Wayne Bennett recruits another Dolphins player to Souths despite vow not to raid NRL club

Wayne Bennett vowed not to raid the Dolphins' playing stocks after agreeing to join the Rabbitohs in 2025. However, after second rower Euan Aitken became the first player to follow the super coach to the Bunnies, promising young forward Lachlan Hubner will now also follow Bennett out the Dolphins' door.

Hubner, who made his NRL debut earlier this season and has appeared in three games for the Dolphins, agreed to a two-year deal with the Rabbitohs on Monday. He was one of three players announced as Souths signings this week, with Queensland Cup star Gerome Burns and 19-year-old forward Max McCarthy also agreeing to join the Rabbitohs next season.

“We’re very excited to be bringing these three players to our Club in 2025 as we believe they all have what it takes to play in the NRL,” Rabbitohs head of football Mark Ellison said. “From our research on, and discussions with, Lachlan (Hubner), he has the desire, the hunger and the work ethic to take the next step in his Rugby League journey here at South Sydney.”

After agreeing a three-year deal with Souths, Bennett promised the board and Dolphins fans that he wouldn't take anyone the club didn't want to keep. "I won't be taking any of their kids that they want to keep," Bennett said in May after agreeing to coach the Rabbitohs in 2025.

"That's not going to happen. I didn't build this club to try and destroy it. If there is a guy that they are not offering a contract to or he is looking to go somewhere else and I think he can play a bit, then that will be a different thing, but I want all these players to stay."

However, Bennett has seemingly changed his tune and is now willing to take some of the newest franchise's players with him. Hubner was viewed as a promising young forward at the club, while the Dolphins also tabled an offer to keep Aitken but he instead will follow Bennett to Souths next season.

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Wayne Bennett has long history of players following him

Aitken and Hubner are the latest in a long list of players to have followed the super coach around the NRL. Most notably retired Maroons and Kangaroos try-scoring phenom Darius Boyd followed the super coach his entire career. Boyd came up playing under Bennett at the Broncos and then followed his mentor to the Dragons in 2009, before again joining Bennett at the Knights in 2012. Finally, he asked to be released from the Knights to once again play under Bennett at Brisbane.

The only time he played not under Bennett was in the final two years of his career after the veteran coach was sacked by the Broncos. And Boyd is far from the only one, with Beau Scott, Jeremy Smith, Jaydn Su'A, Jeremy Smith and most recently Kodi Nikorima, Mark Nicholls and Tevita Pangai Junior switching clubs to continue playing under the super coach.