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South Sydney are poised to appoint their next coach within days after Anthony Seibold advised the club on Thursday that he wanted to continue to pursue interest in the Brisbane Broncos job.
The Broncos board are due to make a decision next Tuesday on Wayne Bennett’s replacement for the 2020 season, with Seibold the favourite among the four candidates interviewed in the past two weeks. Kevin Walters, Michael Maguire and Jason Demetriou are also on that list.
However, the Rabbitohs have been working on a contingency plan and could force Brisbane’s hand by appointing Seibold’s successor as soon as Friday in a move that could clear the way for him to join the Broncos immediately.
That would depend on Bennett, who has been strongly linked with a move to Souths eight years after Rabbitohs officials initially believed he had agreed to coach the NRL’s oldest and most successful club.
Melbourne Storm badistant Adam O’Brien, who is moving to Sydney Roosters in the same capacity next season, is another contender for the Souths job while Wigan premiership mentor Shaun Wane would be a left-field option after parting ways with the Super League club.
Bennett is contracted to Brisbane for another season and has repeatedly insisted he would see out the final year of his deal but it is likely both the Broncos and Rabbitohs would be keen on a coaching swap in 2019 if their coaches were heading to the other club in 2020.
After advising Bennett that the club would not be extending his services beyond 2019, Brisbane officials maintain they are happy for him to serve out the full term of his contract but it is more feasible for the incoming coach to take over as soon as possible.
It is understood that Souths would also be prepared for Seibold to continue coaching next season if they did not have a replacement ready to take over immediately.
The concern for Bennett is likely to revolve around the future of his staff, as high performance manager Jeremy Hickmans and head of performance badysis Scott Barker have moved with him from St George Illawarra to Newcastle to Brisbane. They would be expected to follow him to his next coaching role.
Hickmans and Barker are also part of Bennett’s coaching staff with England, who open their three Test series against New Zealand in Hull this weekend.
Coincidentally, Bennett’s future is linked to his Kiwis counterpart Michael Maguire as the pair are the preferred candidates of Wests Tigers if Ivan Cleary departs for Penrith next season.
Cleary is expected to sign a three-year with the Panthers from the 2021 season, and it is understood the Tigers will only release him earlier if they secure either Bennett or Maguire.
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Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe made a detour on his way to the United States to meet with Maguire in Auckland before New Zealand’s Test against Australia on October 13 and returned to work on Thursday, with a decision on the coaching job believed to be imminent.
If Bennett was to join Souths it would pave the way for Maguire to take charge of the Tigers after he returns from England with the Kiwis.
Maguire guided Souths to the 2014 premiership after being given the job when Bennett chose to join Newcastle in 2012 after Nathan Tinkler purchased the Knights. He was sacked by the Rabbitohs 12 months ago.
He recently turned down the Manly job, paving the way for Des Hasler’s return to the Sea Eagles on Monday, and was interviewed by the Broncos earlier this month, along with Seibold, Walters and Demetriou.
The Rabbitohs had tabled a contract extension to Seibold, who took the club to within one win of the grand final in his first season as a head coach, but he has declined to take it up while he remains in contention for the Brisbane job.
Seibold told Souths officials on Thursday that his preferred option was to keep alive his prospects of coaching the Broncos in 2020.
There were reports the Rabbitohs could turn to former Canberra coach David Furner, who was an badistant to both Maguire and Seibold, but Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington has denied that he has a get-out clause in his three-year deal with the Super League club.
“We know how highly Dave was thought of at South Sydney Rabbitohs, his achievements there were a key reason why we spoke to him about becoming the Rhinos head coach,” Hetherington said.
“We are looking forward to Dave arriving at the club and plans are well advanced for next season. Dave met with Konrad Hurrell last week to finalise his move to the Rhinos and has been in a constant conversation with myself and Kevin Sinfield regarding other potential targets for next season.”
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