Rumours have started to circulate over the possible homecoming of former NRL Premiership winning captain, Craig Gower. Tipped to join South Sydney, the potential signing is being touted as the answer to the Rabbitohs woes. Think again.
I have plenty of respect for South Sydney.
Despite being the mortal enemy of my team (Sydney Roosters), their record as the most successful team in Australian rugby league history, can’t be ignored.
Since being re-instated in the NRL in 2002, the Rabbitohs have made a steady ascent from bottom-of-the table-dwellers. But, they have still failed to consistently make the top eight. They may no longer be easy-beats but they are still yet to reach their full potential, much to the dismay of their many loyal and passionate fans.
Chris Sandow, who is off contract after this season, is expected to take an offer from Parramatta Eels, thus leaving a gap in the halves.
With speculation growing over Craig Gower’s return to the NRL, it’s expected that he might be the secret to Souths regularly making the eight once again.
Let’s burst that bubble, shall we. Here are the numbers.
Gower will turn 33 on Friday. He’s been playing rugby union in France since 2008. Before his switch to rugby he had been in 3 disgusting off-field incidents, accumulating a total of $103,000 in fines. At Bayonne he has scored just 7 tries from 74 matches, compared to Sandow’s 11 tries from 54 matches.
All in all, it’s clearly not an improvement from Sandow.
But that’s what the club need. Someone to take them forward, not back.
And considering the unprecedented pressure on clubs and players to behave off the field, Gower would be a massive risk, and perhaps even a bad influence on the many young players in the squad.
Late yesterday night Gower’s manager reportedly denied any contact with Souths but did say he had been back in Australia to explore what options were available back in the NRL, with Penrith among the clubs mentioned. Gower is apparently also searching for coaching options after football, too.
If that were to occur, no doubt Penrith would snag him over Souths.
Wigan Warriors coach Michael Maguire will replace the Rabbitohs current coach John Lang next year. Maguire, too, seems to have his own ideas on who should fill the gap left by Sandow.
Ryan Hoffman and Brett Finch both departed from Melbourne Storm to Wigan after the salary cap scandal last year, and have earned much respect under Maguire. Having either of those talented players come back would be beneficial for Souths. Certainly moreso than Gower.
But will any of these players help them make the eight over and over? No.
They are helpful, yes. But what the Rabbitohs need is more than a Greg Inglis or a Brett Finch.
Watching them play lately is like watching an under 19s suburban club side.
The errors are vast and frequent. Their attack is unimaginative and unrehearsed. In defence, though aggressive and physical, they lack discipline.
They need to gel as one – coach, players, club – and push themselves if they are ever going to improve. This is not what we see each week from the Rabbitohs.
They look uninterested and disorganised.
Whether Wayne Bennett could have fixed all this, we will never know.
I don’t see the club advancing under Lang, so maybe Maguire is the answer.
I’ve yet to see enough of his work as head coach, but his record speaks for itself.
One season for one premiership. Not bad. Not bad at all.
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