Legendary NRL coach Wayne Bennett labelled Sam Burgess a “real man” he wished on the Dolphins as he launched a powerful defence of under-fire Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou.
Bennett, who handed the reins at South Sydney to Demetriou when he joined the most recent NRL workforce in Brisbane, additionally slapped down critics of Rabbitohs stars Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker, who’ve been linked to the upheaval that resulted in Burgess strolling away type his assistant teaching position on Wednesday.
Declaring Souths, who’ve a bye this weekend however have to beat the Roosters within the ultimate spherical with out suspended Mitchell, had been “under pressure” to make the finals, Bennett stated Burgess was the “first bloke” he’d need beside him in a disaster.
“I did want Sam here,” Bennett stated, confirming he wished Burgess on his Dolphins teaching employees.
“We would have been great for Sam and Sam would have been great for us. Wiser people convinced him that wasn’t going to be good for him, so he didn’t come.
“He is a real man. He is someone who if you were in a tough place is the first bloke you‘d want beside you.
“That stuff rubs off on players. Players get that vibe. Players get that feel.
“The players I have got here, he would have added to.”
But Bennett additionally backed Demetriou, his former assistant at each Souths and the Brisbane Broncos, as the person for the job regardless of a breakdown with Burgess being key to the departure.
“Jason is the coach there now. What’s happened here is a great example of what happens (when you lose) and it is how you handle it,” he stated.
“They are under pressure, simple as that. They haven‘t performed as well as they should have in a lot of people’s minds.
“Pressure is the thing that makes or breaks teams, makes and breaks the individuals and makes and breaks the coaches.
“It is whether you handle it or don‘t handle it.”
Bennett stated Mitchell and Walker, who’ve been singled out as getting particular therapy on the membership, had been “great guys” and never onerous to deal with.
“They were great guys. I loved coaching them,” he stated.
“They are really good people.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
