The future of Wayne Bennett has been one of the biggest stories of the rugby league season.
The Brisbane coach is off contract at the end of 2019 and speculation is rife that the club are looking to take the club in a different direction from 2020.
This comes as a surprise to many, as Bennett is largely responsible for the Broncos’ resounding success over their 30-year history.
The club actively targeted premiership-winning coaches Paul Green from North Queensland and Bennett’s former protégé, Craig Bellamy from Melbourne.
Both Green and Bellamy publicly expressed their interest in the job, but unfortunately for Brisbane, their current contracts expire at the end of this season, meaning they’d have to sit out of the 2019 season entirely – unless Bennett voluntarily stepped down, which he emphatically rejected. Therefore Green and Bellamy re-signed for their respective clubs.
It should be noted that Bennett claimed it was he who suggested the Broncos should target Bellamy, which proves he knows his tenure at Red Hill is almost over.
This leaves the super coach without a club for 2020, as he has expressed his desire to continue coaching, despite being 68 years of age.
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A career spanning more than 30 years, over 800 first-grade games in charge of Canberra, Brisbane, St George Illawarra and Newcastle, Bennett has won seven premierships from eight grand finals. He has coached 21 State of Origins for Queensland and 27 internationals for Australia and England.
Throw in three games as Queensland coach in Super League’s Tri-Series in 1997, plus five games as coach of the NRL All Stars, countless individual awards and an induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, and he’s arguably the greatest rugby league coach of all-time.
The only question left to ask a coach who’s achieved everything is: what’s next?
The easy option would be for Bennett to find a club with a star-studded roster and collect another premiership, but it would be in his best interest, and in the best interest of the game as a whole, if he put his talents and experience to good use and rebuilt a struggling club.
And he need not look any further than an hour down the M1, and take the reins of the Gold Coast Titans.
The Titans have had a tumultuous last few years both on and off the field, however things looked promising in 2016, with the club qualifying for the finals for just the third time since their inception in 2007, while the recruitment of halfback Ash Taylor, who went on to win the Dally M Rookie of the Year, and a roster overhaul had put the club in a healthy position.
AAP Image/Dave Hunt
Unfortunately, the Titans suffered a destabilising 2017 season, largely due to the signing of former Eel and NFL star Jarryd Hayne, which led to rumours of in-fighting between players and then-coach, Neil Henry.
Henry was subsequently sacked and rookie coach Garth Brennan was signed, while Hayne returned to Parramatta.
Brennan signed a three-year deal with the Titans, until the end of 2020, however the third year of his contract is contingent on results, meaning the board can release Brennan at the end of 2019 if he fails to live up to expectations.
That leaves the door wide open for Bennett to take over in 2020. Although he’d demand top dollar compared to what Brennan is on, Titans owners Darryl Kelly and Rebecca Frizelle could afford it.
The sky’s the limit on what a Bennett-Titans union could achieve.
The aspect of coaching that Bennett cherishes most is being a mentor to young players, both on and off the field. The Titans would benefit greatly from his wealth of experience and leadership, especially the likes of Ash Taylor, Jai Arrow and AJ Brimson, whom the club could base itself around for years to come.
The goal wouldn’t necessarily be to deliver a premiership, but to help a group of young players reach their full potential, establish a winning culture, and set-up the club for long-term success.
Such an achievement on the Gold Coast, a city that’s suffered so many failures trying to establish a successful rugby league club over the past 30 years, would truly cap off Bennett’s amazing legacy and cement his status as not only one of the greatest coaches of all time, but one of the most influential mentors in the history of Australian sport.
Matt P
Roar Rookie
Best part is he didn't even spell your name correctly anyway.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I wouldn't recommend reading too many of my comments if that bothers you, I'm generally more concerned with what I'm saying then how its spelt and it gets much worse then that
Phil
Guest
...err Emcee, we talk Rugby League on here not Gridiron. We have "centres" not "centers." If you are American you will eventually learn the correct language.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
G'day Dirk, Demitriou is more than ready to be an NRL head coach!! He won a Q-Cup comp as head coach of the Northern Pride. Won a premiership with the Cowboys as assistant coach under Paul Green and has served as assistant coach at the Dragons and Broncos. He doesn't need anymore nurturing and probably should have got the Titans job ahead of Brennan. The Titans have a very talented roster led by Ash Taylor. My 2021 hypothetical reference to the Titans winning the comp is under Bennett. Not Brennan.
