He may have spent time at a retirement village but Wayne Bennett does not appear interested in handing over the Brisbane reins just yet.
The Broncos coach joked that he was lucky to have been allowed out after attending Brisbane forward Sam Thaiday's unique retirement announcement at a retirement village on Friday.
Bennett on Saturday was still chuckling over Thaiday dressing up as an elderly man in front of bemused village residents to confirm the 2018 NRL season would be his last.
Thaiday cracked Bennett when he offered himself and the 68-year-old coach up to the retirement village as a "package deal".
"Sam just had some fun yesterday. I loved it," Bennett said.
"I was worried they were going to try and keep me in there. I was pleased to get out."
But Bennett didn't sound like a man walking away from the Broncos reins any time soon.
Off contract next year, Bennett tabled a proposal for his future last month to the Broncos board after the club missed out on Melbourne's Craig Bellamy.
Bennett may have had a giggle over Thaiday but his demeanour changed when quizzed about his future.
He would not give an update on his Broncos status and claimed he had not heard reports linking Wests Tigers' Ivan Cleary to the club in a package deal with his son, NSW half Nathan Cleary.
"I hadn't heard until you just told me. Who has been saying that? Where is that coming from?" Bennett said of the Cleary speculation.
"Not in the media again?
"I have stopped believing in the media. I stopped believing a long time ago, to be honest with you."
Asked about an update on his Broncos future, Bennett said: "That is all confidential; I am not going to elaborate on that."
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