South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett is adamant the Rabbitohs’ NRL finals campaign will be unaffected by allegations of serious misconduct involving retired star Sam Burgess.
The Rabbitohs will start their post-season in an elimination final against Newcastle at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.
Both the NRL and NSW Police are set to launch an investigation into claims against Burgess and the club detailed by The Australian on Friday.
Burgess, an integral part of Souths’ NRL premiership success in 2014, denies any wrongdoing.
His lawyer told The Australian “the allegations are false and constitute indefensible defamation against my client”.
The former Rabbitohs captain stepped down as one of Bennett’s assistants on Friday but the veteran coach says the matter has no bearing on any of the current playing group.
“You can make it out as big a headline as you like, you can talk it up as big as you like, but I’m telling you now it’s not going to have any impact on the playing group here because it’s distant from us,” Bennett said.
“It’s got nothing to do with us and it’s not something that’s happened here at the time that I was here.
“It will not affect the team in any form, shape or manner.”
Burgess’s brother Tom will play against the Knights and trained with the team on Saturday.
“I didn’t ask him,” Bennett said when asked how 28-year-old was going.
“He wasn’t jittery or crying in the corner.”
Bennett also dismissed concerns about the club’s culture after the allegations, saying he had no knowledge of any of the issues raised until the report came out.
“You’re talking to the wrong guy,” Bennett said.
“It’s got nothing to do with me.
“You go find the people it’s got something to do with. Talk to them.”