KEY POINTS:
Wayne Bennett is all bar a shoe-in as next Kiwis coach, with a deal expected to be announced within days.
All the NZRL needs to do is finalise details of the shoe, then fit it.
Chairman Ray Haffenden is a methodical type and wants to put the full
details of the job in front of Bennett before meeting him in person to sign off on a contract.
That includes not only Bennett's exact role, length of tenure and wage but also how the coaching structure will be set up, who gets the say on assistants, trainers, physios and doctors, the NZRL's goals and requirements on a pathway for the next Kiwis coach, and a host of other matters.
Bennett remains keen to assist. There is no way the NZRL is looking elsewhere, already eliminating the coaching candidates beaten by Gary Kemble who resigned after seven months in the job and determining that Bluey McClennan is not interested.
Bennett has reiterated that he is happy to help and wants to see details of his exact role. "The discussions we've had so far have been by telephone and they've been very infrequent," he told Brisbane's Courier-Mail. "They know that's what they have to do (organise a meeting). They have to get themselves organised if they want to - if they don't, that's fine. Nothing has changed. I'm still interested in helping but we have to talk face-to-face about that."
He wants Steve Kearney as assistant because of Kearney's close association with players and mana with them. And don't be surprised to see former captain Ruben Wiki and halfback star Stacey Jones brought in to mentor the younger players, as Bennett has high regard for both and that mutual respect strengthened during the run-up to the All Golds Bennett coached them in.
There was no news out of the NZRL yesterday but football director Graham Lowe has had a long meeting with manager Peter Cordtz to thrash out details of the offer to be put to Bennett, which chairman Haffenden is expected to deliver in person.
Across the Tasman, there appears to be no objection to his helping the enemy. This may be because they do not want to see the World Cup they host in October/November turn into a non-event.