How Bud's Bunny buddies helped rekindle his love for the game

Jayden Sullivan can’t remember exactly when he started to drift away from wanting to play rugby league. 

But things became darker when he broke his right ankle playing for South Sydney’s NSW Cup team against the Newtown Jets in June last year. He spent four weeks in hospital over Christmas trying to clear up a staph infection after the injury curtailed his pre-season. 

Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett heard about his plight and contacted Sullivan, who is in his second season with Souths after three years with the Dragons and one with Wests Tigers.  

Fast forward 14 months and Sullivan – after being unused on the bench for six of his 11 NRL games this year – has now been handed the keys in the No.7 after injuries to Ashton Ward (hamstring) and Jamie Humphreys (ankle). 

“I’ll do my best,” Sullivan said after the Rabbitohs’ decisive 22-6 win over the Bulldogs.

“I’ve got such good players outside me that I just need to get them to the right zones and get the ball to them when they need it – my job is pretty simple.” 

Bennett is running low on halfbacks but was happy to finally hand Sullivan a starting spot. 

“I had to give him a couch for the interchange bench he was there for that long,” Bennett said. 

“The moment came, the opportunity came, and he’s grabbed it. 

“He’s a quality football player and I’m really pleased for him.” 

Sullivan credits Bennett with getting under his skin, so to speak, to form a firm friendship. 

“I opened up to Wayne and showed him what I was about,” Sullivan said. 

“He took me under his wing... one thing about Wayne is that he doesn’t like lies. I told him some personal stuff because I trust him. 

“I see him as really good role model in my life. We have a good relationship.” 

The honesty session followed by some personal self-improvements have helped Sullivan leap over his mental hurdles. 

“I’m enjoying footy again,” he said. 

“I went through a stage when I really wasn’t enjoying footy. It was a burden for me to go to training as I lost my love for the game. 

“Wayne gave me a call and I found the love again – that just shows who he is as a person. 

“I was doing things I shouldn’t have been doing. But I got that out of my life once I moved up to Sydney and just focused on football and that’s credit to Wayne. 

“It’s not all about football with Wayne. If you’re good off the field then you’ll be good on it.” 

The reward is Sullivan now is heading to his first NRL finals series after 60 NRL games at three clubs. 

“I won’t get ahead of myself. I thought I didn’t really play that good [against Bulldogs] but we won so it’s alright.” 

Match statistics beg to differ. Sullivan’s positional kicking was on song, putting a bomb up for Campbell Graham to score South Sydney’s fourth was a standout as well as making 31 tackles. 

“I’m one of the smallest on the field so they’re going to run at me. I just put my body in front and do my best.” 

He now has the added burden of taking on the goalkicking duties. He had only kicked six times prior to his one goal from four attempts against the Bulldogs. 

“I’ve never claimed to be a goalkicker really. Hopefully Latrell (Mitchell) gets back so I don’t have to kick much," he said.

“But if I have to kick, I’ll step up, practise all week and do my best.”