“We have unfinished business, and that will be at the front of his mind. We won a comp 10 years ago, but it’s been a dry argument since. I’m sure he’s keen to prove a point and make sure he goes out on top.

“We want him to stay. It’s only a matter of time before we work through the details.”

Bennett will look to finalise his coaching staff and then turn his sights to his playing roster. He needs a marquee man to help pave the way for other players to follow suit.

Munster and Brandon Smith have both been touted, as has Parramatta’s Reed Mahoney, while Cherry-Evans’ name has been mentioned by a few respected figures up north.

Cherry-Evans told the Herald earlier this year he had fond memories of Redcliffe as he prepared to play an NRL game with the Sea Eagles in his old backyard.

“My best memory was playing there at half-time during a Queensland Cup game,” he said. “I can still remember scoring a try as a kid. It gave me the biggest buzz. They had decent crowds at those games. I would have been a seven or eight years old.”

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Redcliffe will this week reveal their front-of-jersey sponsor, while the Central Queensland Capras – the Rockhampton-based club where Munster grew up – have been added as a feeder club alongside the Redcliffe Dolphins.

Dolphins officials have already spoken about the fact Sydney-based players got the chance to experience a Queensland winter because of the competition being shifted north due to COVID-19 will help with their sales pitch.

Penn, whose family have ploughed millions of dollars into the Sea Eagles, welcomed the addition of a 17th club, provided “we’re growing the game and driving additional revenues for the game”.

The Sea Eagles bombed out in the preliminary finals and Penn knows the young players who were given their first taste of September football will only benefit the club in the years ahead.

Meanwhile, Manly players are expected to move into the club’s new $33 million centre of excellent at the end of February, in time for the new campaign, after COVID-19 disrupted construction.

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