I'm sure South Sydney fans won't need reminding but their 2018 season ended one game short of a Grand Final appearance - at the hands of bitter rivals the Roosters.
Although the full time scoreline read 12-4 to indicate a close contest, in reality, the Roosters were the far superior team.
That's not to say they blew their traditional rivals off the park, but you never felt like the Rabbitohs would be the team to tackle the Storm that next Sunday.
Despite the loss, no one can say that the Bunnies had a poor 2018. Quite the opposite.
Given that the entered the new season with a rookie coach and were seen as relative outsiders, I'd argue that they did very well.
A side headlined by Burgess, Reynolds and Inglis finished equal top of the competition in the regular season before pushing the red hot Storm to the limit in their opening finals game.
They did make hard work of their week two finals game but ultimately bounced an in form and confident Dragons side coming off a monster win.
Again though, you never really got the feeling that they were going to beat the Storm or Roosters on the final day of the season.
Their 2019 prospects took a hit before a ball was even kicked in 2018 when Angus Crichton announced he was signing for the Roosters.
Crichton went on to become a New South Wales and Kangaroos level second rower.
They've also said goodbye to 2018 top try scorer Robert Jennings.
So what have the Bunnies done to ensure that they can go that one step forward in 2019?
Step forward the most success NRL coach of all time. One Wayne Bennett.
Souths took the unusual step of signing the former Broncos and Dragons Premiership winning coach despite for 2020 and beyond, given that it looked unlikely that Anthony Seibold would re-sign.
Despite leading the club to a brilliant season in his first year at the helm, the plan always looked to be to move Seibold on once Bennett's name became a possibility.
67 events of will he/won't he later and the swap was made for 2019, thus ending one of the most ludicrous off-season stories in recent memory.
The Bunnies arguably overachieved in 2018 by making the prelim final, however I'd find it very hard to lodge a case against them now having a side capable of lifting the ultimate prize on early October.
With an all star centre or fullback in Greg Inglis, the game's best attacking number nine in Damian Cook, three Burgess brothers in the middle of their pack, two star halves in Reynolds and Walker, and the quickly emerging Cam Murray, their is a genuine title-winning nucleus right there.
Throw in Dane Gagai, youngsters such as Campbell Graham and Braidon Burns as well as the seemingly ageless John Sutton and anything other than a top four finish will be seen as a failure.
The above said, for mine, the Bunnies best weapon comes in the form of their coach.
Seibold had a brilliant 2018 season but I've found few Bunnies fans who believe they came out as losers in the recent trade. Sure, Seibold is much younger than the seven time title-winner, but Souths are looking for success now.
In terms of their 2019 Premiership chances, the Bunnies are now better placed under Bennett.
This is simply due to the fact that Bennett has shown time and time again that he knows how to get sides to the decider, and he knows how to win them.
By all rights Bennett should have eight titles under his belt, if not for literal last minute Michael Morgan magic in 2016.
That golden point loss was his only defeat in eight visits to the big dance.
Although Bennett failed to see through his ultimately disappointing role with the Knights, he will be better remembered for taking a talented yet unspectacular Dragons team to a drought breaking title win.
I mean no disrespect to the Dragons team of 2010 but Bennett was able to get more out of that squad of players than their reputations probably suggested.
I'd certainly argue that the South Sydney squad of 2019 is superior.
So what is it that Bennett will do so differently to Seibold to take Souths back to the promised land?
I don't know ... but then again I also don't have 809 first grade names under my coaching belt, nor do I have almost a decade worth of silver wear.
If there are any weaknesses in the games of South's best and brightest, Bennett and his team will find them. They'll limit them and in some cases turn them into strengths.
Bennett has a history of turning decent first graders into stars.
Again, with all due respect to Ben Hornby and Jamie Soward, but I can't see many other coaches who can win a title with perhaps the fifth or sixth best halves combination in the league.
Cronk and Keary combined to form the best halves combo in 2018. I'd say that Munster and Croft would have been in that 5th to 8th category but they ultimately fell short. Cronk and Munster didn't ...
If Souths fail to fire in 2019 I'm very confident in suggesting it won't be through any coaching inexperience.
There are few better at extracting the best out of his players and as shown by his incredible record of being able to sign superstars, players want to play under him.
Despite the loss of Crichton and Jennings, South look just that little bit stronger heading into the new season under Bennett's watch.
Short answer NO.
Long answer NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Sadly I have to agree with Kev. They will be in the eight and push for the final but I can’t see them getting there. Right now, I would bet on another Storm Roosters GF but I accept that there could be another bolter that gets in there. I still think that whichever of those two reaches the final will take it out and if both of them get there then coin toss.
My comment isn’t against south’s but more against Bennett who is well and truly past his use by date.
