Latest news with #WayneBennett
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Rabbitohs' ‘$2 million mistake' exposes the NRL club's major recruitment issue
The Rabbitohs' signing of Lewis Dodd has been labelled a '$2 million mistake' as he prepares to start at halfback for the first time in the NRL. Dodd was named in the No. 7 jersey for South Sydney's clash with the Sharks on Saturday night. In his four previous NRL games this season, Dodd came off the bench in three games and started at five-eighth in the other. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Even with his hefty $650,000 salary, Dodd has been regularly overlooked for selection by coach Wayne Bennett, even amid an injury crisis at the club in 2025. NRL 360 co-host Dan Ginnane wondered whether Dodd had been signed by the Rabbitohs solely because he kicked the match-winning field goal for St Helens in the World Club Challenge back in 2023, when they prevailed 13-12 over Penrith. The 23-year-old Dodd is contracted with the Rabbitohs until the end of the 2027 season on a three-year deal. 'Is there a chance that Souths pushed the button when he kicked that field goal in the World Club Challenge, which is really, let's be honest, in our part of the world, it's a glorified exhibition game?' Ginnane asked. 'He kicks a field goal, they win 13-12, is that a $2 million field goal that he kicked?' Panellist Andrew Webster agreed the Dodd signing was a mysterious one. 'It is one of the more bizarre recruitments, really,' Webster added. 'I've heard from people both in the UK and other recruiters here in the NRL that they were surprised that Souths signed him and threw that amount of money at him. 'Look, it's a $2 million mistake. 'I've heard of other Super League clubs being interested in getting him but they want to be offering some pretty heavy coin for Lewis Dodd to want to move away from the $700,000 a year contract he's on.' Host Braith Anasta said the Rabbitohs' recruitment has left a lot to be desired. 'I really think they've got to change a lot about their recruitment, Souths,' Anasta said. 'I think they've got to take a different direction, moving forward. I say this because, you look at their NSW Cup team, they're coming last, their Jersey Flegg second last, their junior competition is nowhere near where it used to be.' Webster believes South Sydney need to add to their stocks in the forwards. 'They need some middle forwards. That's what they've been missing all year. Through injury and form, they haven't had that at all this year, and where they are on the ladder reflects it,' Webster added. Ginnane pointed out that Latrell Mitchell has missed a lot of games for the Rabbitohs since joining the club. 'Latrell plays 14 games a year. It's fact. He's played 85 games in six years at Souths, so he's going to miss 10 games,' Ginnane added. The Rabbitohs are currently missing a staggering number of players, worth over $6 million, in an injury crisis. Mitchell ($1.1 million), Cameron Murray ($1 million), Keaon Koloamatangi ($650,000), Campbell Graham ($650,000), Cody Walker ($600,000), Brandon Smith ($550,000), Davvy Moale ($500,000), Peter Mamouzelos ($300,000), Jamie Humphreys ($250,000), Jayden Sullivan ($200,000), Mikaele Ravalawa ($165,000) and Bayleigh Bentley-Hape ($120,000) are all currently sidelined.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
South Sydney's horror year goes from bad to worse as club cops another season-ending injury
South Sydney's horror season has gone from bad to worse, with star prop Keaon Koloamatangi to miss the rest of the year with an ankle injury. Easily the Rabbitohs' best player in a disastrous 2025 campaign, Koloamatangi will require surgery on his syndesmosis after being hurt in Friday's loss to Penrith. His injury will leave him in an overflowing South Sydney casualty ward, that includes Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Cameron Murray and Brandon Smith. The front-rower's injury comes as the club - stuck close to the bottom of the ladder after seven straight losses - battles to avoid a first wooden spoon since 2006. Making matters worse for the Rabbitohs is news that hooker Peter Mamouzelos will also miss Saturday's clash with Cronulla due to a concussion. The Rabbitohs' season had appeared cursed from the moment Murray and Mitchell went down with serious injuries within minutes of each other at training in February. Mitchell missed the first four rounds with a hamstring tear, and has managed only 10 games for the Rabbitohs this season before his latest shoulder issue. Murray, meanwhile, has not played a game all year after a pre-season ruptured achilles tendon. Walker has only played eight games, Campbell Graham 11, Tyrone Munro seven and mid-season recruit Smith re-injured his knee on return from an ACL rupture. Mikaele Ravalawa, Jayden Sullivan and Davvy Moale are among other Rabbitohs players currently sidelined. It comes as Wayne Bennett is fighting to avoid his worst finish in 38 years of coaching in the premiership, having never ended a season lower than 13th on the ladder.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Souths cop another season-ending injury in horror year
