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
We are soooo proud and so resilient !!!!!!
and this dickheads sarintinos and o Neil don't even bleed blue and gold
I'm so angry
everyone's getting shit in a box for Mother's Day
cos they are MOTHER FUCKERS
Yep it doesn't need to be this way at all
I actually rue the day that man came to the club
Careful what you read into this. If Bennett jumps in and signs straight away with Souths, it means he was never coming here. I expect he will sit on the offer for a while to see what transpires at Parra. I'm sure he's not so desperate to sign with whoever rushes to throw a contract at him.
In 2 months time the Parra board will have a better idea of whether they need to sign a new coach (remember this is from their perspective). Bennett knows this and I'm confident he will play the waiting game if he is truly interested in coming to Parra.
Not sure about that. Doubt Souths are going to wait 2mths for Bennet to choose between the 2 clubs. Souths have copped a bit of flak over how they have handled this coaching saga already. Think they will put a firm offer on the table, give Bennet 2weeks. Wayne has said he wants to continue coaching in the NRL and right now only Souths have made him a offer. The Eels board is not looking for a new head coach. Right now they are making excuses for keeping BA.
Sources from the Herald with inside knowledge about third parties acting on my mums behalf, probably Kent when he was upside down in the gutter with his ass wedged against a tree furiously typing on his phone.
But hey, take it as gospel
And the stupidity of the board rolls on
MUTTMAN AFTER HEARING ABOUT BENNETT ON HIS WAY OUT OF THE OFFICE.
Lead Mutts and we will follow mate.....
Oh well the boards spoken.
I mean I've always thought there the real issue in all of this and the coach is but a symptom of this problem.
Ive also mentioned did you really think our board would have the gumption to get Wayne Bennett across the line I mean seriously.Benn saying this for weeks months years?
We are broken at the top ladies and gents and shit floats down hill.
Already talk of Jaydn Su"a following Bennett to South's if he signs.
This is exactly what the Eels miss out on by keeping BA and not signing Bennett.
Before anyone goes on about BA getting Lomax tell me Bennett wouldn't have got him as well as a lot more players that BA would not have a hope in hell of signing
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