Ben Barba's future at the Broncos remains uncertain but club great Steve Renouf believes the former Dally M winner would thrive under Wayne Bennett despite a less than inspiring debut season.
Barba underwhelmed at Red Hill in 2014 and has been linked to the Sharks as Bennett moves back in and starts to shape his roster for coming campaigns. Josh Hoffman and Martin Kennedy are others who may be on the move.
Sam Thaiday has already suggest Barba didn't produce the kind of football Brisbane had envisaged when he made the move north from Canterbury and Cronulla are scouting for a playmaker to replace Todd Carney.
But Renouf says Brisbane should show some patience in Barba, who he believes can return to his dynamic best if Bennett can steer him in the right direction.
"I think it would be fairly sad to see him go because I'd love to see with him with a year under his belt playing under Wayne Bennett," said Renouf, who has reconvened in Brisbane as part of a reunion of the 1994 Kangaroo tourists.
"We all know what Ben Barba can do and I know he hasn't lit the house on fire here. But we know he is very capable and I think Wayne could bring that out of him."
Bennett has already started to stamp his authority at the Broncos and Renouf said fans should put their faith in the champion coach, who guided the club to six premierships before he sought new challenges at St George-Illawarra and Newcastle.
"As he does and as he should. That's a good thing," Renouf said. "People have got to trust his decisions and that's always happened when we've been successful. Not everyone likes it but you have to toe the line. It's a good thing.
"He'll sit down one-on-one with those players and he'll tell them what he expects and ask them what they want to give. I'm sure Wayne will be very blunt.
"If you don't want to be there, they need to tell him and he'll get somebody who does. He did the same with us. It will be no different."
Earlier in the week, Thaiday said Barba's average performances for the Broncos may not be enough to keep him on the roster.
"It kind of comes down to form," Thaiday said. "He probably didn't show the form we wanted him to show. Wayne wants to have a squad he has picked and selected so he can really do something.
"It's tough old sport we play. Sometimes you're on the wrong end of the stick and sometimes you do get moved on. I hope they can still be part of the Broncos."
