Wednesday, 04 March 2015 13:00
0 Comments
WAYNE Bennett will look to deliver another backhander to Souths tonight, after he rejected a record $2.7 million package to coach the Rabbitohs under Hollywood owner Russell Crowe.
On the eve of tonight’s season opener at Suncorp Stadium, The Courier-Mail can reveal the secret meeting that almost delivered rugby league’s greatest coach to Redfern.
Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire arrived in Brisbane on Wednesday hungrier than ever to defend the premiership he helped deliver last season after 43 years of pain at the Pride of the League.
Souths Coach Michael Maguire talks to his troops. pic Mark Evans Source: News Corp Australia
Maguire is now rightly regarded among the code’s hardest-working coaches.
But if Souths hierarchy had their way in 2011, Bennett would be a Rabbitoh.
With the veteran coach’s contract at the Dragons expiring and Bennett informing CEO Peter Doust of his intention to move on, South Sydney initiated their poaching attempt.
Then-Rabbitohs coach John Lang advised the club of his plans to quit for the 2012 season, giving his great mate, then-Souths boss Shane Richardson, the green light to draw up a list of viable replacements.
As a free agent, Bennett was available at the right time, making him the perfect target.
It can be revealed Richardson flew to Brisbane to begin negotiations, and met with Bennett at his home, armed with a multi-year deal worth $900,000 a season.
At the time, it was believed to be the richest deal offered to an NRL coachThe talks stretched out for most of the day. Such was the promising nature of the dialogue, Richardson headed for Brisbane airport confident his sales pitch had secured Souths’ highest-profile coach since Jack Gibson called the shots in 1978.
But the Rabbitohs’ pursuit unravelled when the Knights entered the bidding war, with Nathan Tinkler’s billions blowing Souths out of the race with a four-year deal.
Richardson, who quit Souths in January to take up a game-strategy role with the NRL, declined to comment on his talks with Bennett, saying he is focused on his new career path.
But a source close to the Rabbitohs confirmed the failed bid for Bennett, prompting the club to hire Maguire, who goes head-to-head with the 65-year-old tonight at Suncorp.
“Wayne was very close to going to Souths,” the insider said. “It is a big club with a great heritage and history and that appealed to Wayne.
“There were definitely talks. Shane Richardson spent a day with Wayne at his home in Brisbane and left convinced he had his man.
“Unfortunately for them (the Rabbitohs), Wayne weighed up his options and went to the Knights.”
Bennett’s second stint at the Broncos officially begins tonight and he admits he is mindful of the pressure to deliver the club’s seventh premiership.
“There is always pressure here, I’ve never not felt it,” he said. “I am prepared for that, I weighed that up in my decision to come here. The thing I managed best is I have managed the pressure and expectation.
“I have managed it before and I will do it again here.”
Read more http://ift.tt/1B0tyAS
0 Comments
WAYNE Bennett will look to deliver another backhander to Souths tonight, after he rejected a record $2.7 million package to coach the Rabbitohs under Hollywood owner Russell Crowe.
On the eve of tonight’s season opener at Suncorp Stadium, The Courier-Mail can reveal the secret meeting that almost delivered rugby league’s greatest coach to Redfern.
Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire arrived in Brisbane on Wednesday hungrier than ever to defend the premiership he helped deliver last season after 43 years of pain at the Pride of the League.
Souths Coach Michael Maguire talks to his troops. pic Mark Evans Source: News Corp Australia
Maguire is now rightly regarded among the code’s hardest-working coaches.
But if Souths hierarchy had their way in 2011, Bennett would be a Rabbitoh.
With the veteran coach’s contract at the Dragons expiring and Bennett informing CEO Peter Doust of his intention to move on, South Sydney initiated their poaching attempt.
Then-Rabbitohs coach John Lang advised the club of his plans to quit for the 2012 season, giving his great mate, then-Souths boss Shane Richardson, the green light to draw up a list of viable replacements.
As a free agent, Bennett was available at the right time, making him the perfect target.
It can be revealed Richardson flew to Brisbane to begin negotiations, and met with Bennett at his home, armed with a multi-year deal worth $900,000 a season.
At the time, it was believed to be the richest deal offered to an NRL coachThe talks stretched out for most of the day. Such was the promising nature of the dialogue, Richardson headed for Brisbane airport confident his sales pitch had secured Souths’ highest-profile coach since Jack Gibson called the shots in 1978.
But the Rabbitohs’ pursuit unravelled when the Knights entered the bidding war, with Nathan Tinkler’s billions blowing Souths out of the race with a four-year deal.
Richardson, who quit Souths in January to take up a game-strategy role with the NRL, declined to comment on his talks with Bennett, saying he is focused on his new career path.
But a source close to the Rabbitohs confirmed the failed bid for Bennett, prompting the club to hire Maguire, who goes head-to-head with the 65-year-old tonight at Suncorp.
“Wayne was very close to going to Souths,” the insider said. “It is a big club with a great heritage and history and that appealed to Wayne.
“There were definitely talks. Shane Richardson spent a day with Wayne at his home in Brisbane and left convinced he had his man.
“Unfortunately for them (the Rabbitohs), Wayne weighed up his options and went to the Knights.”
Bennett’s second stint at the Broncos officially begins tonight and he admits he is mindful of the pressure to deliver the club’s seventh premiership.
“There is always pressure here, I’ve never not felt it,” he said. “I am prepared for that, I weighed that up in my decision to come here. The thing I managed best is I have managed the pressure and expectation.
“I have managed it before and I will do it again here.”
Read more http://ift.tt/1B0tyAS
Bennett rejected mega deal to coach Souths
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire