Mitchell, Schuster, Graham on deck for Rabbitohs pre-season, but Bennett a no-show
Billie Eder, Christian Nicolussi and Dan Walsh
SMH
Updated November 5, 2024
The Rabbitohs have started their bid to shake off an injury-riddled 2024, returning to Maroubra on Wednesday for day one of pre-season training and the start of the Wayne Bennett revolution.
However, supercoach Bennett was absent for South Sydney’s return, as Ben Hornby, Steve Antonelli, John Sutton and Trent Elkin ran drills for the team, which was without skipper Cameron Murray and the rest of their representative players.
Latrell Mitchell, Josh Schuster and Campbell Graham at day one of the Rabbitohs pre-season training.
Murray underwent surgery on Wednesday on the
scapholunate injury he picked up in camp with the Kangaroos, with the club confirming the operation had been a success.
In a statement the Rabbitohs said Murray’s “wrist will be immobilised in a cast for a six-week period, after which his progress will be assessed and a rehabilitation program implemented. A time frame will be established once he has completed the initial six-week period post-operation.”
Murray’s injury is a blow for South Sydney, who will now likely be without their captain for the start of the season, with scapholunate injuries typically taking up to five months to heal. Murray also missed a significant chunk of the 2024 season due to a hip flexor injury.
However, for the team that was hit the hardest by injuries in the 2024 season – with their top 30 players missing a total of approximately 213 games due to injuries – it was a relief to see the return of stars such as Campbell Graham and Latrell Mitchell.
Graham missed the entire 2024 season due to complications with a sternum injury that he picked up in 2023, while Mitchell missed the end of this year with a foot injury.
Josh Schuster also made his appearance at Maroubra, for the start of his one-year contract at the club. The Rabbitohs threw the 23-year-old a lifeline earlier this year, after he parted ways with the Sea Eagles in April.