Ben Hornby calls Wayne Bennett coaching rumours “disrespectful”

Since taking over for Jason Demetriou, interim boss Ben Hornby has guided lowly Souths to within shouting distance of a finals series place. This remarkable rebound has many saying that it is because of Wayne Bennett pulling strings behind the scenes. Hornby calls these claims disrespectful. 

Hornby hits out: “A a little bit disrespectful” 

Rabbitohs’ interim head coach Ben Hornby fielded questions about his side’s remarkable string of results in recent weeks ahead of Souths match against Dolphins on Thursday.  
 
Souths are undefeated and have won four straight since Hornby took over ahead of Round 12. When asked if current Dolphins’ boss Wayne Bennett had anything to do with this run, the Rabbitohs head coach called any suggestion of that disrespectful.  
 
“I find it a little bit disrespectful,” Hornby said about the Bennett rumours, “Not just to me but everyone here that is doing a great job, the players included.” 
 
While Hornby strongly denied any influence of Bennett on his side, he did admit that the current Dolphins head coach is a trusted mentor of his.  
 
“We (Hornby and Bennett) talked regularly before I took over, we’ve been talking regularly for more than 10 years. Nothing has really changed there. He’s concentrating on his team, I am concentrating on mine,” the Souths head coach said.  
 
Hornby and Bennett previously worked together at St. George Illawarra Dragons.  

Bennett to take over in 2025 

The reason Bennett is rumoured to have a huge influence on Hornby’s Rabbitohs right now is because the veteran coach will take over at Souths next season.  
 
Bennett previously coached South Sydney between 2019 and 2021 before taking a break from coaching and later taking over at Dolphins. He is expected to steady the ship at Souths and bring them back to the top.  
 
When asked about the rumours of his influence on Rabbitohs now, Bennett stated: “I am not doing very much at Souths at all. I haven’t been near the club. I haven’t been near anybody. 
 
“I have got a deal done. We did the deal and I am coaching the Dolphins. That is my priority and they have got a club to run this year. 
 
“They have got good people in there and they have turned their season around. That is how it works. It can’t work any other way. I can’t be trying to run two clubs. That doesn’t work. I have been very committed to here (Dolphins). 
 
“I have done this six or seven times in my career, so it is not a challenge. It is easy to do.” 

Bennett and Hornby face off this Thursday at Kayo Stadium. The betting sites have the Dolphins as heavy favourites with $1.65 odds to Rabbitohs’ $2.25. However, Souths have been underdogs in many of the recent matches they’ve won, so don’t be surprised if they pull off another upset.