If anyone in sport could rightfully be described as indestructible, it’s Wayne Bennett.
Replaceable? Maybe, especially if the hot rumours circling rugby league that Craig Bellamy will return to the Broncos as head coach either next season, with Bennett still a year to go, or 2020 when Bennett’s contract has run its course.
If Bellamy takes over, Bennett won’t be a spent force at 69-years-young, still just as keen to mentor the players of today as he was in 1988 when he became the inaugural coach of the Broncos.
And with every good reason, as the lanky and prickly one readies himself for his record 800th NRL game tomorrow night against the struggling Eels.
That’s a serious number to go with his record seven premierships, and record eight grand finals, well in front of every other contender.
But that’s Wayne Bennett, the best of all time.
The current 799 games have netted 495 wins for a success rate of 61.95 per cent. The legendary Jack Gibson’s the next best, with five premierships included in his 394 games for 245 wins, and 62.18 per cent.
And Tim Sheens was a quiet achiever, with four premierships in becoming the first to 600 games, before finishing with 669, 340 wins, and 50.82 per cent.
The record books have Craig Bellamy winning just two premierships with the Storm, having been stripped of another two as a result of salary cap rorting.
To date he’s coached 406 games for 275 wins, and 67.73 per cent.
But it would be fair to say with Cooper Cronk gone, and Cameron Smith with Billy Slater likely to retire at season’s end, Bellamy would see the Broncos as a far better alternative than staying in Melbourne.
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Both clubs have waved hefty contracts in front of him, but Bellamy is a Queenslander who has been away since 2003, and sees a return home very as attractive.
So it can be taken as read Craig Bellamy will be coaching the Broncos, it’s only a matter of next season, or 2020.
Where does that leave Wayne Bennett? There will be plenty of NRL clubs in the queue for his services, even more so in England if he cares to move abroad, especially as he’s the Poms’ current international coach.
But he’s a proud man, and he’ll be pissed off if he’s punted from the club he has mentored for a quarter of a century.
It’s the Bennett way that has moulded the Broncos culture, and the reason why they are arguably the wealthiest of the NRL clubs.
So there won’t be any lack of headlines over the next few weeks as the head-to-head between Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy unfolds.
Max Mayer
Roar Guru
It was absolutely amazing what he did with that England side. Previous English teams would have choked in that semi against Tonga and even if they had somehow made it through, would have capitulated to the Kangaroos in the final. They definitely weren't the most talented Pommy side I've ever seen but he shored up their defence, not a strong suit of the modern Super League and seemed to give the whole squad a sense of self-belief and each player an understanding of their role in the team - trademarks of Bennett-coached sides. Wouldn't call it the upset of league history and maybe not even best of the tournament (see Fiji's win over New Zealand in the quarters) but I'd say it definitely would have been close to the biggest upset in a World Cup Final (maybe not quite out-doing his effort with the Kiwis in '08)
Pickett
Guest
Whatever. But in the final, they were an ankle tap away from causing possibly the greatest upset in league history. Bennett did likewise with the 2008 Kiwis.
souvalis
Guest
You mean the same 6-1 second favorites going into the tournament England that were leading Tonga 20-0 in the semi,have 18 points put on them in 14 minutes and hang on due to a match winning strip on a try bound Fifita ? Shouldn’t have even been in the final...
Pickett
Guest
Never, ever, ever underestimate a Wayne Bennett coached side. His no hope England side was only an ankle tap away from a possible world cup victory last year, against a Supernova hot Kangaroos side.
Ken
Guest
Bleak city is a derogatory nsw media beat up term from memory which has never caught on no matter how hard you try lol , bleak as in best restaurants , fashion , major stadiums with tennis , cricket , afl , league and entertainment ,may even have been voted the most liveable , not as expensive as sydney , European style , coffee/ wine capital of Australia , that’s pretty bleak lol and I live in Brisbane .I have storm players on my instagram who constantly show st Kilda beaches , cafes , mornington winery , Portsea adventures all with out being hassled by a league mad population , all enjoying anonymity and freedom .
