Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett backs Perth NRL bid as part of expansion – but remains typically cagey about impending talks with Rabbitohs
- Wayne Bennett wants to see an NRL team based in Perth
- Mastercoach predicted a competition of twenty teams within ten years
- Remained coy about his future and expected to return to Rabbitohs
Wayne Bennett has backed Perth’s bid in what he predicts will be a 20-team NRL competition within a decade – while insisting his looming homecoming deal with South Sydney will be resolved ‘sooner or later’.
The Dolphins coach was coy when asked if he was delaying Magic Round talks with the Rabbitohs about the possibility of joining them as head coach next season.
‘Who said it was the Magic Round? I said it was this week,” Bennett said.
Next question: next week?
“Yes, last week,” Bennett replied. Which week?
Wayne Bennett has backed Perth’s bid in what he predicts will be a 20-team NRL competition within a decade
Bennett also insisted his looming homecoming deal with South Sydney will be resolved “sooner or later”.
‘We’ll find out. Sooner or later you’ll find out. You don’t have to worry,” the crafty coach replied.
Bennett had been identified by ARL committee chairman Peter V’landys as a possible expansion team coach, with the NRL investigating a possible 20-team competition, with PNG, Perth and a second New Zealand team all among candidates .
Bennett now appears to be out of that equation as he heads to Souths, but he still left that door open.
‘Don’t write anything off to me, will you? Just let it all unfold and see where it goes and we’ll see where the expansion team comes in and what year it comes in,” he said.
“I’ve never spoken to Perth about doing anything with them, but I think Perth should be one of the expansion teams.
‘In the next ten years we will have twenty teams in the competition. Australia is getting bigger every day. That is how it works.’
The Dolphins played in a sold-out NRL double-header at Optus Stadium last year and Bennett has spoken to the Perth bid about their plans.
“They are very aware of rugby league now and have had a lot of (NRL) teams and Origin games there,” Bennett said.
Bennett is widely tipped to take over as head coach of the struggling Rabbitohs next year
“A lot of people move to Perth from all over the world, but there are certainly a lot of Australians, English and New Zealanders who know rugby league.
“It’s a huge income area. They have some of the largest businesses in Australia in Perth and Western Australia. It all kind of makes sense, and they have great facilities.’
Bennett and the Dolphins hierarchy are in favor of Perth’s bid as the league’s first taxi with expansion.
The master coach is also in favor of placing a second team in New Zealand.
The PNG bid has the support of the Australian government and V’landys, with a lot of work already being done behind the scenes.
Bennett acknowledged the bid was high on the NRL’s agenda.
“I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Bennett said.
‘It’s not a project they’re going to set up in six months. If they make the decision, it will be a two- to three-year project.”