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Note: Mick Crawley is a former attack coach for the Canberra Raiders.<\/p>\n
THE MASTER AND THE LIEUTENANT <\/p>\n
It starts at the top. For Wayne Bennett, the \u2018burn\u2019 is real. For the super-coach, it\u2019s never just about the loss; it\u2019s about the lack of discipline that invites it. If 2025 was a season of \u2018almost\u2019 and \u2018if-only,\u2019 2026 is a return to Wayne\u2019s World.<\/p>\n
A team is a mirror of its leadership, and in Cameron Murray, Bennett has the ultimate extension of his philosophy. They say the speed of the leader is the speed of the team, and Murray is the game\u2019s premier tactical middle.<\/p>\n
Murray\u2019s genius lies in his ability to control the speed of the ruck on both sides of the ball. By playing \u201cdeep and square,\u201d he forces opposition markers to question their life choices. He dictates when a defensive line can release; his ability to hold feet in the middle creates a runway for the most potent backline in the competition.<\/p>\n
LATEST HAAS TO BUNNIES NEWS AND REACTION<\/p>\n
WHO BRONCOS CAN TARGET: Marquee stars Broncos could recruit with $1.5m war chest<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018VISIBLY UPSET\u2019: Why Haas left \u2018furnace\u2019 for Bennett… and awkward fallout for Broncos<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018GET PAYNE HERE\u2019: Bennett chat that sparked Haas coup… but Broncos \u2018trying to twist his arm\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Unpacking the SHOCK Haas Souths deal | 03:59<\/p>\n SMART, TOUGH AND REJUVENATED<\/p>\n The addition of Adam Elliott is a masterstroke only a veteran coach could orchestrate. Elliott brings a \u201csmart-tough\u201d durability that act as the bridge between the engine room and the edges.<\/p>\n While Brandon Smith provides the chaotic energy and the win-at-all-costs deception from dummy-half, Elliott \u2014 like Murray \u2014 is a cool head. He is the player who makes the right decision on tackle four so that the play on tackle five ends up on a highlight reel.<\/p>\n The Sledgehammer and the Strike Weapons<\/p>\n With Murray and Elliott locking down the middle, David Fifita arrives as the ultimate X-factor. Bennett knows simple footy wins: Fifita at full tilt draws three defenders by necessity. That gravity creates the space for South Sydney\u2019s \u201cBig Three\u201d to harvest the rewards:<\/p>\n \u2022 Cody Walker: Granted the time and space to play \u201ceyes-up\u201d instinctive football.<\/p>\n \u2022 Jack Wighton: The freedom to hunt for collisions and inject fear into the line.<\/p>\n \u2022 Latrell Mitchell: Potentially heading back to the centres, Latrell becomes the game\u2019s most dangerous strike weapon, stripped of the taxing yardage repeats of fullback and saved for pure scoreboard impact.<\/p>\n THE DEFENSIVE ANCHOR<\/p>\n The return of the forgotten man: Campbell Graham will be a bonus. He is the defensive anchor that allows the flashy stars to take risks. A fit Graham on one edge and a hungry Latrell on the other is a terrifying prospect for any defensive coach in the league.<\/p>\n THE VERDICT<\/p>\n The NRL is at its best when South Sydney is a powerhouse. They carry a narrative of history and tribalism that few clubs can match. When the Rabbitohs find their mojo, they don\u2019t just win games; they create a spectacle.<\/p>\n In 2026, the Redfern faithful aren\u2019t just hoping for a Top Eight finish\u2014they are expecting a return to the summit. For a game that thrives on its biggest stars playing on the biggest stages, a Souths revival isn\u2019t just a good story \u2014 it\u2019s exactly what the NRL needs.<\/p>\n Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/p>\n Reynolds likely to retire at end of 2026 | 00:33<\/p>\n WHAT EXPERTS SAID<\/p>\n On Latrell Mitchell<\/p>\n Paul Crawley: I think Latrell is at the crossroads at his career. You think of the talent that he has and the expectation of himself. If you look at where he stands at the moment and for all that he\u2019s achieved, has he achieved what he is capable of? I don\u2019t think he has. Regardless if he\u2019ll play centre or fullback this year, I think it\u2019s time for Latrell to play consistently at prime.<\/p>\n Luke Keary: The move back to centre is massive. It\u2019s going to help him. He has played fullback ever since leaving the Roosters in 2019 and it\u2019s a hard position (for a player of his height). He\u2019s had these soft tissue injuries in and out over the last 3-4 years. Out in the centres, he\u2019ll pick and choose his moments and he\u2019ll have David Fifita, Cody Walker and Alex Johnston outside. If they can get those combinations going, he\u2019ll be destructive with good ball. It\u2019s his time now. He\u2019s in his late 20s. He\u2019s done pretty much everything but hasn\u2019t won that premiership at Souths yet.