Hopefully the second coming of Wayne Bennett can find the South Sydney spirit that diminished with the departure from Redfern Oval, albeit in latter years a training ground, to Maroubra.
Even with the staggers in the second half of last season the Rabbits looked in reasonable shape this year, hardly inferior to the Swans in their plight for premiership honours in respective codes.
By June the Swans had never gone better while South Sydney never worse.
Going back to the 1950’s the Rabbitoh’s clouded my introduction to AFL despite the encouragement of “Kenso Ken”, longtime cheerleader for the Swans, but then very much into racing.
Being a Redfern Oval Rabbitoh goes back to the glory days on the hill when the little master, Clive Churchill, weaved his magic and continued with George Piggins, who epitomised the never say die character of the club to keep the club alive against the bash and financial barge of News Limited.
While the Russell Crowe’s involvement with the South Sydney is appreciated, Piggins, and what he stood for, remains the highlight.
Recollections arose with the early 2024 season brilliance of the Swans by comparison with dismal Souths. Yes, South Sydney has been injury smitten, with Campbell Graham, a major loss from the start, but the Swans kicked off without Callum Mills and Luke Parker, regarded as key contributors.
Midyear Mills hadn’t returned and Parker, before suspension, couldn’t make the outfit responsible for the best start ever.
Meanwhile Souths languished at the tail: little fire in the defence and less flow in try scoring mechanism from a sadly depleted line-up that included walking wounded. Still in most games they had State Of Origin representatives: Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Damian Cook, Cameron Murray, Jai Arrow, Keaon Koloamatangi plus Great Britain’s Tom Burgess and Jack Wighton. And Alex Johnston is one of our greatest wingers was in action during most of the drought.
Consider, too, Souths won the NSW Cup last season which should indicate some depth. Previous teams did much better with significantly less.
After the 2023 State Of Origin the decline began. The club should have been on high alert with the Sam Burgess departure. Rod Churchill, son of Clive Churchill, articulated the frustration of most supporters. Alas he used a few inappropriate words for modern standards, but mates reckon he should get an apology for being fair-dinkum. Certainly, Mitchell has been disappointing. Few have come to the Rabbits promising so much and producing so little.
Perhaps expectations were too high, maybe a Buddy Franklin or an impactor like Greg Inglis. Mitchell has the size and ability, so apparent when he plays in the centres for the Blues and Kangaroos. For South Sydney, to this somewhat aged eye, he isn’t best placed at full-back, been either suspended, injured or in the main, seemingly little interested.
Now Bennett, the Godfather of getting the best out of chosen disciples, will return next season. Wasn’t it Bennett who installed Mitchell as fullback?
After reading Andrew Webster’s Bennett book “The Wolf You Feed” I regarded him as Australia’s greatest Rugby League coach. However Roy Masters, an expert on the subject, enlightened me that Jack Gibson was the trail blazer of modern coaching method, a strong foundation for Bennett’s success.
My first memory of Gibson was when he was a chucker-outer at Thommo’s, the renowned two-up school while his right-hand assistant Ron Massey ran wagers onto racecourses for Hollywood George Edser, at the time not allowed through the gates due to betting misdemeanours.
Worthwhile pursuits but a different education to Bennett. Maybe he can do for South Sydney next season what John Longmire does for the Swans, whose victory chant hasn’t been the same following the demise of the white thatched Ken Williams or “Kenso Ken”, once stable foreman for Randwick trainer Phil Allotta when Gibson and Massey were involved in early pursuits.
With “Kenso Ken” participation, Allotta prepared the off-spring of the great broodmare Dark Jewel, at stables opposite the Doncaster Hotel, Kensington, near Randwick racecourse, for the Tait family whose silks ironically were the Swans red with a white (cap). The best was Baguette, who would have tested Nature Strip, if not Black Caviar, but his half-brother Cabochon was superior to any of the current milers. “Kenzo Ken” often legged champion jockey George Moore into the saddle on them with enthusiasm but not the passion he produced for the Swans.
Originally from Melbourne, and a family friend since his early Sydney days, had he broken into the Swan song in the Doncaster the publican would have used the hotline to Daceyville Police station to have him carted away on sanity, rather than intoxication, grounds.
They didn’t sing team songs then, not even “Glory, Glory to South Sydney” from which he attempted to convert me, preaching the joys of AFL. Alas he was chided about the game drawing less attendance at Trumper Park, the major venue, than a bagpipe recital at Kensington Oval.
Later my mother Stella, who hailed from Melbourne, pleaded for me to take her to the Sydney Cricket Ground on Mother Day to watch the Swans. “Mum,” I countered, “I will get the best seats in the stand for you and friends where you’ll get finger sandwiches and party pies during the match plus Chardonay but I cannot watch it.”
Don’t get the idea I was a son who didn’t answer his mother’s requests. I once took her to Sydney Stadium to watch the wrester, Gorgeous George, who had permed, bottled blonded hair before it was fashionable and chanted: “I am the greatest”. Muhammad Ali nicked it up off him.
Finally my wife, Colleena, who hails from Perth, with AFL in her DNA and the late Graham Pash, a Sydney Turf Club chairman and Swans director, enticed me to the Swans where I was fortunate to witness Buddy and Adam Goodes and make me regret what I’ve missed. I am now an ambassador.
(Incidentally “Kenso Ken” when questioned by me about the best Swan he rattled off about 40 players in a minute and settled on Paul Kelly.)
But a Redfern Oval Rabbitoh is a life sentence. A spark is still there, epitomised by Cameron Murray, but needs to be rekindled.
