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Souths unconcerned about Bennett snub

Ian McCullough 12/04/2011 05:11:15 PM Comments (0)

South Sydney big boppers David Taylor and Sam Burgess claim Wayne Bennett's decision to snub the Rabbitohs won't stop the club winning a first Premiership in 41 years.

Bennett rejected Souths' overtures in favour of a four-year deal from Newcastle believed to be worth in the region of $2 million a season on Tuesday.

Although Taylor admitted it would have been nice to be reunited with his former Brisbane mentor, he insisted the club was still in a good position to go forward.

"I am a bit disappointed, I would have liked another year under him, but all the best to him," Taylor said.

"Everyone here is pretty happy that he finally made a decision and now we can all move on."

Taylor, who made his first grade debut under Bennett at the Broncos in 2006, denied the uncertainty about who will take over from John Lang next year was affecting the Rabbitohs.

"We have a whole season to find a coach, Brisbane found one two weeks out from the start of the season and look where they are now," he said.

"I think it has been playing on people's minds, but I don't think it has anything to do with the way we have been playing, it has actually been quite exciting to have the world's best coach knocking at the door.

"But he has made his decision, we will have to deal with it."

With Bennett off the market, there is little in the way of world-class coaches available, with Wigan's Michael Maguire being linked with the Rabbitohs and former Parramatta and Warriors coach Daniel Anderson being touted as an outsider.

"There is not much around I suppose, but you don't need the world's best coach to win a premiership," Taylor said.

"You just need a steady coach who ... gets you ready week in week out.

"But we will worry about next year when it comes, we have a whole year to find one."

Burgess echoed Taylor's comments and said Bennett's decision was good for Newcastle and the game.

"Having the best coach in the world certainly helps, but you don't need the world's best coach to win the premiership ... you just need to have the best set of players and team," Burgess said.

"It would be nice to have had Wayne, but he's had his reasons and everyone in the game should respect them.

"I am sure the town of Newcastle are going to benefit as well as the club, it is disappointing, but it is also good for rugby league that he's gone to a new club."

Burgess said he'd deliberately not sounded out his England teammates who play under Maguire at Wigan when he was linked with the job, but had heard positive things about the former Melbourne assistant coach.

"I've not really asked the Wigan boys about Maguire and I've not really wanted to," he said.

"From the recent England camp, and before this whole Wayne Bennett-Michael Maguire saga happened, the Wigan guys were very positive about him and said he brought in high standards and had some good theories."

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