BRONCOS CIRCUS TO CONTINUE

RUGBY LEAGUE: Just when the state thought its greatest bushfires were under control, in walked Wayne Bennett to the Broncos offices at Red Hill.

Bennett basically stood on the top of Mount Bronco, leaned backwards towards the abyss and said, “come on gentlemen, push ... I dare you.”

But when the club’s board declined to sack him – for the moment at least – he surprised everyone by deciding to stay at the Broncos for one last year.

How close was Bennett to leaving the Broncos?

Close enough that his replacement Anthony Seibold was on standby for a press conference yesterday afternoon to announce his arrival at Red Hill.

Close enough that Bennett’s assistant coach Jason Demetriou told his family on Thursday night he would be moving to Sydney.

Close enough that Souths have reportedly signed another young forward from another club that Bennett approved and Seibold only found out about it after the deal was done.

What a circus. How can it come to this?

The Broncos have seen many dramatic days at their Red Hill headquarters but never one as confusing as this.

Club staff have had enough of the drama.

At 10am yesterday when I arrived at Red Hill they were open in their relief he was moving on – or so they thought.

In his deliberate, matter-offact sort of way, Bennett tried to explain that nothing had changed from his position that he was staying.

In truth it had changed but then it changed back again.

He expected to be sacked and paid out in full.

But it never happened. Is this the end of the story?

Surely not. The relationship between Bennett and the Broncos has fractured beyond repair.

The sooner he moves on the better it will be for both of them.

If he stays next year there will be weekly dramas and differences of opinion and humiliation for all parties.

If you think today’s event was a bushfire, you’ve seen nothing yet.