The South Sydney Rabbitohs are delighted to announce the football department coaching structure and new staff appointments ahead of the 2025 season.

As per the announcement made in May this year, Wayne Bennett will be the NRL Head Coach for at least season 2025 through to 2027.

Supporting Coach Bennett will be NRL Assistant Coaches Ben Hornby and Steve Antonelli. Hornby continues his tenure with the Rabbitohs which began in 2020 as a Development Coach before being promoted to senior Assistant Coach in 2022. Hornby took the reins of the first grade side as NRL Interim Head Coach midway through the 2024 season. Antonelli returns to the Rabbitohs following a brief stint with the Parramatta Eels, having coached the Rabbitohs NSW Cup side in 2021 and becoming an NRL Assistant Coach in 2022.

South Sydney legend John Sutton will continue in his role as Development Coach, working with the Club’s elite young talent to ensure integration and alignment across all grades from NRL to under 17s. Former Rabbitohs premiership-winning Assistant Coach, Wayne Collins, will return to the Club in 2025 as NSW Cup Head Coach.

The Rabbitohs have appointed a new Head of Performance for season 2025, with Trent Elkin joining the Club. Elkin has extensive experience in Rugby League high performance programs including stints at the Bulldogs, Eels, Sharks and with the NRL Referees, most recently with Parramatta as Head of Performance. Tom Watkins also joins the Club as Pathways Head of High Performance.

Former Rabbitohs Head of Football, Mark Ellison, will shift into the Head of Recruitment and Retention role at the Club, focussing on the recruitment and retention of full-time players to the South Sydney Club.

Former NRL Assistant Coach David Furner has moved into the Head of Pathways position, taking control of the Club’s playing, coaching and staffing talent outside of the full-time playing and football staff, from open age down to under 17s, development squads and working with Souths Juniors on Junior Bunnies squads. Tyrone McCarthy will work closely with Furner as the Club’s Pathways Skill Acquisition Coach.

Former Rabbitohs premiership-winning player and former Pathways Wellbeing Manager Jason Clark has been promoted into the Football Manager role, and will work closely with Football Logistics and Facilities Manager Kyle Furner on managing the day-to-day requirements of the full-time playing, coaching and football staff. Rob Capizzi returns to the Rabbitohs as Pathways and Women’s Operations Manager, with a particular focus on preparing the Club for an NRLW team in future years.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Andrew McDonald, Strength and Conditioning Coach Jack Milligan, Head of Wellbeing Ian Reeves, Head Physiotherapist Crawford Quinn, Rehabilitation Physiotherapist Vicki Locke, Elite Athlete Rehabilitation Program Physiotherapist Cuan Neyland, Strength and Conditioning Coach and Athlete Rehabilitation Sam Pervan, Sports Science Advisor Brendan Fahrner, Football and Recruitment Analyst Leigh Richardson, Pathways Head of Medical Bernie Chau, NRL Career Coach Ryan Gonsalves and Recruitment Manager Brent Hill will all continue in their roles for the new season.

-Rabbitohs