Maranta says board must do its homework

Maranta, one of the four founding fathers of the Broncos, appointed Bennett in Brisbane’s first season in 1988.

Bennett has guided the Broncos to all six of the club’s premierships and Maranta said it would be silly to punt him without having a quality replacement guaranteed.

“When you drop someone from a team you put someone in that’s better,” Maranta said.

“That’s the issue that comes to mind. I don’t know who else they’ve got to replace him.

“The moment you talk about any change, the first thing is whether the change can be for the better.

“I’m sure if the board was going to get rid of him they would have thought hard and fast that they’ve got someone better. It’s a bit more than ‘let’s get rid of Wayne’.”

The Bennett dilemma has raised the question of what sort of exit the club’s most successful coach deserves.

Bennett has been told the Broncos board will not discuss his contract request until the end of the current season.

Maranta said the club’s founders underwent an exhaustive process before appointing Bennett and the current board, of which Lockyer is a director, had to do the same.

“When we got Wayne we had four or five others that we researched very thoroughly,” he said.

“We did a hell of a lot of homework on that and I daresay a board doing its job should be doing its own homework so I can only assume that’s what they’ve done.

“I do have faith in someone like Darren Lockyer.

“He’s the sort of person that would have the sensitivities that this particular issue requires.”

Bennett is desperate to exit the NRL on his own terms and could coach at another club if he is moved on by the Broncos after the 2019 season.