Garlick's Second Coming at Souths

Don't be surprised if handy utility forward Bronson Garlick leaves the Storm to join Souths in 2026. The 29-year-old has proved a capable fill-in for the injured Harry Grant in recent weeks but wants to be closer to home. Garlick has close ties to Souths - his dad Sean captained the club in the 1990s and he began his senior career in the Rabbitohs' under 20s in 2014. If he maintains his current form, he will put pressure on incumbent Peter Mamouzelos for the number nine jersey at the Bunnies next season.

Bennetts Bunnies Rebuild Continues

When Wayne Bennett calls and offers you a job, it's pretty hard to say 'no'. And so Steve Antonelli will join Souths next season as defence coach. Antonelli brings a wealth of experience to the Bunnies and rounds off a well balanced coaching team with the legend Bennett and interim coach Ben Hornby. "I can't wait - it will be a great challenge," said Antonelli, currently an assistant at the Eels. "It was great to hear from Wayne again and I wasn't about to say no." A former Australian Schoolboys rugby union player, he switched to rugby league and signed with the Panthers in 1985. But his true calling was coaching and he has an extensive resume including stints at Canberra, Parramatta, Canterbury and at Souths in 2021, where he first met Bennett.

Why Latrell should be 'dirty' as Bunnies penalty looms

Paul Gallen has put South Sydney on blast and says Latrell Mitchell should be "dirty" if the club tries to impose a monetary fine or suspension on him.Gallen doubled down on his criticism of the Rabbitohs after first accusing the club of not dealing with Mitchell properly on Monday night's 100% Footy. Mitchell fronted the club board last week after an image was leaked of him bent over a table with what appears to be a white substance in front of him. The photo was allegedly taken in a Dubbo hotel room the weekend prior. Mitchell remains sidelined with a foot injury and will not play again this season. It is the latest indiscretion for the Bunnies superstar, who is reportedly earning $1.2 million a season from the NRL club. "I'm not trying to bag Latrell here... he put himself in a situation he probably shouldn't have been in, he's got to accept responsibility for that," Gallen said on Wide World of sports' 2GB radio on Tuesday. "But this is just a vicious circle, this is what happens every time - he does something silly or says something silly, gets suspended, does something stupid, the whole world jumps on him. "Then he comes back, plays football the way we all know he can play, becomes the best player in the game, does crazy things that other people can't do, then all of a sudden what do we want to do? We want to interview him again. "So we interview him again, the media get involved, we start asking him about this and that and then Latrell says things like 'I'll do what I want, I'll say how I want'... then what happens, it's like a vicious circle." Gallen says the onus needs to be on South Sydney. "I don't mind if he says that, but privately someone at the South Sydney club - the captain or the coach - is getting hold of him and telling him the way it should be, but I don't think that happens at South Sydney," Gallen said.

Bunnies backflip as Bennett warms to signing De Belin

The Rabbitohs have renewed their bid to sign Dragons veteran Jack de Belin after he put Wayne Bennett's Dolphins to the sword on Sunday. The Rabbitohs expressed interest in de Belin weeks ago but then dropped off due to salary cap issues. But the powerhouse prop gave incoming Bunnies coach Wayne Bennett a close-up look at his strength and class at Kogarah. The 33-year-old was the best front-rower on the field as the Dragons downed Bennett's Dolphins 26-6. De Belin scored a try and made valuable yards up the middle to strengthen his case for a deal at Souths. But his hopes will depend on the cap - and whether Souths can offload halfback Lachlan Ilias, who has been given permission to negotiate with rival clubs. The Dragons are still keen to re-sign de Belin, while there is also interest in his services in Super League.

Bunnies land supercoach Bennett on $3m deal

Wayne Bennett has agreed to terms on a $3 million, three-year deal after meeting with South Sydney officials in Brisbane on Monday. The deal has not been signed, but Rabbitohs officials flew to Queensland on Monday to work out the terms of his agreement. powerbrokers have lined up a meeting with Bennett at Magic Round this weekend where it is expected he will put pen to paper on a contract that will see him return to Sydney next season. Sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak about it publicly told this masthead the deal includes performance bonuses aligned with South Sydney’s results on the field. Rabbitohs officials are reluctant to celebrate the deal given Bennett’s history of 11th-hour changes, most famously reneging on verbal agreements to previously join the Sydney Roosters, and a second stint at the St George Illawarra. Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly led the negotiations and was one of several South Sydney officials to meet with Bennett earlier this week.

