Wayne Bennett will be named as the England coach this month after the Rugby Football League confirmed it expected to complete its review of the national setup in the next few weeks.
Reports in Australia over the weekend said Bennett, a former Australia coach and the most successful Australian coach in rugby league history, had been approached by the RFL to replace Steve McNamara, who is not expected to be retained, despite guiding England to a series victory against New Zealand last year.
Bennett will bring his Brisbane Broncos side to England later this week for the World Club Series, the tournament that pits three NRL sides against their Super League counterparts. He is then expected to finalise the England details in meetings with the RFL chief executive, Nigel Wood.
The RFL would not comment on speculation linking Bennett with the job but it did issue a statement on the status of the review that began in November after the series against New Zealand, which read: “As we have previously stated, it is only right and proper we conduct a thorough review of the England programme following the conclusion of Steve’s contract. We expect that review process to be completed this month and we won’t speculate or comment further until the process is complete.”
Bennett confirmed the approach about taking over from McNamara and could even complete the deal before he arrives in the UK. Of paramount importance to the 66-year-old was that he was able to continue coaching the Broncos. He told the Brisbane Courier Mail: “It may be before then. If someone picks up the phone in the next week, the next couple of days. I have to find out what I want to do and how they see me involved.
“I’ve told the Broncos what I’m doing and the people who matter are across it – they are totally supportive of it, as they were of me when I applied for the Australian coaching job. I could do the Australian job without impinging on what I was doing with the Broncos. It is the absolute priority for me.”
What remains to be seen is whether Bennett appoints an assistant coach based in the Super League to help prepare England for the Four Nations. McNamara was based in the NRL like Bennett, working as the assistant coach at Sydney Roosters. The Castleford coach, Daryl Powell, and Wigan’s Shaun Wane would be the two favourites to join Bennett.
