Race for Bennett shrinks as Sydney club pull out

It was understod the Eels were weighing up the idea of chasing Bennett from the start of the 2025 NRL season, with the coach off-contract at the end of the current campaign.

The Dolphins' boss, who will hand over the reigns of the NRL's newest club to Kristian Woolf at the end of this season, has been heavily linked with a move back to Sydney.

It follows comments from Bennett himself earlier this year which suggested he wasn't finished with a head coach, although the Dolphins have also made suggestions they would like to see Bennett remain at the club in a back room role.

It would appear the only way for Bennett's head coaching career to continue though is in Sydney, but now it's the South Sydney Rabbitohs who have shortened as favourites to have Bennett take a second stint at the Maroubra-based club.

The news on Parramatta's possible pursuit of Bennett came about following the continued struggles of Brad Arthur's Eels, with the club struggling through the early part of the 2024 season after missing the finals last year.

While Parramatta made the decider in 2022, the run since has been filled with let downs, and it's understod the club are continuing reviews into their roster, recruitment, retention and junior pathways.

News Corp has reported, however, that Parramatta won't put any undue pressure on Arthur as he fights to turn the club around, and will not reach out to Bennett.

It was understood Parramatta could have weighed up either replacing Arthur or using Bennett as a director of football, however, journalist Michael Carayannis has told SEN Radio that the club will now not pursue Bennett.

"(There was) some chatter yesterday in and around Parramatta who had a board meeting the other night who, not publicly but privately, said they're not in a rush to make a call on Brad Arthur's future which in turn means they won't be in the race for Wayne Bennett," Carayannis told SEN 1170 Breakfast.

"I don't think Wayne will do anything before that Dolphins game formally, (he'll) get through that Dolphins game and then, next week, officially put pen to paper and get that distraction out of the way.

"I'd be surprised if we were still having this conversation next week that Wayne Bennett's not officially at South Sydney next year because all roads lead to that."

Key injuries haven't helped the Eels during the early part of 2024, but the club still sit in 14th place on the table and pressure from fans will only continue to rise if the Western Sydney-based club can't turn things around.

Arthur has made public comment suggesting he doesn't want or need Bennett at the club.

Meanwhile, the Rabbitohs have confirmed they will reach out to Bennett following the axing of Jason Demetriou, with interim coach Ben Hornby joking prior to Thursday night's Round 9 opener against the Penrith Panthers that he had "already lost his job".