Bunnies Great Tees Off

Craig Coleman is as South Sydney as they come - a man who bleeds red and green and has remained loyal to the club through good times and bad. So when Coleman gets on social media and gives the Rabbitohs both barrels, you know something is very wrong at Heffron. Here's what Coleman had to say on Facebook after Souths fell to yet another embarrassing loss, this time against the Warriors at home last weekend. "What about the employees of my club who re-signed the coach and the majority of the top 30 squad on multiple-year deals, they just fly under the radar yet again (and pissed Adam Reynolds off out of the club) as they only sign over 30-year-olds to one-year deals ???? And had no halfback replacement only an experiment that has failed miserably, surely they need to be held to account not only the coach !!!!," he wrote. Clearly 'Tugger' believes heads should roll - and not just coach Jason Demetriou's.

Second star dumped as Bunnies shake-up deepens

The shake-up at South Sydney will reportedly continue when Origin star Damien Cook is benched on Friday. The Sydney Morning Herald reports Cook will be benched in favour of Siliva Havili when the Bunnies take on arch enemy the Roosters in round three. It follows young halfback Lachlan Ilias being axed from the side on Tuesday. Head coach Jason Demetriou is feeling the heat after losing to the Sea Eagles and Broncos to start the 2024 season. The Redfern team has won only four of its past 15 games. The Rabbitohs led the NRL midway through last season before falling off a cliff and missing finals. Cook, 32, is the incumbent Blues hooker at State of Origin level and has been one of the best in the business for a number of years. But Havili is a big body and his promotion suggests Demetriou plans on bashing the Roosters into submission early in the contest, before letting Cook off the leash to use his speed later in the game. When speaking to media on Thursday, Demetriou bristled when probed about dropping Ilias in favour of Dean Hawkins. "I won't explain my reasoning," Demetriou said. "It's a discussion for Lachie and myself, and we've had that in depth and we'll continue to have those discussions. "Lachie knows it's a step sideways to go forwards again, and that's how we'll approach it. "He's fine. It's footy. You pick 17 blokes every week, so it's not that dramatic."

'Lethal combination' Bunnies need to fire after shocker

Having somehow crashed and burned in the run in to the finals last season after leading the field in round 12, the Bunnies have added a quality back and forward to their roster to stop the rot. Ex-Raiders star Jack Wighton is as big-name signing as any over the summer, while former Sea Eagle Sean Keppie will add spice to the pack. Both will walk straight into Souths' team and give the side a boost of experience and class. The club has lost three of its regulars from last season - Jed Cartwright, Hame Sele and Blake Taaffe - but overall looks a stronger and better balanced squad. Wighton is great mates with superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell and the pair could strike up a lethal combination out wide for the Bunnies in coming years. The Raiders recruit will miss the first two games through suspension but after that there should be no stopping him. Injury hasn't been kind to the Bunnies in the lead-up to Vegas - two of their most dangerous backs - star centre Campbell Graham (sternum) and boom winger Tyrone Munro (collarbone) are out with long term injuries. Jacob Gagai, brother of Newcastle and Queensland centre Dane Gagai, is likely to make his debut on the wing in place of Munro, with Taane Milne set to replace Graham in the centres. Cartwright and Sele - two consistent performers - will be missed in the pack. But enter Tallis Duncan - named after the great Gordy - who showed enough in a handful of games last season to prove he will develop into something special. Souths' fall from grace last season - and the late departures of assistant coaches Sam Burgess and John Morris - will need to be addressed but Jason Demetriou is a smart operator with good man management skills and he is certain to have the Bunnies firing in Vegas and beyond. After missing the finals for the first time in six years, the Rabbitohs will step up in 2024.

Pressure On Young Playmaker

Lachlan Ilias is an emerging talent at No.7 for the Rabbitohs - but whether he can lead Souths to a premiership remains to be seen. Ilias hasn't quite got the class or experience of the NRL's marquee halves - but he does have the backing of Demetriou and the harsh lessons of 2023 that should make him a better player. Dean Hawkins is another decent halfback in the Rabbitohs' ranks and he will keep Ilias honest. Few players will start 2024 under more scrutiny than Ilias and his ability to handle the pressure could make or break the Bunnies' campaign.

