Why Penrith Panthers icon thinks South Sydney should NOT sign supercoach Wayne Bennett

South Sydney must ensure they don’t find themselves in the same predicament in two years’ time when they re-appoint Wayne Bennett as coach.

Scott Sattler, 2003 premiership winner with Penrith and son of Rabbitohs royalty John Sattler, told AAP of the care the club must take following the sacking of Jason Demetriou, who was Bennett’s choice as his successor after he left Souths at the end of 2021 .

“Purely because of Wayne’s brilliance in coaching and man management (appointing Bennett) is probably a decision I wouldn’t make at Souths,” Sattler said.

“If I were Parramatta and Brad Arthur’s position was in jeopardy I would understand, as a club that hasn’t tasted premiership success in almost 40 years.

“Wayne did a great job at Souths for three seasons, but going back and replacing the man he supported is a vicious circle.”

Bennett had a successful spell at Redfern before signing to become the Dolphins’ inaugural coach

Sattler said he understood why seven-time premiership winner Bennett was in the Rabbitohs’ crosshairs. Souths are last after nine rounds and the playing group that Bennett took to two preliminary finals and a grand final is largely still there.

“I think Souths CEO Blake Solly is one of the best, if not the best, CEOs in the game and I think he is smart enough to look at different angles for this coaching role,” Sattler said.

“Many Souths members may say they need success now, but in three or four years’ time, will we still be talking about the same topics?

“It takes a lot of consideration given Wayne’s status in the game and what he has done at so many clubs, but I think Souths need to look at some of the downsides that come with that.

“You have to do a risk assessment on everything and history has shown that there is a lot of reward when Wayne is there, but there is also a lot of risk when he leaves.”

Demetriou was sacked this week after a horror start to the season for the Rabbitohs

There was no immediate joy at the sack of Demetriou, with the Rabbitohs thrashed by the defending Premiers Penrith

Rick Stone (Newcastle), Steve Price (St George Illawarra), Anthony Seibold (Brisbane) and now Demetriou are among the coaches who followed Bennett and were later dismissed after minimal success.

“I think some coaches waited until he left and said, ‘This is my coaching philosophy and I’m going to put a fresh coat of paint on this team,’ when the success those clubs have had under Wayne isn’t just about tactics , but about simplicity,” Sattler said.

“Then there’s the human aspect that a lot of coaches don’t master, while Wayne mastered that in the 1980s.”

Bennett was asked in his final year as Dolphins head coach why his successors had failed.

‘That is not my fault. Don’t know. Just ask them, he said.

Bennett, who will hold talks with the Rabbitohs over a return in the coming days, said he had no doubt his successor at the Dolphins, assistant Kristian Woolf, would not fail.

“We have a wonderful club here with a great set-up to continue after I leave,” Bennett said.

‘That’s why I was only here for two years. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be successful.’