<\/p>\n Paul Crawley: At the Roosters, he was averaging 24 games a year. At Souths, I think it\u2019s about 14 games a season and 11 in the past two years. He\u2019s had suspensions and had these injuries so it just makes sense to move him to the centres. He could touch the ball five times and set up three times. Latrell has so much ability and if he plays up to his potential, Souths could do anything this year.<\/p>\n Who will play halfback to start season?<\/p>\n Paul Crawley: Jamie Humphreys is serving a suspension for a hip drop. Jayden Sullivan I reckon will get the start. They got Jonah Glover from the Dragons and Sullivan\u2019s coming back from a foot injury but I think he has the experience on his side. I know Wayne Bennett thinks Jayden Sullivan is a lot better than he is given credit for. I think he\u2019s got a real shine on him. He\u2019s the sort of player who can bring the team around and get the best out of Cody.<\/p>\n On Brandon Smith<\/p>\n Paul Crawley: What I said about Latrell, I think it\u2019s the same about Brandon Smith and David Fifita. Souths have three blokes who are up with the best in the league when they\u2019re at their best. Brandon has come out and publicly spoke about being off the drink and going to rehab. He\u2019s looking after himself and he owes himself that so he can make a go of it from here. So much will depend on him because the Rabbitohs haven\u2019t had a solid hooker since Cooky (Damien Cook) left.<\/p>\n MORE 2026 SEASON PREVIEWS<\/p>\n DRAGONS: Flanagan\u2019s big promise… and the huge gamble to make or break season<\/a><\/p>\n BULLDOGS: No one is safe in Ciraldo\u2019s title push after disappointing finals flop<\/a><\/p>\n “Biggest signing of the decade?!” | 03:11<\/p>\n THE BIG BREAKDOWN \u2014 Mark St John<\/p>\n STRENGTH<\/p>\n Star power. On paper the Rabbitohs have one of the best squads in the NRL, especially after the arrival of Origin star David Fifita. The former Titans forward joins an all-star pack featuring skipper Cameron Murray, Keaon Koloamatangi, Jai Arrow, Brandon Smith and young gun Tallis Duncan. However, it is Souths\u2019 backline that is a scary proposition for opposition when fit and firing. Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker Jack Wighton, Campbell Graham and Alex Johnston have all been representative stars and Jamie Humphreys and Jye Gray have enormous potential. If Souths can keep most of their star players on the park, Wayne Bennett will have them primed to be a strong defensive team and their attack should flow off the back of that with ease. <\/p>\n LATEST HAAS TO BUNNIES NEWS AND REACTION<\/p>\n \u2018FAR FROM THE TRUTH\u2019: How hollow claim let Bennett pinch the Broncos\u2019 megastar prop<\/a><\/p>\n ANALYSIS: What Haas bombshell means for Broncos, Bunnies<\/a><\/p>\n David Fifita adds more star power to a formidable squad.Source: Supplied Source Known<\/p>\n WEAKNESS<\/p>\n Injuries and ageing squad. While the Rabbitohs have a formidable squad on paper, it is also an ageing one and they can\u2019t afford to have the amount of injuries they had last season and be competitive. Wighton, Walker, Arrow, Johnston and Smith are all in their 30s, while Mitchell Graham and Koloamatangi are closing in on that age and most of their stars have struggled with injuries, form and suspensions in recent seasons. Perhaps that is why Bennett seems to have gone to market to improve the depth in his squad with the likes of Bronson Garlick (Storm), Jonah Glover (Dragons), Ed Kosi (Warriors) and Latrell Siegwalt (Broncos) coming on board. But while depth will help, if Souths can\u2019t keep their best players on the park for the majority of the season, they won\u2019t be playing finals again in 2026. <\/p>\n Souths need their best players on the field.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n IT\u2019S A BIG YEAR FOR<\/p>\n Cody Walker. At his best Cody Walker is the best playmaker in the game, but due to repeated injuries he only managed one try in 11 games last year, and at 36 his best years in the NRL are behind him. However, Wayne Bennett re-signed Walker for 2026 because he doesn\u2019t believe the players under him are ready to step up just yet, so that opens the door for the veteran playmaker to have a big year in 2026 and go out on his own terms. Walker has scored 100 tries in 223 games for the Rabbitohs since his debut in 2016 and he will be desperate to win an elusive title before he hangs up the boots, so 2026 is shaping up as his last dance. And with Ashton Ward, Jayden Sullivan and Jonah Glover nipping at his heels, Walker needs to get back to his best to keep the young guns from overtaking him in the pecking order. <\/p>\n MORE 2026 SEASON PREVIEWS<\/p>\n KNIGHTS: The Knights need a revolution… here\u2019s how a $13m man can deliver<\/a><\/p>\n