We all know what Wayne Bennett has accomplished as a coach, coaching Brisbane to all six their premierships and St George Illawarra their sole one.
Bennett has been coaching since 1987 (co-coached Canberra with Don Furner) and has a seven from nine record in grand finals – or a seven from eight if you only count head coaching gigs.
Canberra lost to Manly in the 1987 grand final, 18-8. His first grand final loss as a head coach came in 2015.
But is he really a super coach?
I can’t take away any credit for what he did in his first stint at Brisbane.
In 20 years they won six premierships from six grand final appearances and developed a lot of talent for Queensland and Australia, like Darren Lockyer, Alfie Langer and Corey Parker to name but a few.
Then he went to the St George Illawarra Dragons from 2009-2011, coaching them to their only premiership in 2010.
He coached Newcastle from 2012-2014 – where they made one preliminary final – then Brisbane again 2015-2018. Bennett is currently at South Sydney.
1. St George Illawarra Dragons
Wayne Bennett may have been given the credit for the premiership but most of the team he had was built by Nathan Brown plus he did bring his ‘son’ Darius with him.
After he left in 2011, he look a lot of these players away to Newcastle, including Darius Bennett (that joke never gets old), Adam Cuthbertson, Alex McKinnon (I think we can make an exemption as he is from Scone) and Beau Scott.
Should Wayne Bennett and the Rabbitohs be worried? (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
After he left, they struggled big time and failed the reach the finals until 2015 or win a finals match until 2018. Yep it took them eight years to win a finals match from the 2010 grand final to the 2018 qualifying finals.
2. Newcastle
This one is not exactly a secret. He came promising us success, he hired a lot of has beens and told a lot of Knights juniors to go.
Instead of trying to help rebuild the Knights, he just put them in far worse condition. Even Peter Weller from the opening scene of Robocop was in better condition than Newcastle after Wayne left.
The older players went on to retire, a fresh batch of juniors had to come in well before they were ready and he’s even claimed he regrets taking the role. We regret you too, Wayne.
3. Brisbane
He did a fair decent job with them. Got them to the grand final in his first year back but Ben Hunt dropped all hope for the Broncos.
He helped them become a force, even blooded up some new juniors and a fresh outlook on recruits. Then comes his exit for South Sydney.
Let’s see, he told Ben Hunt to leave, taking players like Jadyn Su’A and James Roberts with him and left them in a huge hole.
Kodi Nikorima, Jordan Kahu and Josh McGuire left. Anthony Milford isn’t a five-eighth.
I see a pattern here. Take note everyone! Do not be overhyped if Wayne Bennett comes to coach your team because every time he comes to take over, he brings the shovel and buries your team.
He’s done it to the Dragons, Knights and Broncos in that order. South Sydney may have bounced back brilliantly since he came but now after four straight losses, even if he turns their season around, they’ll end up suffering the same burial when his time is done.
Wayne Bennett is no longer the super coach, it’s Craig Bellamy. Roarers, what do you think about Wayne Bennett?
Rosie Corocher
Guest
I think he should just hang up his coaching clipboard 4 a new younger up n coming coach to come through, Bennett is too old to coach anymore
WA DRAGON
Roar Rookie
Besides your last sentence not making any sense, the side he started with in 88 WAS full of Australian reps (Lewis, Miles, Scott, Langer, Dowling, Cornescu, Niebling), just like every other side he has coached. Buy yourself a history book chump!
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
When Bennett returned to the Broncos he had a top 8 roster and he added Milford who was one of the most sought after and dangerous players and did well to take them to a losing GF. After that his efforts weren't that great at all. Favorites to win in 16 and contenders after that with a roster he developed but they never threatened. His last couple of efforts in finals were a 30 nil loss and a 48 to 12 or similar smacking by Saints with a superior roster playing in Brisbane. His first year back at the Broncos may well have matched his Super Coach rating but the others clearly didn't. Hasler's 2011 outfit weren't rated as top 8 contenders but won the comp with dominant finals performances. He never had the core of the Australian or SOO team like Bennett did at the Broncos when he was winning titles.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
"To be fair".. I try mate, I do try. Most times I get there. And I do agree, and I don't underscore Bellamy's achievements or the enormity of them. I just don't think he has achieved as much as some other.
Big Daddy
Guest
Probably. Seeing the title had a convenient name change.
farkurnell
Guest
Trouble ...Benny 's lost interest in the Bunnies now that Darius wont come down.He'll go back north so he can get gig for both of them.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
The "Super Coach" is spreading himself super thin. Coaching the Rabbitohs should be a fulltime job already but Bennett has also taken on the additional responsibility of coaching England. But even that is not enough for the geriatric stick insect that will become a septuagenarian in just 6 short months. Now Bennett has his covetous eye on Kevvie's QLD Origin coaching role while Walters is still one game away from wrapping up the series. Origin bombshell as Wayne Bennett prepared to make Maroons return The Australian has reported the Queensland Rugby League has pinpointed the veteran supercoach as a replacement if Kevin Walters lands an NRL job for 2020. Walters is gunning for the Gold Coast coaching job if Garth Brennan is punted from the role. The South Sydney coach told the Sydney Morning Herald he would be open to answering a call from the QRL. “If they feel there is a part for me to play and I feel I can do that, I will do that. It’s as simple as that for me,” Bennett said. https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/state-of-origin/teams/queensland/origin-bombshell-as-wayne-bennett-prepared-to-make-maroons-return/news-story/443629c1ca8a1373d850ad7d405e6889
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
The whole narrative surrounding his time at Newcastle is wildly inaccurate. The Tinkler influence has already been explained in the comments. Bennett is easily one of, if not the greatest coach of all time. Not just what he's achieved in regards to premierships, finals etc, he built a brand new club from the bottom up (Broncos, 1988) and developed so many great players over 30 years. Langer, Walters, Lockyer, Tallis, Webke… I could go on and on. All Bennett. This article is quite astounding.