South Sydney's horror season has gone from bad to worse, with star prop Keaon Koloamatangi to miss the rest of the year with an ankle injury. Easily the Rabbitohs' best player in a disastrous 2025 campaign, Koloamatangi will require surgery on his syndesmosis after being hurt in Friday's loss to Penrith. His injury will leave him in an overflowing South Sydney casualty ward, that includes Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Cameron Murray and Brandon Smith. The front-rower's injury comes as the club - stuck close to the bottom of the ladder after seven straight losses - battles to avoid a first wooden spoon since 2006. Making matters worse for the Rabbitohs is news that hooker Peter Mamouzelos will also miss Saturday's clash with Cronulla due to a concussion. The Rabbitohs' season had appeared cursed from the moment Murray and Mitchell went down with serious injuries within minutes of each other at training in February. Mitchell missed the first four rounds with a hamstring tear, and has managed only 10 games for the Rabbitohs this season before his latest shoulder issue. Murray, meanwhile, has not played a game all year after a pre-season ruptured achilles tendon. Walker has only played eight games, Campbell Graham 11, Tyrone Munro seven and mid-season recruit Smith re-injured his knee on return from an ACL rupture. Mikaele Ravalawa, Jayden Sullivan and Davvy Moale are among other Rabbitohs players currently sidelined. It comes as Wayne Bennett is fighting to avoid his worst finish in 38 years of coaching in the premiership, having never ended a season lower than 13th on the ladder.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Latrell spotted in post-match moment as Souths situation goes from bad to worse
Latrell Mitchell was spotted consoling a devastated Jai Arrow after South Sydney crashed to a seventh-straight loss on Friday night - the most Wayne Bennett has ever conceded as a coach. The Rabbitohs went down 30-10 to the surging Panthers, and had Keaon Koloamatangi added to their staggering injury list. Koloamatangi's ankle buckled underneath him when he tried to tackle Luke Garner in the second half, and he limped from the field in pain. The front-rower has been a shining light in an awful season for Souths, but he now appears likely for a stint on the sidelines. Mitchell will be lucky to play again this year after suffering a quad injury at training this week, while Cody Walker, Davvy Moale and Campbell Graham are in a similar boat. Souths have had the most games missed due to injury amongst all NRL clubs this year, and it's taken a heavy toll. Friday night marked the first time in Bennett's illustrious coaching career that he's suffered seven-straight losses, and he looks destined to finish in his lowest spot on the ladder ever. A Bennett-coached team has never finished lower than 13th, but Souths are sitting in 16th place with six games and a bye remaining. They're only two points ahead of the last-placed Titans, meaning Bennett is in danger of getting his first-ever wooden spoon. After Friday night's game, veteran forward Arrow looked devastated and buried his head into Mitchell's chest as his teammate consoled him. Mitchell was seen wrapping his arms around Arrow and offering some words of encouragement after another demoralising loss. "Our effort is second to none, but we have moments when we let teams off the hook," Jack Wighton told Channel 9. "It's usually late in sets and it's really killing us. But I'm proud of the boys for the effort." Wighton refused to use the injury crisis as an excuse, adding: "We could have been better tonight in many places, but we didn't throw the towel in. We've got some young kids and old boys. We haven't thrown the towel in and we're sticking in there for our fans, even though we're not getting the results." View this post on Instagram A post shared by NRL on Nine (@nrlonnine) Wayne Bennett can't fault effort of Souths players Bennett also said he was proud of the effort considering how many players are out. 'We're talking top players here as well (who are injured), but I was proud of their effort here tonight,' he said. 'We had to turn up and put a lot of effort in the game which we did, but there's no one that change-room in there that was disappointed with their effort.' RELATED: Broncos sign 'next Benji Marshall' from rival NRL club's backyard Crushing new blow for Knights as Melbourne Storm poach young gun As well as losing Koloamatangi, the Rabbitohs will also be without Peter Mamouzelos next week due to concussion. 'Pete will be out for a week at least due to concussion,' Bennett said. 'Keaon has got an ankle problem and we just don't know how bad it is.' Wighton admitted Koloamatangi is a huge loss as he's been the team's best all season. 'He's led the way massively but every man at the moment is a big loss isn't it?' Wighton said. 'We're backs against the wall and down on troops but we just keep on turning up.'
