North Queensland Cowboys add fuel to rumours linking them with Wayne Bennett

THE mystery surrounding Wayne Bennett's future and rumours linking him with the Cowboys took another turn on Saturday.

WAYNE Bennett's quest for a record eighth premiership goes on.

And so does the mystery surrounding his future after North Queensland officials declared on Saturday they would wait until after the grand final before announcing their new head coach for next season.

Ahead of Newcastle's exit from the finals series last night against the Sydney Roosters, Cowboys chief executive Peter Jourdain added further intrigue to speculation that Bennett could quit the Knights now their season is over.

Jourdain said it was out of respect to the teams remaining in the final series that the Cowboys would resist declaring who would replace Neil Henry.

"Because the person or persons in the short-list could well be involved in the grand final,'' Jourdain said yesterday. "It probably wouldn't be fair to either team to have it announced before that.

"We're going to have to go through contract negotiations, so if they're involved in the grand final it's not going to happen that same week.''

Where will Wayne Bennett coach next year?

Jourdain's frank admission to The Sunday Telegraph did little to silence the consistent rumbling over the past fortnight among rivals NRL clubs that Bennett could be on his way to Townsville.

Jourdain denied that any deal with Bennett had been done. But clearly, no other coach has been appointed yet either with Roosters under-20s coach Paul Green and Manly assistant coach Brad Arthur the only other contenders who will be involved in next Sunday's grand final.

But what impact the announcement of either Green or Arthur's signing with the Cowboys prior to Sunday's grand final would have on either the Sea Eagles or Roosters is debatable.

"I've always said if Wayne is available of course we'd be interested,'' Jourdain said of speculation that Bennett was their target. "My understanding is he's got a two year contract. I don't know any different to that, but if that changed of course we'd be interested.

"But as I said my understanding is he's got a two year contract, so I would think he's not available.''

At some point Bennett will have to declare his future. Saturday night at Allianz Stadium wasn't the occasion.

Despite being contracted to Newcastle until 2015, Bennett refused last Wednesday to guarantee his future at the Knights beyond the finals series.

"I can't give you an iron clad guarantee about anything in this game,'' Bennett said. "Right now, I'm coach here so when that changes, I'll let you know.''

Most saw it as a ploy to deflect the spotlight and focus from his players in the build-up to Saturday night's preliminary final. And it may have been.

But nine weeks after telling Henry he wasn't wanted for 2014, the Cowboys remain without a coach despite a strong list of applications flooding their inbox over the past two months.

Contenders Green, Arthur, Kevin Walters and Kristian Woolf have all been interviewed.

Bennett's connection to the Cowboys has been widely reported before. His son in-law, Fox Sports commentator Ben Ikin sits on the Cowboys board and Bennett had agreed to coach the club in 2009, only to backflip on the agreement after the board weren't unanimous in the decision.

The signing of St George-Illawarra hooker Cameron King last week on a three year deal to the Cowboys also led to rivals officials, including some at the Dragons, to believe he was leaving with one year left on his contract at Saints to possibly link up again with Bennett in Townsville.

King, a former junior Kangaroos hooker, was coached by Bennett in 2010-2011 and was then targeted by him to join the Knights not long after the premiership-winning coach had departed St George Illawarra.

Bennett has also been heavily linked to a return home to the Brisbane Broncos.