Bunnies shake up coaching staff after Burgess drama

South Sydney has extended the contract of Jason Demetriou and announced an overhaul of his coaching department.The Bunnies on Wednesday revealed a two-year extension for Demetriou, which ties him to the role until the end of 2026, as well as a new two-year deal for Dragons legend Ben Hornby.Hornby has agreed to be full-time assistant coach of the team until the end of 2025, but is the only designated assistant to Demetriou named in the new structure.Joe O'Callaghan is the other assistant to Demetriou, but will juggle those duties while also coaching the club's NSW Cup team.The club statement also says Demetriou "will have a more hands-on coaching role from 2024 onwards, taking control  of the team's defence".The shake-up comes after former assistant coaches Sam Burgess and John Morris left the club in acrimonious circumstances in what was a bizarre end to the Rabbitohs' season.Bunnies legend Burgess was suddenly punted from the job in August after media reports claimed he and Morris had spoken out against Demetriou's favourable treatment of star players Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker.Morris was allowed to remain in the role, but has now left the burrow to join Benji Marshall's staff at Wests Tigers.South Sydney's season ended in turmoil and the team missed NRL finals as rumours about Demetriou's future began to swirl, including speculation Wayne Bennett could return to retake the job. Nevertheless the club has shown faith in Demetriou with a new deal."We have identified the areas in which we can improve to return the club to its goal of being a top-four team every year," club CEO Blake Solly said in a statement."We worked with Shane McCurry and spoke extensively to players, coaches, staff and our board on what we needed to improve in 2024. "We have already taken some steps towards rectifying the key areas that have been identified as capable of improvement. We will continue to make the required changes to return this club to where it belongs. We're confident that we can return to the right end of the ladder in 2024. "We were not looking for excuses, we were looking at solutions, and we'll continue to implement changes prior to  players returning for training in November. "We know a ninth-place finish is not what is expected of our club. Our members and supporters expect more, our partners expect more, and we expect more of ourselves."In other coaching department changes, club legend John Sutton has become a full-time development coach, while head of performance Andrew Croll has extended his contract and agreed to cease working with Queensland's State of Origin team during the season.

Get in their faces

This column has mentioned before that if you get into the Rabbitohs' faces and rattle their main men, they are vulnerable.And Cronulla used that blueprint to score their crucial 26-16 win over the Bunnies in Perth.The loss could cost Souths a finals spot, and on the display in the west they don't deserve to be there.Marquee players Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker weren't given any time or space and their frustration was there for all to see.It was a massive win for the Sharks, with the final score of 26-16 flattering the Bunnies. The win ended a three game losing run and puts the Sharks back on track for a finals berth.

Rabbitohs Real Key Man

Latrell Mitchell's comeback gave Souths' title hopes a big boost in Tamworth, but make no mistake, Cam Murray is the man who can get the Bunnies through to the big end of season games.While Latrell and Cody Walker have the X-factor to lay on tries, Murray is the Energiser Bunny.He was at it again against the Tigers, scoring a try, running for 147 metres and making 34 tackles.Murray is also proving a fine leader with a cool head who can calm down some of the Rabbitohs players who can get baited in big games and his influence on the team cannot be understated.

Rabbitohs star makes shock mid-season club switch

South Sydney star Liam Knight is leaving the burrow after signing with Canterbury.Nine's Danny Weidler broke the news on Twitter, revealing Knight farewelled his Rabbitohs teammates on Monday.The hulking middle forward played 66 games for the Bunnies over four years, after short stints at Manly and Canberra.His 2023 season started in round 10 after he was badly injured by a cannonball tackle last year.He is one of the first mid-season signings but may not be the last.NRL clubs are allowed to trade and sign players up until August 3, which is the cut-off for any roster changes this season.The Knight signing comes after the Sydney Morning Herald revealed the Bulldogs are willing to let club captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Ryan Sutton leave prematurely.Fellow forward Luke Thompson as well as halfback Kyle Flanagan have also been told they are free to leave Belmore.The Bulldogs next year welcome State of Origin centre Stephen Crichton to the roster. 

Rabbitohs discover another gun

The Bunnies have had a host of brilliant Indigenous outside backs down the years — the likes of Greg Inglis, Eric Simms, Nathan Merritt and Alex Johnston for starters.And they may have discovered another one in teenager Tyrone Munro, who produced a sizzling debut in horrible conditions for wingers in Auckland on Friday night.It was wet, it was cold and it was windy - but it was the biggest night of the 18-year-old's life.A product of the NSW country town of Moree, Munro was playing in the SG Ball Cup at the start of the season.But he slowly worked his way through the grades — and got his big chance against the Warriors.Munro grabbed the opportunity — and wow.He scored a try, set up another and made two line breaks on a heavy track as the Rabbitohs upset the Warriors 28-6.With Johnston scoring two tries on the other wing, the Rabbitohs ended their form slump in great style, defying the conditions by playing bright attacking football.

