There was a whisper doing the rounds over the weekend that South Sydney had been approached by a rival club inquiring about their plans for seven-time premiership winning coach Wayne Bennett.
The inquiry apparently centred around whether Souths would be prepared to let Bennett go at the end of the year, 12 months before he is due to depart as part of the Rabbitohs’ succession plan to allow assistant Jason Demetriou to take over.
It made some sense. Bennett at the age of 70 remains a coveted coach with the sort of gravitas a handful of struggling clubs would no doubt crave. Why not test the waters, just to see where Souths stand?
It turned out the whisper was wide of the mark, although it raised legitimate questions about the marriage between Bennett and Souths given the uncertainty that is swirling around the NRL coaching ranks at the moment.
It is not hard to imagine St George Illawarra or Canterbury making subtle inquiries about Bennett. Nor Cronulla for that matter. If England rugby union coach Eddie Jones is being linked with the Sharks job, why not Bennett?
It also highlights the delicate line South Sydney will walk this season, and potentially next should Bennett remain at the club beyond 2020. His future has been a talking point for weeks and the speculation is unlikely to go away.
Not for Bennett, nor the clubs who have been linked with him. The Dragons’ win over Cronulla on Sunday eased some of the pressure at St George Illawarra, although it by no means guaranteed the future of Paul McGregor at the helm of the club.
The Dragons have been regarded as the warm favourites to secure Bennett’s return, a decade after he led the club to their last premiership.
Bennett still has ties to the club — former chief executive Peter Doust, who secured Bennett’s signature more than a decade ago, returned to the Dragons as a member of the board when Brian Johnston stood down earlier this year.
The Rabbitohs have given no indication they would let Bennett leave early but should another club come knocking with an offer that would allow the seven-time premiership winner to extend his career, Souths would be forced to consider the situation. Although he hasn’t won a premiership for a decade, Bennett remains a valuable coaching commodity not only capable of attracting players, but also sponsors.
The last thing the Rabbitohs need is for the speculation over his future to become a distraction. As a result, you could mount a compelling argument that they may be better placed making a call one way or the other given Demetriou is waiting in the wings.
The Sharks haven’t been mentioned in relation to Bennett but they could yet become a contender for his services after another disappointing display consigned the club to their fourth defeat in five games this season.
Sharks coach John Morris was without Matt Moylan but he had the majority of his high-profile players on show. They failed to fire a shot and Morris is now under increasing pressure.
A handful of coaches have already been linked with his position, among them Jones. Jones is contracted until the end of the 2023 World Cup and it seems unlikely that the Sharks could compete on a financial basis.
Their best hope would appear to be playing to the current England rugby coach’s love of rugby league. Even then, it appears the remotest of possibilities, although it would be no surprise if Jones tried his hand at rugby league when his union commitments are over.
By then, he will have spent two years working alongside Storm assistant Jason Ryles, who is due to join the England rugby union coaching staff at the end of the year.
Ryles and Jones would appear an ideal coaching tandem, the former acting as head coach and the latter as a director of sorts.
North Queensland coach Paul Green has also come under the microscope after another loss at the weekend, this time to the Warriors. Bennett almost joined the Cowboys in 2007 but was stunned to receive a phone all from then-chairman Laurence Lancini informing him that the board had decided he was too old for the job.
In Green’s defence, he has been without a handful of high-profile players since the competition resumed. Half and captain Michael Morgan is yet to play while wrecking ball Jason Taumalolo missed their Round 4 game against Cronulla.
Green is the safest for now. Others are on shaky ground. No doubt in part because the whispers about Bennett won’t go away.
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