Rabbits stew over Benny

South Sydney could block coach from Maroons role

take over as head coach of Gold Coast Titans.

Walters, a Queensland favourite son, is slight favourite for the Titans job just ahead of Australian-born St Helens coach, Justin Holbrook.

The decision to appointwalters wasn’t nailed down at a Titans board meeting yesterday.

Assuming Walters would accept the Gold Coast role, as is expected, the Queensland Rugby League can then push forward in their chase for a replacement.

The QRL has drawn up a preliminary hit list with Bennett on top ahead of North Queensland’s Paul Green.

Bennett, who turns 70 in January, has already publicly expressed an interest in coaching Queensland but hasn’t made any formal moves just yet.

News Corp understands Souths will step in early and tell Bennett he cannot take on the heavy burden of coaching Origin along with NRL and England.

It remains to be seen whether the powerful Bennett is headstrong about Queensland and Souths’ decision causes angst.

There are concerns within Souths about the time Bennett would be absent during a draining seven-week Origin campaign.

“It would be a distraction the club doesn’t need,” said one informed source close to Souths. “With his commitments to Souths and England, take it as read Souths wouldn’t be overly happy if Wayne wanted to coach Queensland.”

It is unknown whether Souths would soften their attitude if Bennett stood down from England.

Bennett coached Queensland in 21 games, winning 11. His last game in charge of the Maroons was back in 2003.

In a media interview last month, Bennett declared he would be able to handle dual roles at Souths and Queensland.

“I did it seven times during my coaching career so if I had to do (coach NRL and Queensland) again, and I wanted to do it again, and everyone was onside, it’s doable,” Bennett said at the time.

Bennett is off contract after this season but has previously expressed a desire to extend his contract to coach in the 2021 rugby leagueworld Cup, which will be held in England and France.

Other candidates for the Queensland job include Justin Hodges and Billy Slater but it is thought the pair wouldn’t be ready just yet to be thrown into the Origin furnace.

North Queensland gave preliminary approval for Green to take on both roles but that stance may change given the Cowboys’ poor season.

The Titans will name their coach sometime this week.