@ said:
Anybody got this article on the Australian - Brisbane Broncos close on Wayne Bennett's replacement
Brisbane could be just weeks away from naming a replacement for Wayne Bennett after beginning the formal process of identifying their next coach from a field that is believed to include South Sydney’s Anthony Seibold, Queensland State of Origin coach Kevin Walters and premiership winner Michael Maguire.
It is understood the Broncos studied rival clubs and sports before finalising a plan for appointing Bennett’s replacement. The seven-time premiership winner has been told next season will be his last as the club’s head coach.
An option for Bennett is Wests Tigers. Talks have been held and Bennett is believed to have outlined his terms to the Tigers.
READ NEXT
Sickening attack on older driver
ALANA CALVERT
Seibold is still considered the favourite for the job, although Souths are working hard to extend his current deal beyond the end of next season after a superb debut year in which he led the Rabbitohs to the preliminary final.
Walters has long coveted the role and has an agreement with the Queensland Rugby League that they will not stand in his way should an NRL head coaching job come his way.
Maguire is in the sights of a few clubs but has a clear preference for Brisbane, where he would take over a roster many believe is primed to win a premiership.
Brisbane assistant Jason Demetriou is also expected to be interviewed given he is already in the system and in the eyes of many is ready to become an NRL coach.
It is believed the Broncos would prefer not to drag out the process, which could mean they are in position to name Bennett’s successor relatively quickly. The result is likely to have ramifications across the game.
Walters would be unlikely to remain as Queensland coach should he return to the Broncos.
That would leave the QRL to find a new coach of the Maroons. North Queensland’s Paul Green is among those who would be likely to figure in discussions given he has made it known he would like to try his hand in Origin.
Bennett, in the interim, has his own future to sort out. It is understood he has outlined his terms to the Tigers as part of a three-year deal that would result in him taking over from Ivan Cleary, most likely at the end of next year.
Cleary is yet to inform the Tigers of his plans but the sense is that he wants to join his son Nathan at Penrith. The Panthers have tabled a lucrative deal from 2021.
The Tigers are likely to cut him loose earlier than that, although exactly when could depend on Bennett’s plans.
It is understood talks with the Broncos coach have centred largely around the 2020 season. He has another year on his deal at Brisbane and has indicated he wants to finish his contract.
That could be a deal-breaker, meaning Maguire would jump to the head of the Tigers’ queue.
The Tigers are due to begin pre-season training early next month and are likely to want the matter settled before then, although the situation is made more difficult by the fact that Maguire and Bennett will both be overseas in their respective roles as coaches of the New Zealand and England teams, who will meet in a three-Test series.
The Broncos, meanwhile, will undertake a rigorous process designed to ensure they find the best candidate to take the club forward in the post-Bennett era.
The outcome will be telling: the experience of Manchester United in the English Premier League soccer highlights how important such a decision can be for a club’s fate.
United, a giant of world soccer, have struggled to keep pace with their rivals since Alex Ferguson’s departure, having tried and failed with a handful of managers. The Broncos are the closest thing in the NRL to United and Bennett is the closest thing to Ferguson.
Brisbane’s next choice is their most important, particularly with their roster at a point where many believe it is ready to compete for a title.
In other news, Manly are expected to announce their new coach next week amid whispers that Des Hasler could be back in the frame. Hasler has been out of work since parting ways with Canterbury at the end of 2017 after previously coaching Manly to two premierships in 2008 and 2011\. Current assistant John Cartwright is still the favourite for the job.
