Bennett expected to be at the Broncos for three years

When Wayne Bennett left Canberra to coach the Brisbane Broncos in 1988, he thought he would be lucky to last three years.

Twenty-one years and six premierships – possibly seven if he gets a fairytale farewell next month – he walks away confident the club is well placed for life after Wayne Bennett.

Asked if he thought he would still be at the club today, a straight-faced Bennett said: “No”.

“I thought if I lasted three years I would have done well,” he said.

When the original consortium of chairman Barry Maranta, Gary Balkin, Steve Williams and Paul “Porky” Morgan set out to sign a foundation coach they only wanted one man – Bennett.

Morgan, a corporate high flyer with a blue collar manner, and Bennett had played rugby league together in Toowoomba.

Morgan was handed the mission to get Bennett’s signature at all costs.

When Morgan turned up on Bennett’s Canberra doorstep in 1987, Bennett asked: “Why the suitcase?”

“Porky said `You keep rejecting my offers to coach the Broncos, so I’m staying in your home until you say yes’,” said Bennett.

Bennett’s biggest fear has always been leaving after such a long time at the helm with the club not being in the position he wanted to leave it.

“I think I’m leaving them in pretty good shape,” he said, refusing to show any signs of emotion before what could be his last game for the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.

“I don’t think I could do much more and I’ve got no regrets.

“It was always my greatest worry that I would leave after such a long time with the place not in the shape I wanted it to be in.”

Bennett also revealed he’d approached his players in February after announcing publicly he was leaving to coach St George and asked them for their full backing til the season’s end.

While clubs like the Bulldogs crumbled knowing their coach was leaving, Brisbane’s players stayed solid despite talk of a rift between Bennett and his successor Ivan Henjak.

“I knew it was going to be the biggest issue of the season and it would come down to how we managed it and I’m proud of all the players for the part they’ve played in it,” said Bennett.

“I asked them (players) to get on with the job and they’ve never let me down in my 21 years here.

“They know if I ask for something, I’m pretty fair dinkum and serious about it.

“I support them when they need a bit of help and they knew that I needed a bit of support.”

A seventh premiership would be the perfect end for Bennett.

But as usual, right to the end, he wasn’t giving the media the line they wanted.

“I don’t have to win a premiership to cap it off. I don’t have to do anything other than what I do,” he said.

But that’s exactly what Bennett does best, win premierships.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut

As bourbon ages, a portion of liquid is lost from the barrel due to evaporation. This is known as the Angel's Share. When the bourbon is taken from the barrel, a certain amount is left trapped within the wood. It's that extracted liquid, and the rich flavours from deep within the barrel that are in Jim Beam's Devil's Cut.

Click here to learn more about Jim Beam's wicked new bourbon.