Wayne Bennett has admitted he’s “interested” in making a return to South Sydney after the club’s unceremonious dumping of Jason Demetriou on Tuesday night.
Demetriou was given his marching orders after two Rabbitohs board meetings, seemingly clearing the path for Bennett to make a return to the club.
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Bennett had coached South Sydney for three seasons between 2019 and 2021, where he guided the side to two preliminary finals and a grand final.
Demetriou was his assistant during those years and was set up as the successor for the master coach.
But after falling from the top of the ladder in round 11 last season to missing the finals and currently anchoring the ladder in 2024, Demetriou’s time was up.
The club installed Ben Hornby as interim coach for the remainder of the season but immediately the suggestion was Bennett would be the Rabbitohs top contender for the vacant role.
So it would be music to the club’s ears that the 74-year-old was just as keen for a reunion.
“Yes, I’m interested,” Bennett said via The Daily Telegraph.
“They are keen to talk to me and I’m keen to talk to them.
“Blake has since contacted me and told me he wants to talk to me at some stage.
“He mentioned they had some other coaches they have in mind.
“The Rabbitohs know how I feel.
“They have intimated they want to talk to me so that’s the next step now, we will have a conversation somewhere down the track.”
Bennett is off-contract at the Dolphins at the end of the season and while officials are eager to keep Bennett on the books, the super coach has made it clear he would prefer to continue as a head coach in the NRL.
“I want to coach on,” he said.
“I feel I have more to offer, so I’m ready to see what’s out there.
“Of course I’ll consider other options.”
Bennett has also been linked to a role with the Parramatta Eels although the Rabbitohs have moved first in order to bring the seven-time premiership winner back to the club.
South Sydney CEO Blake Solly confirmed the approach to Bennett but that it would be an “exhaustive” process to find the club’s next head coach.
“Wayne is one of the coaches we will talk to,” Solly said on Wednesday morning.
“Wayne had great success, he left the club on very good terms. We will speak to Wayne and if he’s available and interested certainly will progress that.
“I think we want someone who fits this fine group and can get the best out of them. It’s a unique client group having worked with them for a long period of time.
“And we want I think a coach that can get them to form their best consistently and we want I think a coach that understands the values and heritage and history of this club.
“We’ve got great skills, great athleticism and some great personalities and every head coach has to get the best out of them whether it’s Ivan Cleary what he does at Penrith over a long period of time, Wayne, his track record with a number of clubs.
“The best coaches always get the best out of their playing group.”
Club legend Sam Burgess has also been discussed as an option but is in his rookie season as a top-flight head coach with Super League club Warrington.
There have been suggestions that Bennett could sign a multi-year deal with the ultimate plan to hand the side over to Burgess after his two-year deal with Warrington is over.