NRL 2021: Souths urge Wayne Bennett to stay around club for another year or two

He’s the darling of the expansion crowd, but with a new NRL side potentially not on the cards until 2024, the Rabbitohs are refusing to surrender hope that Wayne Bennett will stay around for a while.

South Sydney is planning to create a role for Wayne Bennett that would see him siphon Queensland’s best young talent to the Rabbitohs from his future base in Brisbane.

The Rabbitohs are refusing to surrender hope that Bennett will remain with the club for next season.

While Bennett will be replaced as head coach by Jason Demetriou at Redfern next season, Souths officials are hatching a plan to install him in an advisory role.

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Souths would love Wayne Bennett to stay involved with the club.

“Wayne knows the Queensland pathway system better than anyone, he has a great eye for talent, and as a mentor for aspiring coaches or anyone in our football department, there is no-one better to speak to,” South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly said.

Bennett will return to live in Brisbane for family reasons after this season and is being wooed by the three new Brisbane franchises seeking inclusion as the NRL’s 17th team.

The NRL still plans to have a new side introduced in 2023 but that could be delayed until 2024.

Any deferral could free Bennett for the next one to two years before possibly taking up a head coaching role with the new Brisbane club.

Bennett’s proposed role with Souths for next season hasn’t been nailed down but would include development, mentoring of coaches, football and recruitment.

Could Bennett end up coaching Queensland again next season?

Souths would seek to determine how much time Bennett could give to his new position. Bennett could also end up coaching either Queensland or Australia.

“We would love to have Wayne involved in the club in some capacity next season,” Solly said.

“But we also understand a role at a potential new team in Brisbane is attractive to him. We have said we are happy to wait while that process plays out before we have a further discussion with Wayne.

“Clearly he has been wonderful for us in his time at the club and it would be great to have him involved at the Rabbitohs.

“We have tried to tailor a role that suits Wayne’s experience and skills, and that he can do from Brisbane when he returns home.”

Blake Solly says Souths will give Bennett as much time as possible to make his mind up.

Bennett has told Souths management he is interested in the role but won’t commit to a decision just yet.

Souths aren’t pressuring the supercoach and will give him as much time as required.

“As I said, we understand the 17th team is something he wants to investigate. We will give him as much time as he wants,” Solly said.

The ARL Commission will meet later this week to determine a time frame for when the successful new franchise will be announced.

It is hoped a final decision can be reached by the NRL grand final.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Souths urge Wayne Bennett to stay around club for another year or two