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As hard as it is to write, and as out of my depth it may be to suggest it, is it possible to question the methods of Wayne Bennett at the Newcastle Knights?
Let me be clear: this is not an easy article to write and I take no pleasure at potentially besmirching the great record of a recognised great coach.
With every keystroke on the computer, I am anticipating one of either two things: a backlash of hatred towards myself, the Newcastle Knights and Wayne Bennett, or a groundswell of agreement with myself about the Newcastle Knights and Wayne Bennett.
The Knights are currently clinging to eighth spot on the ladder, with a win-loss record of six and seven. They will travel to a lightning red hot Melbourne this weekend, to face a Storm team that is so good it has forced this writer to mix metaphors.
So, by this time next week, the Knights will most likely be going into the bye round with a six and eight record on a four game losing streak.
That, quite frankly, is bad reading, and simply not good enough.
So the question needs to be asked: what is wrong with Newcastle? Is it the team? Is it the coach? The administration? Has Nathan Tinkler, as unlikely as it may seem for a man of his ample girth, bitten off more than he can chew?
I have concerns about recruitment. Apparently not happy at having the oldest playing roster in the NRL by a long margin, Bennett has decided to up the average playing age of the squad by a couple of years with the introduction of Craig Gower.
As cover for the oldest player in the comp (Danny Buderus) being injured, Bennett has brought in the newest oldest player in the NRL.
Meanwhile, there are a bucket load of young ‘uns running around – Alex McKinnon, Dane Gagai, Travis Waddell – a mix of youth and inexperience combined with the elderly and experienced.
Yet this team cannot hold the ball regularly and they cannot score points when it matters.
There is nothing diabolically wrong with the team, per se. You cannot sneeze at only losing by seven points to the table-topping Rabbitohs. We were unlucky to not hold out the Dragons, who historically like to win in Newcastle.
And the loss to the Warriors, in hindsight, probably is not so bad considering the way they slayed the Broncos and beat the Sea Eagles at home.
But that is still four losses out of their last five. Worse, it is currently three losses in a row, likely to be four, one less than the five in a row the Knights lost last year which effectively ended our season.
The team simply does not look like they can currently cut it.
Does the administration have a case to answer? We are all told the Newcastle Knights administration, under the new cash brought in by Nathan Tinkler, is considered one of the best in the NRL. So much money running through the coffers, the administration can do as it needs, without worrying about crippling debt.
Of course, considering Nathan Tinkler’s fortunes currently look about as solid as the Greek economy, even that cannot be taken for granted for too long.
Nevertheless, the cash is currently still available, and the Knights are not necessarily in as much financial despair as Knights fans are used to reading about.
Tinkler is paying his bills, the rent has been paid at Hunter Stadium so, for now, the backrooms of the club are in order and Tinkler is still coming to the occasional home game.
Let’s talk about Wayne Bennett. When does the performance of the team become so bad that even the venerable and legendary coach has to start answering questions?
Bennett needs to start producing, and fast. After all, he is purportedly the highest paid coach in the comp, and when Tinkler’s private jet isn’t grounded, Bennett gets to use it.
The seven time premiership coach was simply signing on to deliver one thing: a premiership to Newcastle.
So much fanfare met his arrival. It was supposed to be a matter of ‘how many premierships’, not ‘will he win a premiership’.
However, has anyone ever really questioned his record? Let’s just quickly look at those seven premierships.
Seven of mostly anything is a lot, so there is no doubt it is an amazing achievement. Astonishing even. Of course, Sir Alex Ferguson won 13 division titles in roughly the same time with Manchester United.
Also, I have often wondered how Bennett’s record with St George would have looked if Melbourne had been able to accrue points in 2010?
Remember Melbourne being relegated to the bottom of the table for breaching the salary cap? Yep, that was 2010, the year Bennett cemented his legacy.
And then, it’s six premierships with the Broncos in 20 years. It is also ‘only’ six premierships, when you consider pretty much every year, the Broncos had a team that should have won.
I have often heard whispers from up north that most people believed he should have won at least 10 premierships during his tenure.
Which leaves us one and a half seasons into his reign as Newcastle coach. Missed the finals last year, about to slip out of the top eight half way through this season. Injuries piling up, the team can’t score points.
No, it does not look good at all. Now, apparently, Craig Gower is the star player the Knights need to ‘turn it around’.
I hope so, and Gower may well prove he can still cut it. History suggests he probably won’t. Yet the decision on recruitment lies with Bennett and his ‘elderly policy’.
Further, it is simply not enough anymore for Bennett to tell the media he can’t understand why the Knights are so inconsistent. With all due respect Wayne, it’s your job to ensure they are consistent.
Of all the people who are copping the blame: the players, the administration, Nathan Tinkler, it is only Bennett who appears untouchable. The coach won seven premierships, so surely it must be the fault of others rather than the venerable Wayne Bennett.
Well, maybe it is time to ask whether the coach can still cut it. Maybe it is time to ask if the likes of Craig Bellamy, Des Hasler and Ivan Cleary have moved past Benny.
Of course I respect Bennett, and what he has achieved in the game. I respect Jack Gibson too, but even he knew when his time was up. Also, Gibson tried to win a premiership with Cronulla, and that ended with him likening waiting for a Sharks premiership like leaving the porch light on for Harold Holt.
Well, with every passing game, the Knights look like being Bennett’s porch light left on for Harold.
In the end, past glories should only carry you so far. Bennett would be the first to ask a long-serving player to admit that.
So whose job is it to tell a coach when their time is up?
I hope I’m wrong, I really do. I hope come this time next week, the Knights have turned their season around with an amazing first win in Melbourne in only god-knows-how-long.
With every ounce of the blue and red blood that runs through my veins, I pray come season’s end, when the Knights are contenders, I am forced to eat my words, with a fat side of humble pie.
But I challenge anyone right now to tell me I appear off base.
With a win-loss ratio of six and seven, the Knights look like they are at sixes and sevens. And the coach needs to be accountable eventually.
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