Ken
Guest
Oh crap next thing you’re gonna call Qld Asgard ? , it’s not a place it’s a people lol
Remo Shankar
Roar Pro
Truer words have never been spoken. I wrote off Wayne Bennett during dinner last night and this morning I woke up to find myself pinned underneath an oak wardrobe.
Forty Twenty
Guest
'Bennett has moulded the culture of the club and that's the reason they are arguably the wealthiest club in the NRL' It's hard to imagine how they couldn't be so wealthy , all the factors are in place and most of them are nothing to do with the management. How could things be any better, one league mad capital city to yourself and a huge stadium among other things . Most of the titles came when Bennett had a whole state to himself virtually. They've done well with what they've been given but so would most coaches.
Emcie
Roar Guru
It's about the vibe of the whole thing
Matt H
Roar Guru
Queensland's not a place, it's a feeling.
Don
Roar Rookie
The Gold Coast would give him a position overseeing Brennan and the Football ops without a second thought.
Emcie
Roar Guru
A Grand Final, two top 3 finishes and not placing lower then 5th over three years with a club that that was struggling to make the 8 prior to his arrival? Yeah, can't see why any other club would want him...
Don
Roar Rookie
As long as the Broncos are replacing Bennett with Bellamy and make public that Bennett’s final year will be paid out in full, there will not be much outcry about Bennett being treated unfairly. Publicly offer him a non football ops role ongoing at the club or a spot on the board to further appease fans. If Bennett made too much noise about his desire to stay and finish his term, the club and their aligned media stooges need only raise examples of how Griffin was cut early to bring Wayne back and the multitude of players cut either still under contract and / or were long term Broncos looking for another year but Wayne said no.
Dan
Guest
Reckon Bennett could get another gig in the NRL if he indeed got punted?
David Lord
Expert
Ken, I gave the wrong impression Craig Bellamy was a Queenslander by birth, having been born in Portland NSW.. My target was Bellamy began his stellar career in Brisbane as firstly the Broncos conditioner, rising to assistant coach in 2002 before moving to the Storm in 2003. Why Brisbane? Firstly the weather is far better than Bleak City, and rugby league is the main sport in Brisbane, as against being a minor sport in Melbourne where AFL is the only topic every day of the year. Lastly, a change is as good as a holiday, with many pluses and no negatives in moving north. Craig Bellamy will coach the Broncos, it's just a case of when. Wayne Bennett has a year to go on his current contract, and deserves the respect of the Broncos where he's served with distinction, so it looks as though Craig Bellamy will have to wait until 2020. But it will be well worth the wait. ,
Don
Roar Rookie
That’s in Queensland.... Queensland’s everywhere....
Don
Roar Rookie
He has previously said that his family would prefer to live in QLD. His daughter had a shop on the Gold Coast. Not sure if she’s still living in Coolangatta? And as far as a comparison of how deep each owners pockets go? The Broncos are a public company. Their largest shareholder is News Corp. As long as the board approves it the Broncos can offer anything deemed viable. The big difference being, the coin doesn’t come directly from any Broncos owner’s wallet. They just get a higher or lower dividend depending on the success of the initiative. At Melbourne the owners pay bills and feel the losses directly. But a correction to David’s article. Bellamy isn’t a Queenslander.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Wait what? Bellamy's not a Queenslander. He spent all of 5 years in Brisbane as an assistant coach, he's been in Melbourne for three times longer then that. He is very much a New South Welshman too, even coached the Blues. Why on earh would you think he was a Queenslander???
Ken
Guest
Busty lol funny name , you misunderstood what I said , the broncos are the richest club in the nrl but last I checked the owners of the Storm are in the top 5 sports management company’s in the world a huge conglomerate who see the Storm as a long term prospect , their clients include the Nz All Blacks ,England rugby , international cricket , Nfl teams , European footballs team etc they are literally a multi billion dollar company , Ben Ikin was right in his comment about the broncos wealth but do some research on the Storms owners and directors and I think you will be suprised , the world does not end at nsw , qld and victoria
Busty McCracken
Guest
Ben Ikin was saying last night that Broncos are far away the richest club in the NRL and that no other club can come close to matching what they can offer so id say Ikin would have a better understanding than you or I Ken. Based on that id say this article is close to the mark. At the least the finance side anyway. I guess the personal reasons thing is more conjecture than anything