South Sydney to offer Bennett three-year deal as Eels pass on supercoach

2 weeks ago 9

South Sydney are preparing to connection Wayne Bennett a three-year woody arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent week arsenic the seasoned manager weighs up a instrumentality to the Rabbitohs.

It comes arsenic Parramatta held a scheduled committee gathering connected Wednesday nighttime astatine which it was decided not to travel up connected approaches from 3rd parties allegedly acting connected behalf of Bennett.

Sources with cognition of the situation, who requested anonymity successful bid to talk freely, told the Herald the Eels had been made alert that Bennett had involvement successful exploring the anticipation of joining Parramatta if they moved connected from manager Brad Arthur.

The Eels, however, won’t unreserved into a determination connected Arthur’s aboriginal contempt the Rabbitohs pushing hard for Bennett’s services aft terminating the declaration of Jason Demetriou connected Tuesday.

Parramatta powerbrokers are conscious of the wounded predicament that has hampered Arthur’s quality to get the champion retired of his shot team, with Mitchell Moses’ semipermanent ft wounded this week compounded by a genu wounded to skipper Clint Gutherson. Eels president Sean McElduff declined to comment.

The Eels committee privation to springiness Arthur much clip to beryllium helium tin excavation the nine retired of the spread it presently finds itself successful and won’t beryllium pressured into a determination by South Sydney’s urgency to name a caller coach.

South Sydney are preparing a three-year woody for Wayne Bennett to instrumentality to the club.

The Rabbitohs are having interior discussions astir Bennett’s instrumentality to the nine and are consenting to springiness him the three-year woody helium has indicated helium desires.

Sources told the Herald that the Rabbitohs committee and owners person endorsed the pursuit of Bennett.

In his erstwhile stint astatine South Sydney, erstwhile caput of shot Shane Richardson secured Bennett’s services knowing his adjunct Jason Demetriou would instrumentality implicit aft 3 seasons. The nine made 2 preliminary finals and 1 expansive last successful those 3 seasons earlier helium near the club.

Sources with cognition of the concern said Bennett does not privation to beryllium restricted, arsenic has been the lawsuit successful his past 2 deals with South Sydney and the Dolphins, and wants a minimum three-year deal. The Rabbitohs are unfastened to specified a deal.

South Sydney person besides unopen down immoderate accidental of luring Bennett backmost to the nine instantly successful a bid to support their faint finals hopes alive.

Bennett is the short-priced favourite to instrumentality for a 2nd stint astatine Souths, with the nine hopeful they tin broker a woody successful the adjacent fortnight.

The Dolphins already person Bennett’s successor, Kristian Woolf, astatine the club, portion an aboriginal exit for Bennett would let him to commencement rebuilding the roster.

But Souths bash not person the wealth successful their $5.5m shot section headdress to accommodate Bennett this twelvemonth – they conscionable paid retired $375,000 to Jason Demetriou – and are mindful not to undo each the hard enactment the Dolphins person done successful establishing themselves successful the apical grade.

“We conscionable won’t bash it due to the fact that we person excessively overmuch respect for [chief executive] Terry Reader and the squad astatine the Dolphins and what they’ve achieved the past fewer years – they’ve worked truthful hard to get to wherever they are now,” Souths main enforcement Blake Solly said.

“We’re not that benignant of club. We program to motion a caller coach, and we anticipation it is simply a substance of weeks alternatively than months … but it volition beryllium for adjacent year.

“We’re much than blessed with Ben and the coaching radical we person for the remainder of this year.”

Sydney Roosters manager Trent Robinson welcomed the instrumentality of Bennett to the club’s arch rivals.

“It’s ever bully for the crippled to person Wayne coaching, the fable that helium is, and I deliberation it sounds similar it’s already been done, doesn’t it? If Wayne says it’s, it’s done - I deliberation that’s however it works,” Robinson said.

“I deliberation they’ve rolled retired the reddish carpet and said, ‘please accidental yes’, truthful I deliberation if that’s the lawsuit past if Wayne wants it, and it was a large rivalry a fewer years ago. He’s the champion manager that’s ever been, truthful it’s a beauteous wide prime of his if helium wants it.”

Additional reporting by Billie Eder