Wayne Bennett to leave Dragons

[josie andrews]

WAYNE BENNETT will confirm his departure from St George Illawarra at a press conference in Wollongong today where the Dragons are also expected to announce the appointment of assistant Steve Price to replace the master coach.

The Dragons have called a press conference at noon at the Steelers Club to be attended by Bennett and chief executive Peter Doust.

It is understood Bennett has recommended Price as his successor and the former Dragons lower grader has agreed to a two-year deal to take over the reins at the end of the season.

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Price took charge of the NRL premiers in last month's World Club Challenge after Bennett was forced to return home from England when his mother-in-law became ill and steered the Dragons to an impressive win over Wigan.

The subsequent death of his mother-in-law, coupled with the fact his family - including his wife and two disabled children - still live in Brisbane has heightened speculation Bennett will return to the Broncos next season.

With Brisbane, Newcastle, South Sydney and North Queensland all after his services for next season, Bennett's future has been the subject of huge speculation for months. The conjecture will only intensify once he confirms he is leaving the Dragons.

However, he is not expected to announce his future plans as he is yet to finalise a deal for next year and beyond. The Broncos and Knights appear to be racing for his signature, with Souths officials resigned to having missed out. While the Broncos are favourites, he is believed to be keeping a close eye on tomorrow night's vote by Newcastle members on Nathan Tinkler's takeover bid for their club before making a final decision.

Tinkler has made it known he wants Bennett as coach if 75 per cent of Newcastle members vote to sell him the club, and the mining magnate is rumoured to have made a staggering offer of between $1.5 million and $2 million a season for Bennett's services.

Bennett has an association with Tinkler Sports Group chairman Ken Edwards, whose brother Shane was a former Broncos chief executive during Bennett's 21-year reign as Brisbane coach.

A move to the Knights would enable him to try to fulfil his ambition of becoming the first coach to win premierships at three clubs.

The ability to fly direct between Newcastle and Brisbane, possibly on Tinkler's jet, would also make the Knights a more attractive proposition. However, his family - including his wife and two disabled children - remain in Brisbane and the recent death of his mother-in-law might have increased his desire to return home.

A phone hook-up of Broncos directors last Friday authorised chief executive Paul White to make an official approach to Bennett and he was told the master coach had not yet committed to any club.

There were indications last week that the Dragons were beginning to prepare for life after Bennett when it was revealed that Doust had contacted Herald columnist and former Canterbury, Penrith and Sydney Roosters coach Phil Gould - the only man with a better State of Origin coaching record than Bennett.

It is believed Doust wanted Gould to mentor Price after the Dragons decided to appoint him and that Bennett has recommended Price as the man to take over the reins when he leaves at the end of the season.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 1cev4.html

[josie andrews]

MASTER coach Wayne Bennett is tipped to announce within the next few days that he will coach Newcastle next year, breaking hearts at South Sydney.

The seven-time premiership winner admitted after steering St George Illawarra to victory over Canterbury at the SCG yesterday that he had made a decision on his coaching future, but refused to say which of the two clubs he had picked.

Asked if he could divulge his plans, Bennett replied: ''I can't answer that for you, I don't know. Well, I do know, but I just don't want to share it with you.''


It was revealed on Friday that Bennett had cut the other club that was chasing him - Brisbane - out of the race. He said at the time that he was yet to make a decision on his future.

The Herald understands that Bennett did not want to reveal his decision until after the club he had chosen had completed its commitments in the weekend round because he did not want the publicity to distract the players from their jobs. Souths lost to Wests Tigers on Friday night, but Newcastle don't play until tonight - against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.

Bennett is expected to announce his future either tomorrow or Wednesday, and the strong mail last night was for the Knights.

Asked whether he had been bothered by the speculation about his future, which went into overdrive at the weekend, Bennett replied: ''Well, I don't write it and I don't read it, so how does it impact on me? It doesn't. It's my decision. I mean, you know, if you all stop trying to tell me what I should be doing and what I'm supposed to be doing, then I might make it a lot quicker.''

Since it became clear the Broncos, whom Bennett coached to six premierships before taking the Dragons to last year's title, were no longer a chance of getting him back, the battle for his future quickly settled down into a fascinating one between the Knights, owned by mining magnate Nathan Tinkler, and the Rabbitohs, whose co-owner is Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe.

In terms of attraction, it is a case of the unlimited financial resources of the Knights, since the club's members voted to hand ownership to Tinkler last month, against the romance of the most famous club in the competition, the Rabbitohs. Bennett couldn't lose either way, and would get the chance to become the first coach to win premierships at three clubs no matter what.

The challenge of coaching either side is similar. Both teams have playing rosters that would give Bennett the potential to achieve, with some tinkering here and there.

Although the offer from Souths is rumoured to be $1 million a year, even a club backed by the wealthy Crowe can't compete with Tinkler when it comes to financial strength. Stories in yesterday's media had Newcastle's offer to Bennett being worth up to $2 million a year, including bonuses. But there are other factors that make the Knights attractive to someone like him.

Bennett has enjoyed living in Wollongong while he has coached the Dragons, and a move to Newcastle would put him in a similar position outside Sydney - only closer to Brisbane. And he would be able to use Tinkler's private jet to either visit his family or have them come down from Brisbane to visit.

The other factor is that Bennett is impressed by people like Tinkler, whom he sees as someone with the ability to get things done, and is prepared to put his money, faith and passion into the game, similar to people like Paul ''Porky'' Morgan, one of the four original owners of the Broncos, and ad man John Singleton.

The Herald revealed last Monday that Bennett had given Tinkler's involvement with the Knights a resounding stamp of approval. He said at the time: ''They're movers and shakers, they're businessmen, they don't come from a background like most of our people [in the game] come from. His [Tinkler's] reach is in the working class, but obviously he's out there now and he deals with some of the biggest dealers in the country and the world, making deals and selling coalmines … they know how to get a deal done.

''They know how to negotiate, they know how to build something … All those things are good.''

Officials from Newcastle and Souths were tight-lipped yesterday.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 1d9f4.html

[Kittwazzer]

Cue more rumours about Madge!