Part of Parramatta’s pitch to Wayne Bennett was that he would occupy the same office, figuratively speaking, as Jack Gibson and Ron Massey, his coaching mentors.
“It was something that appealed to him,” chief executive Jim Sarantinos said.
The only problem was Parramatta were too late to the party. Actually, they weren’t in the same hemisphere as the party: Bennett signed a three-year deal with South Sydney on Tuesday morning.
The Eels’ failed attempt to gazump Souths at the 11th hour has exposed how the club’s conservative approach since the 2016 salary cap scandal is hurting them.
After years of sticking solid with Brad Arthur, the board finally decided on May 1 it was time for a change.
It left Sarantinos and chairman Sean McElduff with just 20 days to pull off the impossible mission of convincing Bennett to “flip” on his decision to return to Souths.
Wayne Bennett.Credit: NRL Imagery
Arthur is a good man and good coach, but if there was ever a club crying out for a goliath to finally deliver a premiership after 37 years of hurt, it’s the Eels.
More than one media pundit has been arguing as much for three years. Bennett did it for St George Illawarra in 2010, putting long-suffering fans out of their misery, and he could have done it for Parramatta.
As soon as it became clear the Eels couldn’t make the finals last year – after being schooled in the grand final by Penrith the previous season – Parramatta powerbrokers should have started working on Bennett.
Forget all this fluffy nonsense about not going behind the coach’s back. In the end, they did it anyway with their clandestine visit to Bennett’s farm near Warwick last week.
If you’re going to thrive in the NRL, especially when you’re a powerhouse club that hasn’t won a premiership in nearly four decades, you need to get your hands dirty.
You need to be part fortune-teller, part ninja, looking into the future then making the kill before anyone else.
Alternatively, you can be an Oscar-winning actor with a gravelly voice. Souths co-owner Russell Crowe has been talking to Bennett for months, long before Jason Demetriou was sacked – ironically – on May 1.
Apart from the fact everyone knew Bennett would be coming off contract at the Dolphins this year, Parramatta were also an easy sell to a lifetime coach who has an eye on his place in history as much as money.
He might have unfinished business at the Bunnies, having lost the 2021 grand final in his last match, but coaching the Eels would hold a special place in his heart.
Wayne Bennett has won seven NRL titles, including this drought-breaking premiership with the Dragons in 2010.Credit: Wolter Peeters
Gibson and Massey led the Eels to their finest moment in the 1980s when they won three consecutive grand finals.
Every Parramatta coach has lived in the shadow cast by those two giants of the game ever since.
For Bennett, who is desperate to become the first coach in history to win titles at three separate clubs, the notion of following Gibson and Massey would appeal.
Just how close the Eels were to convincing him to change his mind is difficult to say.
Bennett isn’t the messiah … but he was the best chance Parramatta had of bringing them the success they crave.
Certainly, Souths have been waiting for the inevitable plot twist whenever you negotiate with Bennett, who has a better backflip in him than a Sea World dolphin. Just ask the Roosters (2006), Broncos (2011) and Dragons (2014).
If anything, the Eels’ late bid provided Bennett with an opportunity to screw more money out of the Rabbitohs. Plot twist!
Their chief executive, Blake Solly, denied this was the case, while Parramatta confirmed there wasn’t a last-minute attempt on Monday night to sway him.
Nevertheless, the Souths deal is worth about $1.1 million per season. With a thriving leagues club and wealthy supporters, the Eels had the resources to beat that.
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur was sacked the day before his 50th birthday.Credit: NRL Photos
After failing in their attempt to sign an ageless 74-year-old, they will now look for a “modern coach” to guide them through a delicate period.
Atop the list of targets are Jason Ryles and Josh Hannay, who are both highly regarded and experienced assistant coaches — but are they strong and streetwise enough to lead Parramatta to the promised land of a premiership?
The Eels have a big, demanding fan base and several factions who regularly snipe from the perimeter, agitating for change.
They have a sprawling junior base but that’s being slowly eroded by greedy player agents, much like Penrith.
They also have problems trying to keep emerging stars like Blaize Talagi, even if the best thing for his football development would be to stay where he is.
Bennett isn’t the messiah who can solve all these problems with one curl of his top lip. He makes mistakes. He doesn’t have all the answers. He hasn’t won a premiership in 14 years.
But he was the best chance Parramatta had of bringing them the success they crave.
Maybe they can sign him in 2027 when he comes off contract with Souths. I’d start the negotiations now.
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