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
Ffs, I knew the injury thing would go in BA's favour.
The reality is that if Moses and Gutho were fully fit, we would not even be in the predicament we are in. The injuries have exposed Parra's weaknesses big time, but I'm not surprised the board are looking to see what transpires for the rest of the season. Does BA have the capability to learn from the current situation and turn it around? He hasn't really had to do that yet so it will be a big challenge for him. From the board's eyes, if he pulls it off it was worth giving him the extra time.
Man , your a rusted on BA fan boy . What you've said here is absolute rubbish.
I'm just telling it from the eyes of the board to get some perspective here. I haven't given away what I really think of this, but If we have missed out on Bennett when he came knocking, that is a big miss.
Suspensions and injuries were our excuse last year... He can't use it again this year. He absolutely has to go
>Does BA have the capability to learn from the current situation and turn it around?
No he fucking doesn't, otherwise we would of been competitive in all games Moses was out and definitely won the Phins game. We've been belted by 2 teams that are both punching well above their weight with only 1 player out.
As fucking expected from this USELESS board. So the approach someone was saying was complete and utter BS.
Don't worry, Arthur is the man to dig us out of this hole. Just try and imagine the massive brainpower of the dill that made this comment. We're fucked.
Fact he wants 3 years minimum makes it worth it, he might take 4 if offered and that takes us to Moses' end of contract.
But that line that they are conscience of the injuries is what I've been saying for a bit that the injuries of Moses and now Gutho will save BA as Moses being back will get us a few wins, not enough to make the 8 but they will be like if he wasn't out we make it. Pathetic.
What else would you expect from this impotent board?
If they hold firm, they should be walked for stupidity and holding the Parra fans in contempt.
As fans we deserve far better than what this club has continually dished up. Flogging a dead horse isn't going to change the clubs fortunes, only drag it further into the massive hole it will find itself.
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
of 19 Next