Warriors v Dolphins: NRL supercoach Wayne Bennett opens up on Kiwis snub

Wayne Bennett helped the Kiwis win the World Cup in 2008. Photo / Photosport

Wayne Bennett would have loved the chance to coach the Kiwis but has moved on, after being overlooked for the job in February.

Regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport, Bennett has done it all across more than 900 NRL matches, winning seven premierships from 10 grand finals, while enjoying State of Origin triumphs in four different decades and achieving international success with Australia, New Zealand and England.

The 74-year-old remains in demand, illustrated by his new three-year deal at South Sydney from 2025, following the exit of Jason Demetriou earlier this month.

But New Zealand Rugby League – to the surprise of many observers – decided not to engage Bennett as Michael Maguire’s successor, opting instead for Kiwis great and Warriors assistant coach Stacey Jones.

In his typically understated way, the Dolphins coach was unfazed about the process.

“It was okay,” said Bennett. “I applied for the job. They didn’t give it to me.”

When asked if there was a reason given for going in another direction, Bennett said there hadn’t been.

“Not really. That was their decision.”

Bennett didn’t want to speculate on whether he could have worked with Jones, similar to the technical advisor role he filled alongside Stephen Kearney during the triumphant 2008 World Cup campaign.

Kiwis great Stacey Jones was announced as the new head coach of the New Zealand men's rugby league team in February. Photo / Photosport

“In 2008 they offered me the job,” said Bennett. “They came to Australia and offered me the job but I wanted Steve Kearney to do it. I thought he had a long-term future with the Kiwis and I had a lot of respect for him and I said I would work with him. That’s how that worked and it worked great.”

Bennett has always been an advocate of the international game and said the potential Kiwis role appealed on several levels.

“I’d worked with them before, I’d coached the All Golds in England, part of the [2008] World Cup, great experience,” said Bennett. “I have a lot of respect for them all, all the players; I’ve coached a lot of Kiwis as well [at clubs]. So I respect them enormously and just thought I could make a contribution and I was keen to do that but it didn’t happen, so never mind.”

Bennett has been a remarkable survivor, cutting his teeth in Queensland before starting in the Winfield Cup with Canberra in 1987. The Dolphins are his sixth NRL club and he will begin his 38th first-grade season with the Rabbitohs next year.

What keeps him going?

“I don’t really ask myself that question,” said Bennett. “As long as I have got the energy and I want to be there in the morning, nothing has changed for me in that department so why wouldn’t I keep doing it? I enjoy it.”

By the 2027 season, he could complete 1000 NRL matches as a coach, though he doesn’t put much stock in personal milestones.

“[I was a] bit surprised when I got to 900,” said Bennett. “Probably even more surprised when I got to 100 a long time ago. I can’t let that kind of stuff interfere; I’ve got a great responsibility to a club and a lot of players and the fanbase and I am not going to do something that is going to give me personal gratitude over what I really should be committed to.”

Coaching great Wayne Bennett. Photo / Photosport

He believes you never feel comfortable as a coach – “it’s the worst place you can go” – adding that there are always ways to improve.

“Always learning, always something that comes up,” said Bennett. “You think you know a fair bit and something comes up to challenge you.”

A pertinent example is the demotion of Warriors prop Addin Fonua-Blake, with the marquee front-rower stood down for Sunday’s match by coach Andrew Webster following a breach of team standards. Bennett agreed it was a brave call.

“He is one of the top players in the game,” said Bennett. “It’s a pretty courageous decision the coach made, got to assume he made it after a lot of deliberation and thinking about it. It’s never easy but I’m sure he thinks he has done the right thing and I am sure he has.”

The Dolphins, seeking their fourth consecutive win, will be slight favourites on Sunday, despite the Warriors’ remarkable victory over Penrith last Sunday. The home side are still missing a number of frontliners, including Shaun Johnson, Tohu Harris, Wayde Egan and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and face another week with an experimental spine. A positive result is not out of the question, especially with another sellout crowd, but it will require another massive effort against a settled and confident Dolphins team.

“I’m not talking about them being the underdogs and us the favourites,” said Bennett. “I’m not interested in that and I don’t want the players to be interested in it either.”

Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. He has also reported on the Warriors and NRL for more than a decade.