Eels coach Brad Arthur has been sacked effective immediately and in a stunning twist it can be revealed that Parramatta entered talks with Wayne Bennett but were turned down.
Parramatta was secretly talking to Bennett over the last four weeks in an effort to flip him from signing with the Rabbitohs. The club's approach to the master coach was rejected.
Bennett was having conversations with Eels chairman Sean McElduff, while also continuing negotiations with the Rabbitohs.
During the top secret talks, Bennett told the Eels that he had "unfinished business with the Rabbitohs".
The master coach told Parramatta he would prefer to link with Souths as he is familiar with the club after coaching them for three years from 2019-2021, finishing up with the Rabbitohs after narrowly losing the 2021 grand final to the Panthers.
Bennett is a free agent in 2025 and has been open with his interest in returning to Souths, who have offered him a three-year deal.
The talks with Bennett started as pressure mounted on Arthur, Parramatta's long-term coach, with the Eels deciding to cut ties with him after a heavy Magic Round loss to the Storm.
On Monday afternoon the club released a statement, dropping a bombshell on the NRL.
It said Arthur's contract had been terminated "effective immediately".
"It was the view of the Board and CEO that the progress of our NRL team has stalled," the statement said.
"Our goal is to win premierships and it is time for the club to go in a new direction."
Assistant coach Trent Barrett, who has previously coached Manly and the Bulldogs will take Arthur's job in an interim capacity.
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