NRL's newest club - The Dolphins - are closing in on legendary coach Wayne Bennett for their 2023 entry to the competition.
After it was announced on Wednesday that the Redcliffe-based club would become the NRL's 17th team, the writing appeared to be on the wall almost instantly about who their first coach would be.
Just hours after the announcement from the NRL, The Courier Mail reported that Bennett had signed a three-year deal to take over the Dolphins.
Bennett was quoted in the Queensland-based paper, saying he would be entering discussions but was yet to sign with the club.
“I have not signed with the Dolphins yet, but I am very keen to talk to the Dolphins and we’ll be doing that in the next 24 hours,” he said.
“If we hit it off, I don’t think it will take long to do the deal.
“If there are sticking points, it might take longer, but I’m confident we can get it done."
Bennett's acquisition as the club's first head coach would be a major boost, and his success over multiple decades - all the way up until his 2021 campaign with South Sydney - will help the Dolphins in their ability to recruit big-name players.
Dolphins chairman Bob Jones told the media on Wednesday during a press conference that they were confident of landing the seven-time premiership winner.
"We have spoken about having lofty ambitions and wanting to be the best in the land," he said.
"If you want to be the best in the land you hire the best people in the land. I would think that if Wayne is not the best in the land he is right up there.
"We have reached out to Wayne and those discussions are progressing nicely and hopefully in the next little while we will know what is happening."
Bennett helped the Rabbitohs to within two points of an NRL title just a fortnight ago, and also coached Queensland to a State of Origin series win last year.
His comradery with the likes of Cameron Munster and Harry Grant during that camp with Maroons could help him attract them to Redcliffe, despite both players contracted to Melbourne for at least 2022.
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo was quizzed on the potential of Bennett being named the first coach of the club, and he said the foundation of the Dolphins need to come from what they can offer on the field.
“Part of all the team submissions was putting forward what their plans would be to compete," he said.
"That would be a general manager of football, a head coach and how they would go about their recruitment, and where they would get their players to come from in their own development perspective.
"I’ll let the Dolphins talk about what their plans are for their personnel, but it was very important for us and the Commission to see that there was a clear plan for the team to be successful straight away on the field and off the field."
