DANE Gagai wants to return to the Broncos, the club that sacked him two years ago, and will start negotiations with Brisbane over the summer.
Gagai is set to be the first example of Bennett’s pull, as the explosive back has told close friends he wants to play under Bennett for the rest of his career.
Gagai will be a major threat to the Broncos when the surging Knights attempt to end Brisbane’s finals hopes on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium.
He has been in sensational form as the Knights continue to shock teams ranked above them.
Newcastle made a formal offer to extend Gagai in June but he decided to sit on it.
He will now test his value on the open market with Brisbane favoured to sign him.
The star centre is off-contract at the end of next year and it is understood he wants to follow Bennett back to Brisbane for the 2016 season.
Gagai was sacked by Broncos coach Anthony Griffin two years ago following a string of minor disciplinary issues such as wearing the wrong attire and arriving late to team meetings.
Now Bennett is replacing Griffin, he can return to the club he debuted for in 2011.
Gagai’s management company GS Sports has not spoken with Bennett recently but incoming Knights coach Rick Stone contacted them on the weekend to ensure they knew he wanted Gagai long-term.
Gagai has nothing against incoming coach Stone but simply credits Bennett with shaping him into a professional footballer and wants to continue his development under him.
There could yet be a push from Gagai to move north as early as next year but Newcastle would block any poaching attempt.
Bennett emphatically denied Gagai would break contract to join him at the Broncos next season.
“He’s under contract here for another year,” Bennett told ABC Radio on Sunday.
Gagai moved to Newcastle to play underneath Bennett midway through the 2012 season, rejecting interest from the Queensland Reds and Gold Coast Titans.
Gagai, 23, is close with Bronco Josh Hoffman, after the pair grew up in Mackay.
The duo have repeatedly spoken about a desire to combine in an NRL backline one day.
“I’d like to enjoy playing with him again, we always said we’d love to play (first-grade) with each other,” Hoffman said earlier this year.
“His brother Jacob is coming through the under-20s ranks so it would be good if we could get Dane back here — it would be like the old times back in Mackay.”
Of course, Hoffman is part of a swelling Broncos backline that could feature Darius Boyd next season.
Gagai would likely begin life as a winger at the Broncos but Justin Hodges, who remains Brisbane’s best attacking threat outside of Ben Hunt, is off-contract at the end of 2016.
If Hodges decided to retire at that point; Gagai would become his right centre replacement.
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