Brisbane great Willie Carne says master coach Wayne Bennett will be determined to break the Broncos' premiership drought and not recruit for future NRL club South Sydney if he remains next year.
Critics have called for a 2019 swap between Bennett and Rabbitohs coach Anthony Seibold, who was recently confirmed as the man to take over the Broncos reins in 2020.
There are fears Bennett may convince Broncos players to go with him to South Sydney if he remains at Red Hill in 2019.
And Bennett has reportedly already asked the Rabbitohs to pursue the signing of prop Trent Merrin for next year, indicating an early release - a report the coach slammed on Saturday.
But ex-Test and Queensland winger Carne, who won two titles in seven seasons under Bennett, said Bennett would keep his eyes on the prize if he stayed in Brisbane.
Next year would be Bennett's 26th season with the Broncos reins.
"The Broncos players will lift for Wayne and he will get everything he can out of it from the players," Carne told AAP.
"It's not like he has started a new three-year deal and is going through the motions. He knows how long he has left now.
"This season will mean a bit more to him.
"And the players will want him to go out a winner.
"If he is there next year, Wayne will do the job at hand. It won't be a problem."
Rabbitohs head of football Shane Richardson has reportedly flown to the United Kingdom to speak with Bennett about a 2019 swap despite both coaches insisting they would begin their new tenures in 2020.
Bennett currently holds the England reins for their Test series against New Zealand.
Unlike many Broncos greats, Carne backed the Broncos' appointment of Seibold but warned it would be a tough job, with the glamour club still sweating on their first title since 2006.
Seibold has had just one season at the NRL helm, steering South Sydney to the 2018 NRL preliminary final and earning Dally M Coach of the Year honours.
"Coaching is a tough gig. Wayne always said to me when they win fans thank God, when they lose they blame him," Carne said.
"And you need luck to win a comp. Brisbane were the last team to go back-to-back and that was 25 years ago - that's crazy.
"Wayne has done something at some point that someone is not happy about (to depart the Broncos) but ...we all want the same thing, we have got to support the new coach."
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