bennett will be tasked with turning the club around immediately.
Speaking on SEN Radio, Solly revealed the club, members, fans and sponsors know what they are getting with Bennett as the club looks to benefit from his return.
Solly also confirmed Bennett spoke to the players immediately after the 2024 campaign ended.
โIt has been an interesting eight weeks since Wayne came down and spoke to the players,โ he added.
โHopefully we can have that same success on the field that we had last time he was here.โ
In what was a horror 2024 season for South Sydney, Ben Hornby - who remains part of Bennett's staff for the coming year - took over as interim coach but couldn't guide the club away from the bottom rungs of the ladder.
Despite that, Solly said a number of injuries the club had in 2024 has actually set them up well for 2025.
โThat has set them up for a really good pre-season,โ he said.
โWe want to make sure that when they start pre-season they are as fit as they possibly can be.โ
The Rabbitohs will, in another twist, open their season against the Dolphins away from home after the NRL confirmed Round 1 fixtures for 2025 on Sunday morning.