Mushi
Roar Guru
"Every side that he has been successful with has been star studded upon his arrival. The Broncos teams of the 90’s were almost an Australian side;" Funny I could have sworn Bennett arrived at the Broncos in '88. You know prior to the 90s chronologically.
Simoc
Guest
For me its all nonsense. Benett appears to get to know his players very well and they play for him. Bellamy appears to have systems in place that the players understand and work to. You judge when things are falling apart not when they're going well. Both Bennett and Bellamy are very good coaches and there isn't a better way. You take the good and wear the bad. The current Roosters coach has to be pretty good as well.
Pickett
Guest
To say coaches don't make a difference is ridiculous. You may not win without the cattle, but plenty of coaches have lost with the cattle. In 1966 Easts lost every single game. They had a donut all year. 1967, enter Supercoach Jack Gibson and with the same squad took them to the preliminary final where they lost a tight match against the Berries. Hasler has transformed the bottom placed same squad last year to potential top 4 team this year. Bennett took NZ to RLWC victory against a 50 point better Oz team and took last years England team to within an ankle tap of a 60 point better Kangaroo team.
bbt
Guest
There is a saying - "great coach plus good captain equals good team, great coach with great captain equals great team". It is an obvious truism, but when you throw in emotions like jealousy and ego, then it becomes obvious why the 2nd part of the statement is so hard to realise. A super coach, whoever they may be, must have the personality to allow the great captain to shine. Bit like any business, really.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
That article by that professor (of economics, pft!) had some serious holes in it’s reasoning. It relied on Bennett’s representative results being less impressive than his Broncos and Dragons results to bring him back to the pack. Since then, he turned around both the New Zealand and English sides and nearly won a premiership with a weak Broncis roster.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Did the Roar happen to get a legal letter, by any chance?
Mushi
Roar Guru
The 92 Broncos I think only had 4 players that played in '88. The storm had slater and Smith under contact when he arrived, unless the hypothesis is that Bellamy was 100% responsible for Slater and Smith's development and two random players inserted into those positions would have the same career.
Snoop Bloggy blog
Roar Rookie
Bennett’s a great coach and saw much of his success when he had the best recruiters in his support staff. The Broncos played with no established or even regular props for years under Bennett and his big recruit was Jack Bird, a million dollar centre. The blokes a man managing genius but there’s some extremely poor parts to his coaching that have been exposed over the years. He pushed both Hodges and Parker out the door when they were still playing their best footy and the whole they left has never been remotely filled.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Not really. That article relied on the the argument that Bennett had only really succeeded with a strong Broncos Roster and flukes it with St George. Since that (discredited) article was written Bennett achieved success with New Zealand, England and greatly improved a Broncos team with a weak roster, who fell apart again as soon as he left. Bellamy of course has chugged along relentlessly as he does.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
To be fair - Bellamy built and has maintained his bubble for more than a decade - he made that bubble, the bubble didn’t make him. Robbo, I agree - buying a champion team and constantly recruiting new stars whenever convenient doesn’t make someone a SuperCoach.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Bennett also taught Bellamy how to coach. That is not to diminish Bellamy in any way - his success with the Storm is all his own, but it can’t be a coincidence that the only serious rival to Bennett’s status as the greatest coach, spent a lot of time working under him. While I don’t think much separates them, the fact that Bennett’s style of coaching has translated to success at representative level suggests that he is a more versatile coach wthan Bellamy. Bennett can come into a new environment and immediately improve it. Bellamy probably needs a few years to get the machine humming, although once he gets it going, it doesn’t stop.
Rubbish Surf 69
Roar Rookie
Yeah and I find it very hard to believe that Slater, Inglis, Smith and Cronk were "nobodys" before they got to Melbourne. Maybe as 17 year olds NRL fans hadn't heard of them yet, but I bet you they were tearing apart the junior rep scene like no ones business. I've no doubt that Bellamy helped develop those players, and that he is also a gun coach, but why is it suddenly a punch on between he and Wayne? Aren't they both great coaches? To put my two bob in: Wayne coached the Broncos for 21 years straight in his first stint. He was responsible for building the foundations in one of the most succesful and well supported teams in the modern era. He didn't just win games and develop players, he built the values that the Broncos are built on. As you can tell by most of the other comments, this is a pretty baseless and one-sided argument from an obviously jaded Novacastrian.