South Sydney are preparing to offer Wayne Bennett a three-year deal as early as next week as the veteran coach weighs up a return to the Rabbitohs.
It comes as Parramatta held a scheduled board meeting on Wednesday night at which it was decided not to follow up on approaches from third parties allegedly acting on behalf of Bennett.
Sources with knowledge of the situation, who requested anonymity in order to speak freely, told the Herald the Eels had been made aware that Bennett had interest in exploring the possibility of joining Parramatta if they moved on from coach Brad Arthur.
The Eels, however, won’t rush into a decision on Arthur’s future despite the Rabbitohs pushing hard for Bennett’s services after terminating the contract of Jason Demetriou on Tuesday.
Parramatta powerbrokers are conscious of the injury predicament that has hampered Arthur’s ability to get the best out of his football team, with Mitchell Moses’ long-term foot injury this week compounded by a knee injury to skipper Clint Gutherson. Eels chairman Sean McElduff declined to comment.
The Eels board want to give Arthur more time to prove he can dig the club out of the hole it currently finds itself in and won’t be pressured into a decision by South Sydney’s urgency to appoint a new coach.
The Rabbitohs are having internal discussions about Bennett’s return to the club and are willing to give him the three-year deal he has indicated he desires.
Sources told the Herald that the Rabbitohs board and owners have endorsed the pursuit of Bennett.
In his previous stint at South Sydney, former head of football Shane Richardson secured Bennett’s services knowing his assistant Jason Demetriou would take over after three seasons. The club made two preliminary finals and one grand final in those three seasons before he left the club.
Sources with knowledge of the situation said Bennett does not want to be restricted, as has been the case in his last two deals with South Sydney and the Dolphins, and wants a minimum three-year deal. The Rabbitohs are open to such a deal.
South Sydney have also shut down any chance of luring Bennett back to the club immediately in a bid to keep their faint finals hopes alive.
Bennett is the short-priced favourite to return for a second stint at Souths, with the club hopeful they can broker a deal in the next fortnight.
The Dolphins already have Bennett’s successor, Kristian Woolf, at the club, while an early exit for Bennett would allow him to start rebuilding the roster.
But Souths do not have the money in their $5.5m football department cap to accommodate Bennett this year – they just paid out $375,000 to Jason Demetriou – and are mindful not to undo all the hard work the Dolphins have done in establishing themselves in the top grade.
“We just won’t do it because we have too much respect for [chief executive] Terry Reader and the team at the Dolphins and what they’ve achieved the past few years – they’ve worked so hard to get to where they are now,” Souths chief executive Blake Solly said.
“We’re not that sort of club. We plan to sign a new coach, and we hope it is a matter of weeks rather than months … but it will be for next year.
“We’re more than happy with Ben and the coaching group we have for the remainder of this year.”
Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson welcomed the return of Bennett to the club’s arch rivals.
“It’s always good for the game to have Wayne coaching, the legend that he is, and I think it sounds like it’s already been done, doesn’t it? If Wayne says it’s, it’s done - I think that’s how it works,” Robinson said.
“I think they’ve rolled out the red carpet and said, ‘please say yes’, so I think if that’s the case then if Wayne wants it, and it was a great rivalry a few years ago. He’s the best coach that’s ever been, so it’s a pretty clear choice of his if he wants it.”
Replies
If it's true that Wayne Bennett approached us and we replied, "no, sorry", then that is a monumental, historic disaster for the Eels and will consign us to the usual 10 plus years until our next grand final appearance.
Eels grandfinalists 2035.
We are f#$&%d. Why would you say no to Bennett. Clearly the board know he won't take shit from them and will expose them for being the dopes they are.
Are you fucking serious?, after 48 years supporting this club through the good times but mostly bad times I am done, to let an opportunity like this slip whilst the club is rapidly declining under the watchful eye of an 11 year head coach is malpractice. The board have a responsibility and obligation to do the best it can to put this club in the best possible position to be successful yet they are doing the opposite.
If BA remains as coach going into next season we will be doomed for the next 5 years minimum.
I can't do this anymore, I can't keep supporting something I don't believe in. Come the next leagues club election I will vote against the two current sitting members that will be up for re-election and I will encourage others to do the same until all current members are gone. We don't have a say in who is on the football board so all we can do is put pressure on the leagues club board to take action.
Who needs Bennett when the Eels have their own super coach
"If it's true that the Eels board turned down Bennett", then we know nothing has changed and isn't going to change anytime soon.
Piss poor upper management will reflect all the way down through the club. Until this board is gone the Eels aren't any chance of winning as those who lead don't know anything about winning.
One of the hardest things ever is being a "Parramatta Eels supporter".
It won't matter how useless the board are, they will get paid either way and say there were all sorts of challenges during their time here that prevented them from doing better. ZERO accountability.
This was the boards Jack Gibson moment.... imagine if the parra board of 1980 decided not to peruse the legendary coach.... would we be still looking for our first GF win ?? The current board has the opportunity to sign the new Jack Gibson (Bennett) but rather decides nah we'll continue to do what hasn't worked and hope for a different outcome ! Dopey nobs
There is our answer ....ffs what a team I follow.....the window is now shut on Bennett. Its not only his coaching its his ability to draw quality to the club in elite ways......REALLY ....
Deadset... If BA was a true Parra Man as he claims... he would look into the Chairmans eyes and demand them to go and try to sign the Greatest coach in the game. But he wont be doing that....coz BA only live 7 minutes down the road!!!
Haha he will only leave if the next guy lives 5mins away.
Remember when deadshits on here were saying "who would you replace BA with, there isn't anyone better", well here is Wayne Fucken Bennett on a platter, the man that can make this team into a premiership winner and these fucktards say no thanks?
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