Wayne Bennett is set to return to the State of Origin as he is considering an 11th-hour bid from Queensland Rugby League, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.ย
It comes after news that Brisbane and Anthony Seibold parted ways, leaving Kevin Walters in the box set for the Broncos role.ย
The Maroons coach is tipped to take the vacant Broncos role, leaving him in a vulnerable situation.ย
If Walters does take the Broncos job it will almost certainly mean he canโt coach the Broncos and the Maroons at the same time, as State of Origin commences on November 4 for three weeks and NRL pre-season is set to start on November 9.ย
The decision potentially leaves the door open to Bennett, who is currently in SOS talks with the organisation having last coached them from 2001 to 2003, winning five games.ย
The Sydney Morning Herald also understands if Bennett does take the Queensland role, South Sydney wonโt be stopping him.ย ย
However, QRL chairman Bruce Hatcher said they still expect Walters to be fully committed to the cause.ย
"Kevin Walters is contracted until the end of 2021, and if he is coach of Queensland we would want 100 per cent out of him," he told the Herald.
"We don't want a half-hearted attempt and then we get beaten 30 or 40-0 because we haven't treated it seriously.
"If Kevvie can be 100 per cent committed to Origin this year than we see no reason why he couldn't coach Queensland if we've got him fully committed to us and not the Broncos.
"Our responsibility is to do the best for Queensland and State of Origin, not the Broncos. We can't and won't be compromised on that. There can be no blurring of responsibility. There can be no distractions."
