Wayne Bennett has admitted he’s “” in making a return to South Sydney after the membership’s unceremonious dumping of Jason Demetriou on Tuesday night time.
Demetriou was given his marching orders after two Rabbitohs board conferences, seemingly clearing the trail for Bennett to make a return to the membership.
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Bennett had coached South Sydney for 3 seasons between 2019 and 2021, the place he guided the facet to 2 preliminary finals and a grand last.
Demetriou was his assistant throughout these years and was arrange because the successor for the grasp coach.
However after falling from the highest of the ladder in spherical 11 final season to lacking the finals and at the moment anchoring the ladder in 2024, Demetriou’s time was up.
The membership put in Ben Hornby as interim coach for the rest of the season however instantly the suggestion was Bennett could be the Rabbitohs prime contender for the vacant function.
So it could be music to the membership’s ears that the 74-year-old was simply as eager for a reunion.
“Sure, I’m ,” Bennett stated through The Every day Telegraph.
“They’re eager to speak to me and I’m eager to speak to them.
“Blake has since contacted me and advised me he desires to speak to me at some stage.
“He talked about that they had another coaches they bear in mind.
“The Rabbitohs understand how I really feel.
“They’ve intimated they wish to speak to me in order that’s the following step now, we can have a dialog someplace down the observe.”
Bennett is off-contract on the Dolphins on the finish of the season and whereas officers are keen to maintain Bennett on the books, the tremendous coach has made it clear he would like to proceed as a head coach within the NRL.
“I wish to coach on,” he stated.
“I really feel I’ve extra to supply, so I’m able to see what’s on the market.
“In fact I’ll take into account different choices.”
Bennett has additionally been linked to a task with the Parramatta Eels though the Rabbitohs have moved first with a view to carry the seven-time premiership winner again to the membership.
South Sydney CEO Blake Solly confirmed the strategy to Bennett however that it could be an “exhaustive” course of to seek out the membership’s subsequent head coach.
“Wayne is among the coaches we’ll speak to,” Solly stated on Wednesday morning.
“Wayne had nice success, he left the membership on excellent phrases. We’ll converse to Wayne and if he’s accessible and definitely will progress that.
“I feel we wish somebody who suits this wonderful group and may get the perfect out of them. It’s a novel shopper group having labored with them for a protracted time frame.
“And we wish I feel a coach that may get them to kind their finest constantly and we wish I feel a coach that understands the values and heritage and historical past of this membership.
“We’ve bought nice expertise, nice athleticism and a few nice personalities and each head coach has to get the perfect out of them whether or not it’s Ivan Cleary what he does at Penrith over a protracted time frame, Wayne, his observe file with a lot of golf equipment.
“The most effective coaches all the time get the perfect out of their taking part in group.”
Membership legend Sam Burgess has additionally been mentioned as an choice however is in his rookie season as a top-flight head coach with Tremendous League membership Warrington.
There have been solutions that Bennett might signal a multi-year take care of the last word plan handy the facet over to Burgess after his two-year take care of Warrington is over.
