Dolphins offer Wayne Bennett lifetime job in bid to keep the Bunnies at bay

The Rabbitohs need a ground up rebuild and the Dolphins want help building on their NRL momentum – which job will Wayne Bennett pick?

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 07: Coach Wayne Bennett is seen during a Dolphins NRL training session at Kayo Stadium on March 07, 2024 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

The Dolphins have outlined their masterplan to keep Wayne Bennett for life in a role that could see him usurp Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould as the most powerful club official in rugby league.

As speculation intensifies Bennett could return to Sydney to rescue the Rabbitohs, the Dolphins mentor is a free agent and has made it clear he will weigh up all options for 2025, insisting he is not ready for retirement.

The Dolphins were buffeted by reports last month that Sydney-based rival Parramatta were plotting a poaching raid to snare Bennett as a possible coaching director to assist head coach Brad Arthur.

Since that time, pressure has built on Souths coach Jason Demetriou, fuelling rumours Bennett could return to preside over a Redfern rebuild next season.

ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys is also keen to use Bennett in a consultancy role on the NRL’s expansion project and there is every possibility the 74-year-old could coach the code’s proposed 18th franchise.

The Dolphins are desperate to keep Wayne Bennett involved at the club. Picture: Getty Images

But the Dolphins have hit back in the battle for Bennett, with the $100 million Redcliffe powerhouse saying the NRL’s greatest coach has a job for life at the club – if he wants it.

Bennett’s multifaceted role would see him have his fingerprints all over the Dolphins’ operations. He would have more power than Canterbury football boss Phil Gould, who is presiding over a sweeping rebuild of the embattled Bulldogs.

“Wayne has got a role with us on the table in a capacity where he is involved in all facets of the club,” Dolphins CEO Terry Reader said.

“At the end of the day, our intention is to have Wayne involved in the club moving forward, but Wayne will decide when he stops coaching and he will decide that towards the end of the year.

“We haven’t talked about his next role in major detail, but we have talked about a lot of things we have achieved in the first few years and we have told Wayne we want to keep him involved in the club beyond this year.

Rumours are swirling that Wayne Bennett (R) could return to South Sydney to replace Jason Demetriou (L). Picture: Getty Images

“He is great with the corporates and obviously he has a great brand.

“That’s still our intention (for Bennett to be at the Dolphins in 2025) but it’s up to Wayne and when he is ready to decide what his role looks like.”

The Dolphins face an uphill battle retaining Bennett.

In 2018, the NRL’s greatest coach was offered a job for life at his former club the Broncos as part of an “elegant transition” proposed by Brisbane chairman Karl Morris.

Morris was open to Bennett working in whatever capacity he chose, but the super coach rejected the post-head coaching offer and was ultimately sacked by the Broncos.

The Dolphins believe Bennett can operate in several roles, not only as a corporate ambassador, but overseeing the club’s development structures and working as a virtual coaching director for new NRL mentor Kristian Woolf next season.

Bennett believes he can thrive at 75 and if he is offered a head-coaching role by an NRL rival for 2025, he will almost certainly quit the Dolphins.

Reader, though, is fighting hard.

Wayne Bennett was the Dolphins marquee signing. Picture: Liam Kidston

“The thing about Wayne is he is one of the biggest icons in rugby league,” he said.

“When Wayne came here, he wanted to get the right structures in place and he wanted the right assistant to take over after three years. He was a big part of driving us to get Kristian Woolf.

“People joked about us not having a marquee signing. Well Wayne Bennett is one of the biggest marquee signings in rugby league.

“We announced Wayne as our first coach and what he has done for this team and this club, the way he went about things, has been remarkable.

“He was genuine about wanting to set up the club for the future, he is involved with us until the end of 24 and we hope he’s on board for many more.

“It’s our intention to keep him at the Dolphins for as long as we can. When Wayne is ready to decide what he wants to do with his future, we would work out an appropriate deal with him.”

Playmaking young gun Isaiya Katoa says Bennett was a major reason why he quit Penrith to join the Dolphins and he urged the legendary coach to remain at Redcliffe.

“I really hope Wayne stays,” Katoa said. “Even if it’s in a mentoring role.

“Just having Wayne at our club and around to seek advice from, whether it’s him talking about football or life and family, it would be great to keep him here.”