'There have been enough excuses': Wayne Bennett under pressure amid South Sydney's finals drought
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Broncos great Corey Parker has questioned whether Wayne Bennett will remain as South Sydney coach next season if the club miss the finals again.
The 76-year-old will be entering the second year of his second stint with the Rabbitohs, and after missing the top eight in 2025 will be desperate to turn things around.
Souths battled with a horror injury toll last season but with all their big guns back on deck, many are expecting them to push back into the finals picture.
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Even before Bennett's return to Redfern, the side were struggling and missed the finals in 2023 and 2024 before Jason Demetriou was axed.
Wayne Bennett. Getty
But with a stack of representative players, headlined by the likes of Cameron Murray and Latrell Mitchell, the expectation will be the Bunnies play in September.
Parker - who played under Bennett at the Broncos - questioned whether the legendary coach could survive another year without finals.
"Round 12 last year was the last time they were in the top eight," he said on SENQ Breakfast.
"This season for me, they have to play semi-finals. Go through their list and it's [a] good list. In their predicted strongest line-up, there's eight Test players, maybe more.
"With all the quality they have, if they can get cohesion and a healthy side for 75 per cent of the season, I feel they should play semi-finals based on talent and experience.
"Will it happen? I'm not so sure. If the Rabbitohs do not play semi-final football this year, will Wayne Bennett be the head coach moving forward?
"The last couple of seasons has not been where they need to be. There have been enough excuses for them to lean on. This season, they need to bounce out [of] the blocks."
Bennett has added a handful of players to the roster, with enigmatic back-rower David Fifita the most high-profile of the bunch.
David Fifita signs his contract with the Rabbitohs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Fifita was granted an early release from his Gold Coast Titans deal in order to join the Rabbitohs and will likely earn a spot on an edge for round one.
Uncapped halfback Jonah Glover has also come across from the Dragons and will be fighting for a spot in the team, while Campbell Graham and Cody Walker will be back in the backline after interrupted 2025 campaigns due to injuries.
Souths will kick off their campaign against the Dolphins on Sunday, March 8.
