While he appreciates the gesture, South Sydney fullback Adam Doueihi says coach Wayne Bennett didn’t need to accept blame for a positional switch gone wrong in last week’s qualifying final loss to the Roosters.
Bennett admitted he erred in moving Doueihi from fullback to wing after the Roosters’ right-edge brutally exposed the young Rabbitoh in the heavy 30-6 defeat.
The premiers scored three tries down Doueihi’s side, helping condemn the Bunnies to a sudden death showdown with Manly on Friday night.
“It was nice of him (Bennett) to say but I take most of the blame,” Doueihi told Sporting News on Tuesday.
“It was obviously a foreign position for me playing on the wing but I told him (Bennett) I was confident playing there and I worked hard during the week to get my positional stuff correct.
“(Joseph) Manu and the rest of them exposed us pretty quickly and dented my confidence a bit, but you learn from it and dump it and move on.”
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Asked what he found the most challenging aspect of playing wing, Doueihi explained: “Defensively it is tough. You have to have a lot of trust in your centre and your inside pressure and know when to go back and when to stay up and when to jam up and slide off.
“I found it pretty tough but it’s in the past.
“I am back to fullback this week and ready to rip in.”
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Souths look a more settled side with Doueihi at No.1, Campbell Graham moved back to the wing and Dane Gagai returning in the centres for Friday night’s ANZ Stadium must-win encounter.
Inspirational skipper Sam Burgess also returns from suspension.
Manly and Souths have beaten each other once this season, both games decided by one point.