Souths need club icon to help reignite premiership charge, says Terry Hill

Former Test star Terry Hill believes South Sydney needs to send out an 'SOS' to club legend Craig Coleman to help the Rabbitohs out of their current slump.Souths are in the wars, having lost three of their past four games and conceding 30 or more points on each occasion.And Hill believes Souths coach Jason Demetriou and the players need Coleman's vast experience to get their premiership challenge back on track."There is no one more South Sydney than Craig Coleman," said Hill, a Bunnies junior who began his top grade career at the club in 1990 before playing for Easts, Wests, Manly, New South Wales and Australia."He played for Souths, he captained them and coached them."He knows what makes the club tick, is respected by the players and has a great football mind."He bleeds red and green and has the smartest football brain that I've ever known."'Tugger' has unbelievable football knowledge - I was coached by Warren Ryan, Phil Gould and Bob Fulton and he is up there with them."Hill believes getting Coleman as an advisor for coach Jason Demetriou would be a massive mid-season boost for the Rabbitohs."They are in a hole and can't find their way out at the moment," he said."Craig is a great mentor and he is going to waste not involved in the game any more."He played a huge role in starting my career and I think he could really help the current players find their confidence again."

Latrell fill-in fires

There's only one Latrell Mitchell - but the Bunnies are fortunate indeed to have a wonderful back-up in youngster Blake Taaffe.Souths looked in all sorts of trouble on the Gold Coast, down 12-0 early with Latrell watching from the sidelines.But Taaffe produced one of the best games of his short career to lead the Rabbitohs to a commanding 46-28 victory.The pint-sized utility shone at fullback, having a hand in two tries, running for more than 100 metres and booting seven goals for good measure.Souths believe Latrell will be back next week - but Taaffe should revert to the bench where he is becoming something of a 'super sub'.

Rabbitohs' secret Panthers 'ambush' plan revealed

They are missing five key forwards and are given little chance of victory - but Souths are planning an old fashioned ambush of premiers Penrith tonight.Without Keaon Koloamatangi, Tevita Tatola, Siliva Havili, Liam Knight and Shaquai Mitchell, the Bunnies look like cannon fodder up front for the Penrith machine.But the Panthers could be in for a shock if they think it will be an easy victory at Homebush."No one out there thinks we can win but that is what is spurring us on," a senior Souths official told Wide World of Sports."We are going to come out with all we have and hope to ambush them."They are a great team, but this year it's been shown that they are beatable."If we play at our best, we are a chance."They have a five-day turnaround and we have a week so that is something in our favour."To add to the Bunnies' woes, they are also expected to lose much-improved winger Izaac Tu'itupou Thompson with a knee injury.He is set to be replaced by the experienced Taane Milne.That could lead to an interesting situation tonight … the last time the teams met, Milne was sent off for an horrific high shot on Panthers forward Spencer Leniu in a spiteful affair in the finals, which Penrith won 32-12.

Latrell back to his best

The Bulldogs are Latrell Mitchell's "bunnies" - and they brought the best back out of the star fullback on Good Friday.Latrell, who has started the season slowly, hit top gear against the tackle-shy Doggies, scoring his 10th straight win over them.He also notched his first hat-trick since 2019 and ended the longest tryscoring drought of his career - seven games.It was also his 12th try in 12 games against the Bulldogs… and the blue and white boys will be glad to see the back of him for a while after his super hot performance.

'Dreaded' curse hanging over Rabbitohs star

The Bunnies have a squad more than capable of making the top four - and have finished fourth or better for the past five seasons… without picking up a premiership.South Sydney has class all over the paddock - but hasn't signed a single new face for 2023 and that rings alarm bells with me.As I wrote with Canberra earlier this week, you should always sign at least a couple of players to move forward - and all Souths' rivals have done so.The Rabbitohs have lost three members of their 2022 squad and have plenty of young talent coming through, but could have benefited from bringing in some experience… time will tell. 2022 finishing position: 7th. Biggest question mark - Halfback Lachlan Ilias was thrown in at the deep end last season, replacing club icon Adam Reynolds. He looked sharp at times - but beware the dreaded second year syndrome. Man under pressure - No player in the NRL comes under more scrutiny than Latrell Mitchell and his performances will be watched very closely by the critics week after week. A marvellous talent, but still learning the intricacies of the fullback spot and was caught out in defence on occasion last season.