Wayne Bennett open to sensational Broncos return as part of Brisbane shake-up
Master coach Wayne Bennett has reportedly backflipped on his call to never return to the Brisbane Broncos and now could form a coaching dream team with Kevin Walters.
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Master coach Wayne Bennett has sensationally backflipped on his decision to never return to the Broncos and could form a coaching dream team with Kevin Walters.
The Courier Mail reported Bennett is open to joining the club that sacked him two years ago to preside over a regeneration program following Anthony Seibold’s departure.
Broncos great Justin Hodges called for Bennett to return to Red Hill to form a coaching partnership with rookie NRL coach and current Maroons mentor Kevin Walters.
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Bennett has one year to run on his deal at South Sydney, but has made no secret of his desire to continue coaching beyond 2021 when he will be turning 72.
The 70-year-old was on record as saying he would never return to Brisbane after the club sensationally let him go with a year to run on his contract to sign then rookie coach Anthony Seibold.
The departure of Seibold two years into a five-year-deal has opened the door for Bennett to return to the club.
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At present club great Kevin Walters and Paul Green are believed to be the favourites for the head coaching position for 2021.
“Wayne Bennett is open to moving back to the Broncos as a coaching director,” Yvonne Sampson confirmed on Fox League.
“But it comes with a couple of caveats only if there are changes to the board, who helped show him the door.”
Mal Meninga is a fan of the idea of bringing Bennett back to help develop Kevin Walters in the head coaching role.
“I like it,” Meninga said.
“I made comment about this a few years ago that Wayne would transform himself into that role because we don’t want to lose him from the game.
“He would be great in that head advisor role, so I think from a club point of view at the Broncos, which is a club that he was their inaugural coach and has been there for many years.
“He understands their DNA. Then there is the question is Kevin Walters the head coach and is Wayne the senior advisor and whether they can work together.
“But I like the idea of Wayne Bennett going back to the Broncos.”
Bennett has coached 938 games of first grade for 575 wins for a 61.3 per cent success rate with six premierships at the Broncos and one at the Dragons.
Originally published as Wayne Bennett open to sensational Broncos return as part of Brisbane shake-up