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Bennett returns a wiser coach after breach

3 minute read

Coach Wayne Bennett has returned to South Sydney training from his NRL bubble breach to have the Rabbitohs ready to face Manly.

Coach WAYNE BENNETT talks to his players during the Brisbane Broncos NRL training session in Brisbane, Australia.
Coach WAYNE BENNETT talks to his players during the Brisbane Broncos NRL training session in Brisbane, Australia. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Wayne Bennett claims there can now be no doubts about the basic rules of the NRL bubble and accepts he got it wrong with his biosecurity breach.

Bennett returned to South Sydney training on Friday after two weeks of watching American drama Yellowstone at home - and with one day left to prepare the Rabbitohs for Saturday's crunch clash with Manly.

The master coach joked that he now holds the record for the best coaching ledger over Zoom with 2-0, having dialled into all team meetings on his break.

"I couldn't do anything. I couldn't go on a holiday or anything," Bennett said.

"I did the wrong thing and I paid the price for that. I understand that. It's all OK for me, I have moved on.

"I am happy to be back and make sure it doesn't happen again."

At the time of his breach, Bennett claimed that rules were too hard to keep up with and he did not know he couldn't eat out.

But after being part of the Project Apollo group that got the game restarted, he says all players and officials should now understand the basics.

"I don't think we will all be across everything because there are 13 pages," Bennett said.

"But what we are across now is the main ones and I don't think there is any doubt in what we can and can't do when we are away from the team itself.

"Because that's where the issue is, when we're away from the team."

Bennett's two weeks on the sidelines haven't kept him out of the headlines.

While the Rabbitohs have been winning on the field, Bennett on Friday again laughed off links between him and a coaching director role at St George Illawarra.

The former Dragons coach did however make contact with the club's new interim Dean Young, backing him to be a success in the box.

"Dean is one of my favourite players of all the players I have coached," Bennett said.

"Great player, great guy to be around and a great club man. I was pleased for him to get the opportunity.

"There was no great conversation, I probably commiserated with him.

"It's such a tough gig, you go in with high expectations and it can be blown away in six, 12 or 18 months.

"But I loved him as a player because he gave so much on and off the field. A great communicator, full of enthusiasm. He's got a lot of attributes great coaches have."

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