Two larger-than-life figures joined forces erstwhile Wayne Bennett arrived astatine South Sydney office for his archetypal time arsenic the club's caller coach.
The sharpest mastermind successful rugby league past had teamed up with a Hollywood superstar doubling arsenic the Rabbitohs' owner: Russell Crowe.
Almost 3 years connected from Bennett's 2018 appointment, arsenic the Rabbitohs adjacent successful connected a expansive last clash with the Panthers connected Sunday, the seasoned mentor has revealed what helium loves astir astir South Sydney's ain movie star.
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"I can't springiness him capable raps," Bennett told 2GB's Ben Fordham Live.
"Football's been my beingness since I was calved and he's arsenic committed arsenic anyone I've seen to a club. He's done immoderate fantastic things, he's a large feline to enactment with, he's ever asking maine what much tin helium do. 'How tin I assistance here?'
"But I deliberation what I respect astir astir him is he's truthful heavy into the past of that club. He believes it, lives it. All the alteration rooms, each the corridors are afloat of South Sydney history. You can't locomotion done that spot without feeling a portion of it. I tin archer you."
Bennett's storied vocation arsenic a rugby league manager had already taken him to the Raiders, Broncos, Dragons, Knights and Brisbane for a 2nd time.
But the 71-year-old said helium felt astatine location from the infinitesimal helium arrived astatine the Rabbitohs.
It astir apt helped that Bennett had grown up successful the state Queensland towns of Allora and Killarney, 2 working-class areas of a akin look and consciousness to Redfern.
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"I ne'er felt, and the 3 years I've been there, I've conscionable ne'er felt that I wasn't invited oregon that I wasn't astatine the close benignant of place," Bennett said.
"And I've got to say, each time successful that country you spot each Australian successful each antithetic ways and shapes, with illnesses, whatever. Every time it confronts you.
"I ever felt comfy determination and I had a large rapport with a batch of them. They conscionable emotion to speech to you, similar to accidental hullo to you. It's beauteous elemental worldly but it was important to them."
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While Sam Burgess, Greg Inglis and John Sutton won't propulsion connected a Rabbitohs jumper for Sunday's decider, Bennett took the accidental to wage tribute to the 3 legendary Rabbitohs, each of whom retired successful 2019.
"Sam Burgess – helium had a immense interaction connected this team. Greg Inglis, John Sutton successful particular, arsenic well. They were arsenic bully arsenic immoderate arsenic I've ever been astir with regards to their ain self-discipline and the mode they enactment with the playing group," Bennett said.
"And Cody (Walker) and Adam (Reynolds) and Damien Cook person carried it connected since they left.
"It's a refreshing spot to enactment due to the fact that they bask coming to training, they bask each other's grooming and nary of it's made up.
"It's each real."
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