[ad_1]
Wayne Bennett and Anthony Seibold's NRL swap between Brisbane and South Sydney may not happen until 2020, with the veteran coach insisting he'll remain at the Broncos next year.
Bennett inked a two-year deal with Souths on Thursday afternoon, after the Rabbitohs' management lost patience waiting for Seibold to agree to an extension.
The Broncos coach is coming up next week, with the Brisbane board likely to rubber stamp his appointment on Tuesday's scheduled meeting after an impressive rookie season at the Rabbitohs.
South Sydney sign Bennett
0:48
It would have been expected that the peer would take over their new roles with immediate effect, but Bennett said he had no intention of leaving Red Hill until 2020. However, the 68-year-old conceded that the Broncos powerbrokers may have other ideas and want him out of the door immediately.
"I'm staying at the Broncos (for 2019)," Bennett told the Courier Mail from the UK, where he is coaching the England rugby league team.
"I'm not interested in a straight swap.
"At no stage have discussed with Anthony Seibold with South Sydney. "They knew I was not available for 2019, so that's why I signed with Souths for 2020 and beyond.
"As far as I'm concerned, I'm at the Broncos in 2019 and Seibold will be at South Sydney.
"Whether the Broncos make any moves, I do not know.
"But I have always been committed to Brisbane for 2019. Until I'm told differently I will continue coaching the Broncos."
Bennett said he wished things had been panned out differently with the Broncos.
"This is not the way I wanted to end up with the Broncos but my hands have been forced," he said.
"At the end of the day South Sydney are a wonderful rugby league club.
"I had an offer to go to Souths (back in 2012) and I got it back at the time."
The master coach then had a slight dig at the Knights who was joined instead of linking up with Souths.
"I always regret that decision," Bennett added of his decision to join Newcastle instead of Souths.
"I never thought I'd get this chance again.
"But now I have I feel honored.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Rabbitohs were still revealing Bennett would not arrive for another 12 months.
"We're looking forward to Wayne becoming a Rabbitoh in 12 months '' Kiwis, '' head of football Shane Richardson said in a club statement.
Seibold 'the first domino'
1:45
"Now we can look forward to the 2019 season." The NRL is a competition that requires such forward planning that it does not work. advance. Hasler is proof of that – a club that has won the first four years of Manly – whose fractured relationship with the Sea Eagles was only healed seven weeks after he signed for Canterbury. Bennett has long been aware he would not be retained by the Broncos beyond the end of 2019, and believed to be in the foreground.
"Souths is one of the iconic clubs in the game," Bennett said in Thursday's statement.
"I did not think I would get this opportunity, but that opportunity has come for 2020 and 2021.
"I'm really grateful for the chance to be part of the club and I'm looking forward to being part of the Rabbitoh way."
Source link
