South Sydney have made themselves the first club to be able to make a clean play for Wayne Bennett, after their axing of embattled coach Jason Demetriou.
Rabbitohs players will begin NRL life after Demetriou on Wednesday, with interim coach Ben Hornby to finalise preparations for Thursday’s clash with Penrith.
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But Souths officials will immediately begin planning for 2025 and beyond, as they search for a full-time predecessor for Demetriou.
Bennett appears the most enticing option.
The veteran coach will hand over the reins at the Dolphins at the end of this year, and was always going to be a target for any club searching for a new coach.
Bennett worked with South Sydney as recently as 2021, taking several of their current stars to the grand final.
The 74-year-old has also been the subject of speculation to take over Parramatta next year, if the Eels end up splitting with Brad Arthur after 11 seasons.
But by sacking Demetriou on Tuesday night after two separate board meetings in the one day, Souths have given themselves the first shot at Bennett if they want it
It was Bennett who initially backed Demetriou to be his successor at South Sydney, when the master coach left the club at the end of 2021.
Demetriou took the Rabbitohs to a preliminary final in 2022, and they topped the ladder after 12 rounds last year.
But they have won only five of 21 games since that point, missing last year’s finals and now sitting last after the first eight rounds of 2024.
“The board and management feel that now is the time to make a change to the leadership of our football program in terms of the head coaching role,” chairman Blake Solly said in a statement.
“There is no doubting Jason’s work ethic or his drive for success, but unfortunately that success has not been forthcoming over the past 12 months.
Solly will front the media on Wednesday morning, where he will be asked whether Bennett is a realistic option for the club.
Beyond Bennett, former England coach Steve McNamara is viewed as one option, as are Hornby and recently-appointed assistant David Furner.
Solly will also be asked about the club’s handling of halfback Lachlan Ilias, who is free to look elsewhere just three years after being prioritised above retaining Adam Reynolds
Souths are on the verge of signing English halfback Lewis Dodd for next year, prompting them to allow Ilias to negotiate with rivals.