Dirk Diggler
Roar Rookie
Gee Adam that's a big call winning the comp with a good (not great) roster and an unproven coach. Most successful coaches learn under great coaches.....how many in the NRL at present worked under Bellamy....plenty. Guys like him welcome new talent into the fold and genuinely love to see them flourish as head coaches at other clubs. I don't know enough about how many good coaches worked under Bennett but other than Bellamy there would be quite a few i would have thought. I feel the Broncos are within their right to have Bennett nurture Demitriou (if this is who they believe can step up) for another season or two then he either moves on to another club or Bennett dutifley retires with the satisfaction of knowing he mentored the best available candidate. Personally I think Kevvie Walters would be a good option
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Agreed... Although the Titans are probable a bit short on experience, they currently have a plethora of Talent. Give Bennett 2 years (2020 and 2021), I see no reason why the Titans can't win the comp in 2021
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Hi Jewboy… fully understand your perspective. As one gets older, regardless of what career and what position you're in, you'll eventually start to lose tough. When you look at Bennett's career, he's needed to have the ability to evolve ad stay ahead of the game as the game has changed over the years. I think once he loses that ability, it's time to hang up the coaches whistle. I don't believe he's there yet. On paper, there are many other teams who, fair to say, have more talent than the current Broncos outfit, but Bennett is still getting the best out of he's players and his team is still a contender for the premiership. Compare him to say... The Donald. 73-years-old, President of the US and their ecomomy and job numbers are booming. Same could be said for the Titans under Bennett at 70, if he were to go to the Titans. Plus, Bennett doesn't eat Big Macs everyday
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Thanks DP. Personally I follow the Cows... but I'm an even bigger fan of rugby league and want to see all clubs in a position of strength.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
It would be a test of Brennan's ego whether he would stay. If he wanted to... I'd take that decision out of Bennett's hands. All hypothetical... but that's what I see as the Titans best interests long term.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Gordan always had the speed, skill, defence and could kick goals. I've rated him highly all the way back to his Panthers days. He's also having a great year individually at the Gold Coast
Forty Twenty
Guest
The best way for a highly regarded coach to go down in history would be to move from a very strong club to a pretty weak club and win a title or two. Bellamy is the only one I can think of who hasn't moved. Gibson , Hasler ( to another strong club) , Bennett, Ryan , Fulton (to a strong club) , Ricky Stuart ( he was highly regarded) are a few. Just like if Bennett did go to the Titans expectations are high that a great coach brings success. The evidence is thin on the ground. It's pretty hard to make the top 4 and then win a few games at the end of the year with a pedestrian roster. Prove the doubters wrong Wayne.
Beastie
Roar Rookie
Bennett is the reason Brennan went down to Penrith as he didn't want him when he was at Newcastle so I don't think he would keep him on if he did join the Titans.
Forty Twenty
Guest
Malcom Reilly had a couple of years at the Knights with a winning rate of 65% and a title. Wayne Bennett had a few years there with no titles and a strike rate of 45%. Does the mean that Reilly is that much better than Bennett? Of course not but it is a bit of a guide to coaching success. Coaches with stellar rosters and stability usually do very well just like the Broncos did for along time.
DP. Schaefer
Guest
And Adam, in that respect you are correct. And in my humble opinion, you have a good 'feel' for what would be good for the game. You also may be a fortune teller, if Brennan could handle Bennett and be assured that his job security is in the hands of the owners and not Bennett's moods then he might accept it. Couldn't learn from a better source.
Jewboy
Guest
Maybe Wayne should practice what he preaches to his players.....'don't play a year too long when your use by date is flashing'. He's never had a problem moving his players on when he thought their use by date was geting close. He's had his time....and just as the great players like Smith, Thurston, Slater and Cronk would have found it hard to give their repesentiveted careers up, in the long run it can only be beneficial to the game as it allows the next crop of up and coming stars to pick up the baton and run with it .This allows these new 'green shoots' to developed and keep the game healthy. There will be other coaches out there who given their chance will be successful. The game is bigger than any one coach and needs to move on.
Mac
Guest
Agree with Adam re Michael Gordon. Superstar in my opinion.
Emcie
Roar Guru
They were getting talked up plenty earlier this season
Emcie
Roar Guru
I don't know where this idea that Boyd got moved to center due to injury came from, it's like someone suggested it once and everyone just ran with it. He was moved there because Brisbane ran out of center options. No one else can really fill in at center without being a weakness but they've got a couple of guys capable of playing at fullback. Their attack and defence down the right edge has been an issue most of the season and Milford hasn't really had a consistant pairing outside him yet. I think it just came to a point where with the current injuries it was clear that the situation wasn't going to improve and this close to the finals Wayne had to bite the bullet
no one in particular
Roar Guru
signed Bevan French for that
Larry1950
Guest
Thought his recommendation was Demetrio, not Smith? Unfortunately, Gus has got it right when he named the Bennett recommended successors at the Broncos, dragons and Knights, all abysmal failures. Broncos would be eying off Seibold because he's originally from there, has been a success as Qld's assistant coach in the past and now doing a good job at Souths. Everyone likes how his team's play attacking footy which might help Milford etc. I can't see Boyd lasting 3 more seasons as his hamstring gets tighter with age & that injury is behind his shift to the centres where there's less running under full pressure.