Bennett is too far behind the eight ball. His ancient style of coaching is well and truly been outdated. Souffves Sydney at best could finish eighth but all the cards must fall into place under Bennett for that probability to occur
I have Souths in my top eight. Their season doesnโt depend on Bennet, it depends on their fitness if their key players. An injury to Sam Burgess, Cook or Reynolds kills their chances. Iโve left out Inglis because he is already playing on one leg.
For souffs, signing Skeletor is a BIG step back.
They should have offered Siebold more to stay.
Losing Crichton and not resigning Jennings means they slip outside the top four!
YOU (said in a stern, yet jovial manner).
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your comments on the Manly team list article started a little ding dong. One whereby I was getting swooped in all directions. Nice work.
That’s an ignorant comment shadow but typical from yourself. I think Souths will do very well with Bennett due to the fact that he has a good mix of experience and youth in the side, he is a seasoned coach. – depth in the spine is a bit of a concern. The article above doesn’t ask the question about the other teams heading into form or more so the unknown given the coaching and player moments (which is what this site is about). Making the 8 was close last year – what about this year…..!
>? Manly Dez – has to be a threat.
>? Coach Cleary – Still to make the 8
>? Seaballs – Probably one of the best up coming “technical” coaches
>? Mag – Tigers were not too far off.
>? Brownie – new players and new spine looks pretty good.
Q. Who misses the 8 from last year.
15th and 16th squabbling over who’s the biggest cheat and the worst recruiters ๐
Dont go there eels, your club has a good future, focus on that.
Good point Panthers.
The irony didn’t even occur to me, but you’re right, and now you’ve pointed it out, it is somewhat ammussing. Only somewhat because it’s a tad sad too. Anyway, onward and upward, for the Eels.
WB will likely take the Rabbits to the finals however I do not think they can win the premiership. Not too sure what the urgency was to get rid of Siebold ? The Rabbits had a better chance if acquiring more silverware with Siebold at the helm. Maybe Russell Crowe should have elevated himself to head coach ๐คฃ GI is a walking wounded one year too many player chewing up way too much cap space and Adam Renoylds is overrated in my opinion as is Cody Walker and the Burgess mob will drop more ball as usual. Losing Robert Jennings and Angus Chriton will hurt. That leaves Damien Cook as the most solid piece of their spine and will be their best in 2019.
Cleary was the coach of Penrith in 2014. They were fourth that year .
Can Cook play like he did last season? I doubt it. The element of surprise is long gone and all coach’s and players are aware of what to expect and what to do which will nullify last seasons impact player to just a standard dummy half player. Sure he will take the quick run out of dummy half but the door will only be opened against sleeping teams. The big guns are all awake up to his ability. He probably won’t be a one season wonder but his main weapon has been identified and big runs from the play the ball will be like Bennett. ancient History
Clearly is a grand final coach with the Warriors in 2011 when young Cleary who is not a Penrith local junior was playing for the Warrior juniors. Ahahahahah
kelby you’re off ya rocker lol, Jennings fell over the line from 2m out in almost all of his 19 tries thanks to Inglis, Walker and AJ handing them on a platter, Cory Denniss or Hymel Hunt would have scored them all ffs and Alex is a far superior winger so we’ve scored an upgrade there. As for Crichton, he was the third best backrower for Souths last year he went to complete average compared to 2017, and Cameron Murray is a far better prospect so actually, Souths get an upgrade there too. Top 2 and Grand final, here we come
Rabbitohs fans are not overly concerned as to what opposition fans write.
We don’t give a toss
All we do know is when the whips are cracking, we will be there at the pointy end!
Souths have plenty of class all over the park.
The Rabbitohs attract plenty of unfounded criticism, just put that down to jealousy.
YOU CAN KNOCK US
YOU CAN FIGHT US
BUT YOU JUST CAN’T BEAT US!
Pedro when your team is #1 and has won the most premierships from 1908/2019 you can be as arrogant as you like as they say winners are grinners and souths are not called the pride of the league for nothing mate.
3hats
THE ROOSTERS KNOCKED SOUFFS
THE ROOSTERS HAD A FIGHT WITH SOUFFS
THE ROOSTERS BEAT SOUFFTHS IN THE PRELIMINARY FINAL
THE ROOSTERS KNOCKED SOUFFTHS OUT OF THE PREMIERSHIP
๐๐๐ฉ๐ต๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐๐๐
Your a clown Shadow…… your useless souffths have not been called the Pride of the League since 1971. Wake up mate that’s nearly 50 years ago. Get over it.
As for your dumb leading the all time premiership competition race mate, Souffths have not lead your silly comp from 1908 till 2019. The Roosters won three comps in a row in and after the first 6 seasons the Roosters were on top of young dingbat comp with 3 comps to Souffths 2๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐คฃ souffths did not get the lead back until 1927.