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Eels coach ‘clear' on Dylan Brown plans as rumours swirl
The Dragons and Rabbitohs' horror injury runs have both worsened, with fresh blows that are set to end a pair of superstar seasons. That is according to Code Sports, who report Latrell Mitchell suffered a quad injury at training on Thursday in what was his first day back after having a few days off. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer > The NSW Origin star is absent for Souths' clash with the Panthers and isn't expected to return until Round 24 the earliest. And with the Rabbitohs' finals hopes all but dashed, coach Wayne Bennett just put a line through Mitchell for the remainder of the season. For the Red V, Valentine Holmes is set to go under the knife on a shoulder injury which will see him sidelined for six months. Elsewhere, Broncos young gun Blake Mozer is reportedly set to go under the knife on a shoulder injury, while also battling with a broken jaw suffered last weekend. According to Code Sports, the young gun will now eye a return in 2026, with his season over after battling with his shoulder problem throughout his 2025 campaign. Mozer is seen as one of the club's best up-and-coming talents, being handed an extension through to the end of the 2027 season despite not featuring in the NRL this year. Meanwhile, the Eels are set to welcome back their marquee man Mitch Moses next week. Coach Jason Ryles discussed Dylan Brown, who wasn't named in the 17 this week. But despite this, Ryles doesn't believe the five-eighth has played his final game for the club before he departs for the Knights at season's end. 'No, he hasn't, I don't think, but I don't have a crystal ball,' Ryles said. 'The option to use him again is certainly there … one thing's clear, he won't be playing Cup. He'll either be with us (in the NRL) or with no one.' While former Panthers player Mark Geyer said on 2GB earlier in the week the Eels had 'put their cue in the rack' by demoting Brown, Ryles dismissed that kind of talk on Friday. 'That's not true at all,' he said. 'Every time we go to training, we look to get better, and every time we go to play the game, we're competing hard every single play.' Regarding the team's other star half Ryles confirmed that Moses will be named for Parramatta's Round 21 clash against the Broncos next week. Moses has been sidelined with a syndesmosis injury and has only played in six NRL games this season. FRIDAY JULY 18 Penrith Panthers vs South Sydney Rabbitohs at CommBank Stadium, 8:00pm Panthers team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Thomas Jenkins 3. Paul Alamoti 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To'o 6. Blaize Talagi 7. Brad Schneider 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Luke Garner 13. Isaiah Papali'i 15. Liam Henry 16. Luron Patea 17. Matt Eisenhuth 18. Jack Cole. 18th man: 20. Mavrik Geyer Rabbitohs team: 2. Alex Johnston 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Tallis Duncan 11. Euan Aitken 5. Tyrone Munro 6. Jack Wighton 7. Jamie Humphreys 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Siliva Havili 10. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jacob Host 13. Jai Arrow 15. Lachlan Hubner 14. Peter Mamouzelos 16. Sean Keppie 17. Lewis Dodd 18. Liam Le Blanc. 18th man: 19. Thomas Fletcher SATURDAY JULY 19 Canberra Raiders vs Parramatta Eels at GIO Stadium, 3:00pm Raiders team: 1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Jed Stuart 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Sebastian Kris 5. Xavier Savage 6. Ethan Strange 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papali'i 9. Tom Starling 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Zac Hosking 13. Corey Horsburgh 14. Owen Pattie 15. Simi Sasagi 16. Morgan Smithies 17. Ata Mariota 18. Chevy Stewart 21. Danny Levi Eels team: 1. Isaiah Iongi 2. Zac Lomax 3. Bailey Simonsson 4. Sean Russell 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Joash Papali'i 7. Dean Hawkins 8. J'maine Hopgood 9. Ryley Smith 10. Junior Paulo 11. Charlie Guymer 12. Jack Williams 