Wayne Bennett faces his former South Sydney charges for the first time at the helm of the Dolphins in a Thursday night blockbuster (7.50pm AEST).
Bennett was full of praise for his old side ahead of the teams’ inaugural meeting at Suncorp Stadium, particularly Latrell Mitchell – who will face off with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in what looms as a thrilling showdown of two of the competition’s most in-form fullbacks.
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“Latrell is a wonderful player, we all know that,” Bennett said.
“We all love watching him play and Hammer is in the same boat. They are different types of players, but they are both wonderfully skilled and competitive guys.
“I don’t think they will think they are playing against each other on Thursday night, they will be trying to play for their teams, but it should be a good spectacle I hope.”
Mitchell was sensational in his 150th NRL game last week, running riot in a Good Friday massacre of the Bulldogs. Mitchell bagged three tries and two assists.
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But Tabuai-Fidow has been consistently exceptional for the NRL’s newest franchise, scoring an equal-NRL-topping eight tries in his six appearance.
Should he score against the Rabbitohs on Thursday, he would break the record for the most consecutive games with a try scored for a new premiership club – a record dating back to Roosters winger Horrie Miller in 1908, who scored in Eastern Suburbs’ first six matches.
But facing another of his former sides for the first time, Bennett played down the magnitude of the occasion and refused to send any verbal barbs from Redcliffe to Redfern – the club he led to the 2021 grand final.
“If you want to make it a big game, we’ll make it a big game … but the bottom line is, it’s game seven in the NRL competition and we just happen to be playing South Sydney, so after that, you can put any connotation you want on it.”
He was equally full of praise for his former assistant Jason Demetriou, who has impressed after taking the reins at South Sydney following Bennett’s departure.
“(Jason and I) still talk,” Bennett said. “He knows his football really well and he’s confident and I think they are prerequisites to being the coach … he had a good rapport with everybody and I don’t see why that wouldn’t have continued with him. I’m sure that’s what he does very well.”
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TEAM NEWS
The Dolphins are boosted by the return from illness of captain Jesse Bromwich, while Jarrod Wallace is a key absentee after suffering a Category 1 concussion in last week’s win over the Cowboys. Elsewhere, JJ Collins joins the bench while Robert Jennings replaces Edrick Lee on the wing, and Ray Stone replaces Herman Ese’ese in the forwards.
The Bunnies were forced into a late change on Wednesday when Izaac Tu’itupou Thompson was ruled out on the wing due to an ankle injury, replaced by Taane Milne. The opposite wing is bolstered by the return of Alex Johnston from concussion, while Souths will be excited to see what back-rower Jai Arrow can do on his return from a hamstring injury. Tevita Tatola (knee) drops out of the starting side.
Dolphins vs South Sydney Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium — 7:50pm AEST
Dolphins team: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Euan Aitken 4. Brenko Lee 5. Robert Jennings 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 16. Ray Stone 11. Kenny Bromwich 12. Connelly Lemuelu 13. Tom Gilbert 10. Herman Ese’ese 14. JJ Collins 15. Mark Nicholls 17. Kurt Donoghoe 18. Poasa Faamausili 21. Jack Bostock.
Rabbitohs team: 1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Campbell Graham 18. Taane Milne 6. Cody Walker 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Jai Arrow 9. Damien Cook 10. Thomas Burgess 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jacob Host 13. Cameron Murray 14. Jed Cartwright 15. Daniel Suluka-Fifita 16. Davvy Moale 17. Hame Sele 19. Blake Taaffe 20. Ben Lovett.
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