By The Mole
Parramatta is considering approaching master coach Wayne Bennett for 2025.
But if the Eels do lure the seven-time premiership winner to Sydney's west, it may not necessarily signal the end of Brad Arthur's long tenure as the club's head coach.
The Eels are toying with the idea of giving Bennett a coaching director role, similar to that which Phil Gouldholds at the Bulldogs.
That would enable the veteran coach to mentor Arthur and man-manage the players as the Eels attempt to end their long premiership drought.
Bennett, who turned 74 recently, is stepping down as head coach of the Dolphins at the end of this season, with his assistant Kristian Woolf set to take over the reins.
Despite his age, Bennett has made it clear the fire still burns in his belly and he is open to offers for next year.
The Eels haven't tasted premiership success since 1986 and their long-suffering fans would welcome a man of Bennett's wisdom and experience into the ranks
Replies
He's the best coach of all time in my books. I know Gibson saw some success (especially with us), but Bennett has proven his coaching ability like no one else in the NRL. He's been successful with multiple teams in multiple states, as well as in the representative arena over a couple of decades.
I absolutely welcome this move, it could be the tipping point for us winning a Premiership as we're close, but just missing a little bit of a spark.
I don't think Bennett outranks Gibson.
Bennett was handed stacked rosters full or rep players at Canberra, Brisbane (twice), St George Illawarra and Souths. Also explains why he's so good at rep level coaching - he doesn't really have to up the skil level of the players, just needs to man-manage to get the best out of them.
I feel his record at Newcastle is more aligned to his actual coaching ability at NRL level.
He took Newcastle from the cellar to a game away from the GF was my memory ? If that fat fuck owner was paying the players and staying out of the footy team then he'd have a much better record at Newcastle. How do you keep a team on track when the club aren't even paying their wages each week ?
Big call to make claiming that he has only been successful cause he was lucky enough to have been handed stacked teams everywhere he went . That's one lucky guy.
You could say the same about Gibson . Even I could've won a comp with Parras 80s squad I guess. Maybe Cronullas more Gibsons true result ?
Not to mention the effect Alex McKinnon injury had on the club.
He did that by buying a whole lot of older rep players who were at the very back end of their careers. Newcastle went downhill very quickly after that one-season gamble and are now only just starting to recover.
And yes he was handed stacked teams.
Canberra 87 where he was co-coach - Meninga, Belcher, Peter Jackson, Sam Backo, Chicka Ferguson
Brisbane from 1988 - the list of rep players is too long.
St George - that side was stacked and had been building for a number of years under Brown, Waite and Farrar. Bennett, as I eluded to in my comment, came in and man managed them to the titile. He didn't have to teach them anything in terms of how to play.
Souths - you can't tell me that side wasn't loaded with rep players.
I stand by my comment that I don't think he has been way better than any other coach. Yes, he is good and great with rep players.
If he came to Parramatta next year and won 3 premierships , you'd look back in a decade and say he had a stacked team also. At St Merge he had two bog average halves that he improved massively ,Dean Young played footy he had never played previously and yeah he had some serious backs , but they hadn't done shit even when that team was far superior under Nathan Brown. That squad was jam packed with stars at one stage and they won squat.
The thing is , when you're a coach that's earnt the right , you can pick where you go, exactly the same as Jack Gibson did. Why would you go somewhere with poor rosters and recruitment plans ?
Gibson won multiple premierships at two clubs. Without Gibson, Bennet doesn't get the job at Brisbane.
Gibson still the GOAT.
Without the bias, Bennet has achieved much more than Gibson.
Agree 👍
If Bennett does comes over, the first thing he'll do is sack BA
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