Slater's plea to Rabbitohs after Burgess drama

Billy Slater has high hopes for the South Sydney Rabbitohs this season if they can reset after their calamitous end to last year. With the Bunnies now preparing for their season-opening clash with the Sea Eagles in Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon, Slater is still bewildered at how things derailed when Sam Burgess exited the club last October. Burgess sensationally departed as assistant coach of the Rabbitohs ahead of the side's season-defining match against the Roosters, before the Redfern club missed finals. Burgess supposedly parted ways with the club to focus on the birth of his child and his new obligations as the head coach of Warrington in the Super League. However, reports also claimed Burgess and fellow assistant John Morris had raised concerns to coach Jason Demetriou about perceived double standards in the treatment of star players Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell. The Rabbitohs were defeated 26-12 by the Roosters to seal their spot outside the league's top-eight, having led the competition two months earlier. "As long as they put the wheels back on that fell off at the end of last year they'll be OK," Slater told Nine's The Billy Slater Podcast. "If you look at their best 17, they're a fantastic side — they're a side to push for the premiership. "But [last year] showed you that you've got to have your on-field, your off-field, everyone glued into what you're about and pulling in the same direction. "It showed that if you don't have that, the wheels can fall off." In a tell-all interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Walker explained that he still does not know what to believe surrounding Burgess' departure. "I'm still unsure what that actually meant," Walker said referring to Burgess' private accusations of preferential treatment levelled against him. "I personally spoke to JD (coach Jason Demetriou) about it straight away. I said, 'Does this happen? Do you feel like that?' I said, 'I wouldn't want to be at a club if that ever happens'." It was implied that Walker had it his way during training sessions and routinely left if he so much as wished to. "There are times on the training park where I do get the shits," Walker said.