NRL great PAUL GALLEN will appear on Nine’s 100% FOOTY every Monday night of the NRL season, debating rugby league’s hottest topics alongside Phil Gould and James Bracey. Tune in LIVE at 7.30pm (AEST) on 9Now tonight following a bumper round nine!
It looks like Wayne Bennett‘s return to South Sydney will almost certainly happen next season.
When the coach and the club are both talking publicly about it, it’s a pretty safe bet that it will end up happening.
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But it still wouldn’t surprise me if the supercoach does turn the Rabbitohs down.
Bennett famously backflipped on a deal to coach the Roosters in 2007 after news of his handshake deal with Nick Politis got leaked.
Over the weekend it was reported the Bunnies have offered him a three-year, $2.5 million deal.
Firstly, I doubt Bennett is going to coach anywhere for less than a million dollars per season.
And whether that’s true or not, I can’t imagine Wayne being a fan of those details getting out in the media before a deal has been done.
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He told journalists on Friday nothing had been agreed to and he was set to sit down with South Sydney this week.
Nothing would surprise me when it comes to Wayne – I’d say he will probably be coaching the Bunnies next year, but who knows.
He clearly wants to keep coaching and at the moment there is only one NRL job available.
Even some of the teams we all expected to be down the bottom of the ladder are suddenly playing pretty well.
The Eels are battling a bit without Mitchell Moses and there is plenty of speculation about Brad Arthur’s future.
But unless another coach is sacked, Bennett might only have one offer on the table.
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David Fifita could be an absolute world-beater if he goes to Penrith.
The guy has stacks of talent – which everyone has known for a long time – but probably hasn’t got the best out of himself at the Titans.
But the Panthers system is so good that any player who goes there seems to excel more than they would at pretty much any other club.
An example of that is Scott Sorensen.
With all due respect, he was on the fringe of first grade before going to Penrith in 2021.
Now he is a leader at the three-time reigning premiers and is killing it, and that’s because he knows their system inside and out.
Everyone who gets picked in the team each week just does their job to the enth degree, and it’s why they are such a good team.
A guy with as much ability as Fifita could be a superstar if he slots into that system.
I have no idea what he would be worth to the Panthers, but I can pretty comfortably say they won’t be paying him $1 million a season.
I know James Fisher-Harris is leaving, but the club won’t be giving his whole pay cheque to Fifita.
He might earn more if he stays at the Titans but he has to weigh up whether it’s the right move for his career.
A move to Penrith might unlock a whole new level to his game.