The South Sydney Rabbitohs were on top of the world this time last year.
What a difference 12 months makes.
No Sam Burgess – hero of the 2014 Grand Final – his brother George in hot water, now suspended for two weeks over a bottle throwing incident; hooker Isaac Luke departing the club at the end of the season and Greg Inglis with injury concerns.
The latest turn in this rabbit warren-like saga is that Glenn Stewart has been released by the club a year before the end of his contract.
Stewart will now take up a three-year deal with French Super League club the Catalan Dragons and says he’s looking forward to the new challenge and new experiences for his family in 2016.
This all comes as the NRL finals are about to begin and the Bunnies have to face a much-improved Cronulla Sharks outfit in this week’s elimination final.
The one piece of positive news ahead of this clash is that star fullback Greg Inglis should be available to play after a fortnight on the sidelines with a knee injury.
It’s been a nervous wait but Inglis says he’s ready to go.
On the other side of the ledger, if you look at the outstanding form of Michael Ennis and the impending return of Andrew Fifita it all makes for an exciting and highly anticipated final on Sunday afternoon.