13. Dylan Walker 14. Tallyn Da Silva 15. Jordan Samrani 16. Matt Doorey 17. Sam Tuivaiti 18. Dylan Brown 19. Dan Keir Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs St George Illawarra Dragons at Accor Stadium, 5:30pm Bulldogs team: 1. Connor Tracey 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Enari Tuala 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Jethro Rinakama 6. Matt Burton 7. Lachlan Galvin 8. Max King 9. Reed Mahoney 16. Josh Curran 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Jaeman Salmon 14. Kurt Mann 15. Harry Hayes 17. Bailey Hayward 19. Sitili Tupouniua 20. Blake Wilson 22. Kurtis Morrin Dragons team: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Tyrell Sloan 3. Moses Suli 18. Corey Allan 5. Sione Finau 6. Lyhkan King-Togia 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Emre Guler 9. Damien Cook 10. David Klemmer 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jaydn Su'A 13. Jack de Belin 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Blake Lawrie 16. Hamish Stewart 17. Michael Molo 19. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga 22. Nicholas Tsougranis Melbourne Storm vs Manly Sea Eagles at AAMI Park, 7:35pm Storm team: 1. Nick Meaney 4. Grant Anderson 3. Jack Howarth 18. Joe Chan 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 15. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Shawn Blore 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Trent Loiero 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 14. Tyran Wishart 16. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 17. Ativalu Lisati 2. Kane Bradley 19. Bronson Garlick Sea Eagles team: 1. Lehi Hopoate 2. Jason Saab 3. Tolutau Koula 4. Tom Trbojevic 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Luke Brooks 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Matthew Lodge 9. Jazz Tevaga 10. Siosiua Taukeiaho 11. Corey Waddell 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Jake Simpkin 15. Tommy Talau 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Toafofoa Sipley 18. Aaron Schoupp 20. Caleb Navale SUNDAY JULY 20 Wests Tigers vs Gold Coast Titans at Leichhardt Oval, 2:00pm Tigers team: 1. Sunia Turuva 2. Charlie Staines 3. Taylan May 4. Starford To'a 5. Jeral Skelton 6. Jarome Luai 7. Latu Fainu 8. Terrell May 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Alex Twal 11. Alex Seyfarth 12. Tony Sukkar 13. Adam Doueihi 14. Tristan Hope 15. Sione Fainu 16. Fonua Pole 17. Jack Bird 18. Brent Naden 19. Heath Mason 20. Kit Laulilii 21. Luke Laulilii 22. Krystian Mapapalangi Titans team: 1. AJ Brimson 2. Jaylan De Groot 3. Brian Kelly 4. Jojo Fifita 5. Phillip Sami 6. Kieran Foran 7. Jayden Campbell 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Sam Verrills 10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 11. Chris Randall 12. Beau Fermor 13. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui 14. Alofiana Khan-Pereira 15. Jaimin Jolliffe 16. David Fifita 17. Klese Haas 18. Iszac Fa'asumaleaui 19. Jacob Alick-Wiencke 20. Arama Hau 21. Sean Mullany 22. Tom Weaver Newcastle Knights vs New Zealand Warriors at McDonald Jones Stadium, 4:05pm Knights team: 1. Dane Gagai 2. Dominic Young 3. Fletcher Hunt 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Jackson Hastings 7. Jack Cogger 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Jayden Brailey 10. Leo Thompson 11. Brodie Jones 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Phoenix Crossland 14. Tyson Gamble 15. Mathew Croker 16. Tyson Frizell 17. Jermaine McEwen 18. Thomas Cant 19. James Schiller 20. Elijah Leaumoana 21. Jack Hetherington 22. Kyle McCarthy Warriors team: 1. Taine Tuaupiki 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Adam Pompey 4. Kurt Capewell 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita 7. Tanah Boyd 8. James Fisher-Harris 9. Wayde Egan 10. Jackson Ford 11. Leka Halasima 12. Marata Niukore 13. Erin Clark 14. Te Maire Martin 15. Jacob Laban 16. Demitric Vaimauga 17. Tanner Stowers-Smith 18. Samuel Healey 20. Eddie Ieremia 21. Bunty Afoa 22. Ali Leiataua 23. Kayliss Fatialofa
