What’s that saying about what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, well Southern Districts head coach Scott Fava can certainly relate to that.

After embarking on a complete rebuild at Forshaw Rugby Park last year, things seemed to be heading in the right direction until week one of the trials.

That’s when the Rebels lost four Shute Shield quality props to injury including their skipper, Canadian international Connor Young.

So in the course of one afternoon the good ship Rebel had to change tact from “build mode” to “recruitment mode”.

Not ideal this late in the piece but with a clear plan for the next five years in place, the resolve to come out the other side is there.

“The focus is on staying disciplined—making sure we invest in the right areas and don’t fall into the trap of spending money in the wrong places,” Fava told Rugby News.

“A big priority is strengthening the pathway between our juniors and Colts into senior rugby.

“Over the last four weeks, our Colts—grade and women’s—have been out coaching and connecting with junior clubs. We want to build that identity and reinforce what Southern Districts stands for.

“It’s a long-term process, but in five years’ time we’re hoping to see those pathways really coming together.”

Overview with Scott Fava:

“The injuries will always be part of it, but the encouraging thing is the continuity that we have taken from the back end of last year. 

“Looking at our likely starting side, about 10 out of 15 players are returning from last year—that’s roughly a 66% retention rate and on top of that, we’ve brought two juniors back into the club.

“So overall, we’ve got a core group that understands what it means to wear the Southern Districts jersey. That experience is really important.

“If we just go out and buy a whole team, we’re kidding ourselves and doing a disservice to the guys who worked hard last year.

“We’ve got some really promising young locks (Jonty Ravenhill and Mason Duke) with big engines, and we want to invest in them. We’ve also got strong leadership around them—guys like Dougie (Jake Douglas) setting standards.

“We’ve also had a few “smokies”—players who’ve come in unexpectedly and are performing well. That’s added some nice depth, particularly in the back three.”

2025: 11th 

Ins: John Poland (Munster), Ky Willoughby (Randwick), Isikeli Fukofuka (Eastwood), Cam McKenzie (Sydney Roosters), Brayton Northcott-Hill (New Zealand), Jackson Hayde (New Zealand).

Outs: Conor Young (injury), Allan Ferrie (Newcastle Falcons). 

What sort of rugby will we see from Souths this year?

“We want to get back to the traditional Southern Districts style, especially around set piece. 

“Historically, we’ve been strong there—we’ve produced a lot of Wallabies from our forward pack – 17 of the club’s 20 Wallabies have been from the tight five – and that’s something we want to rediscover and continue.

“At the same time, we need to be aligned across all areas of the game. 

“That means being a well-organised, high-pressure team. We’re focusing heavily on effort areas—kick chase, defensive pressure, and not giving teams easy opportunities.

Players to watch:

“Oscar Frean is one. He’s a tighthead prop in his third or fourth year of grade. He’s transformed his body—put on about 15kg in the off-season—and is really stepping up.

“With some key departures, there’s more responsibility on him now. This is his moment to establish himself as strong performer in Shute Shield.

“Another is Cameron McKenzie. He’s come through our junior system, spent time in rugby league, and now returns to rugby at inside centre. 

“He’s a big body, very skilful, hard to tackle, and only going to get better.”

Who will Souths play in the grand final this year?

“The Warringah Rats are the obvious one. They’ve retained 19 of 23 players from their grand final side, and their coaching staff is largely unchanged. That kind of continuity is massive—they’ll be right up there again.

“Gordon are another team to watch. They’ve recruited well and have strong backing. There’s a clear direction there.

“Sydney Uni will also be competitive again—well coached, as always.

“Across the board, there are a lot of good coaches doing good things. It’s shaping up to be a very strong competition.”