Sam Burgess has been ruled out of Friday night’s grudge match with the Broncos with a quad injury.
Burgess strained his quad during the Rabbitohs 14-6 loss to the Bulldogs in round 22; last just 52 minutes at prop in Souths’ third loss on the trot.
For Burgess, who missed the round 21 loss to the Storm, it’s his fourth straight game on the wrong end of the scoreline, dating back to rounds 12 and 13.
From rounds 14-19, Burgess was sidelined with an infection after shoulder surgery.
Wayne Bennett was on the front foot during a spicy media session on Friday, revealing that Burgess should be able to take the field for the crucial penultimate regular season game against the Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium.
“Hopefully next week but it is a week-by-week thing,” Bennett said. “He’ll be a closer than he was yesterday.”
MORE: Wayne Bennett wants nothing to do with ongoing Broncos-Rabbitohs drama
While the Broncos could, in theory, still rise as high as second or drop as low as ninth, all the focus is on Friday’s night return to Brisbane for Bennett, and the escalating war of words between Anthony Seibold and former Broncos deputy – and current Rabbitohs’ assistant coach – Jason Demetriou.
Bennett is having none of it, though.
“I don’t get that, I don’t get your argument at all,” Bennett said during the press conference. “It’s a big game anyway. It’s round 23 or whatever it is, it’s a big game whether we’re playing Warriors, Broncos, Parramatta…it’s the time of the year where everyone is fighting to get into the playoffs and be in a better position.”
Demetriou’s shot at Seibold's coaching tactics during the finals last year appears to have been backed up by Souths hooker Damien Cook
Speaking on the Big Sports Breakfast on Sky Sports on Thursday morning, Cook said Souths were too one-dimensional on attack in 2018.
"From last year to this year, we've improved on having a plan b option," he said.
"Last year was so left-side dominant.
"And it was working really well for us, but we came up against some teams especially the Roosters at the end of the year, they knew our game plan and they picked us off and we weren't able to build any momentum.”
BULLDOG'S BITE: How badly will Sam Burgess tarnish his legacy?
Not that Souths have been lighting up the scoreboard of late.
"If I look at the way that South Sydney are going at the moment, I wouldn't be taking ownership of their attack" Gus Gould said on the Six Tackles With Gus podcast.
"If I was Anthony Seibold, I wouldn't be taking responsibiity for that. They're on struggle street at the moment."
Currently sitting fifth on the ladder, equal on points with Manly in fourth and the Eels in sixth, Gould thinks injuries may be behind their lacklustre form.
"They've obviously got players playing with injury... physically they just can't produce at the moment. They can't give 100 per cent of themselves."
"I'm writing off their top four chances."
