NRL: Wayne Bennett's contract terminated by Brisbane Broncos

  • 02/12/2018
Wayne Bennett
Wayne Bennett Photo credit: AAP

Wayne Bennett's 25-season reign with Brisbane is over, with the club sacking the seven-time NRL Premiership-winning coach and announcing Anthony Seibold is taking over immediately.

"The Brisbane Broncos board has terminated Coach Wayne Bennett's contract with immediate effect," club said in a brief statement on Sunday, adding the terms were confidential.

"The Broncos thank him for his contribution to the club and wish him all the best in the future."

In another statement they said: "Anthony Seibold will join the Brisbane Broncos as coach effective immediately."

The move ends a month-long stand-off, with Bennett now set to head to South Sydney to replace Seibold.

It follows 68-year-old Bennett's bitter falling out with Brisbane powerbrokers when he could not secure a further term with the Broncos beyond his contract, which had been due to expire after 2019.

With both men signed to swap clubs from 2020, their positions appeared untenable for 2019 but Bennett stubbornly clung on, insisting he was going nowhere.

The Broncos coach-in-waiting launched a stinging attack on Bennett on Saturday, and revealed the emotional toll the saga had taken on his young family.

"I have had a gutful," Seibold told News Corp Australia.

"I've been sitting here for four weeks and feeling like a punching bag. It's not acceptable and it's not fair."

The reigning NRL coach of the year said he had twice been told by the Rabbitohs that he'd be coaching the Broncos in 2019 and that he'd actually packed up and cleaned out his office at the Rabbitohs on Thursday afternoon.

Seibold pointed the finger firmly at Bennett for "playing games".

"I told my wife and three daughters we're leaving. We've told the kids twice we're moving and then twice that we're staying," he said.

"They've been in tears. We're trying to sort out their schools. It's really taking its toll on them."

Bennett had previously denied any contact with Souths players, but Seibold said the veteran coach had phoned Damien Cook, Alex Johnston and Sam Burgess about his plans for the Redfern club before Friday's bombshell.

AAP