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How a Bondi betrayal brought down a super coach By Steve Mascord - Wayne Bennett and the club he helped found have been on borrowed time since September 7, 2006.
That morning, The Daily Telegraph broke the biggest story of the rugby league season - that Brisbane's only coach in 18 years had been pencilled in to replace the sacked Ricky Stuart at Sydney Roosters.
Bennett's once-unthinkable move south was dependent on just one thing: not the $2.4 million, three-year price tag but rather the fact that no one found out about it.
The publicity didn't just scuttle the contract, it infected a relationship between club and coach, almost two decades in the making, with terminal illness. Bit by bit during the 16 months that have passed since, that relationship steadily rotted.
Chief executive Bruno Cullen had been enticed to the Broncos by Bennett but soon stories surfaced of a strained friendship.
Cullen had trusted Bennett so much he hadn't even asked him about the Roosters reports at first.
And having seen Essendon's Kevin Sheedy shown the door after 27 years and four premierships, Bennett felt the shadow of a similar fate loom over him. But by last October there were signs that bridges had been mended.
A Broncos board meeting had determined Bennett would leave in 2009 - but not before - and at the club's annual dinner Bennett was given its highest honour, life membership.
His decision to walk off the stage without uttering a word, leaving Cullen at the lectern, saw tensions soar beyond their previous boiling point.
Weeks later came revelations that the coach was receiving $1 million in payments - for his family - from Ken Talbot. Talbot, the subject of a government bribery enquiry, was a member of the Thoroughbreds group of corporate supporters who at one stage were said to be mounting a takeover bid at the club.
It was a tangled web: politics, football, finance and, in Bennett, one of the most complex, contradictory personalities in Australian public life.
For the Broncos and for the coach, it was all getting too hard.
The payments were revealed in The Sunday Telegraph on December 9.
"On December 10, 2007, I informed certain members of the Brisbane Broncos board of my intention to resign at the completion of season 2008," Bennett said yesterday in a prepared statement.
"I was requested to take a cooling-off period, which I agreed to.
"If my position had not changed by the end of January 2008 it was agreed that my intentions would be made public after the scheduled board meeting on Tuesday, February 5.
"Last night I officially informed the board of my resignation."
Voted the most popular sporting club in Australia on more than one occasion, the Brisbane Broncos have spent two decades at or near the top despite the efforts of the game's legislators to even out the competition.
They never lost a player they wanted to keep, officials often boasted.
But then Wendell Sailor left. And Lote Tuqiri, Justin Hodges, Shaun Berrigan . . . and yesterday, the man who started it all.
History may well judge yesterday as more than just the end of the longest coaching run at any club in premiership history.
After 20 years of confident - occasionally arrogant - insularity, the Brisbane Broncos will wake up today to a rude shock.
Finally, they are just another NRL club. Read more Daily Telegraph
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NZRL looking for new director By Sam Worthington - Wellington's rugby league academy will continue this year without its former director, Paul Bergman, the New Zealand Rugby League says.
Bergman, who was also the Wellington Orcas coach in the now defunct Bartercard Cup, resigned from his post at the Petone campus last December.
There had been fears Bergman's departure could cause the academy to fold, but NZRL high performance director Tony Kemp allayed those concerns yesterday.
Kemp met with WelTec chief executive Linda Sissons last week to discuss the academy's future without Bergman, who is waiting on the announcement of the Kiwis' coaching staff before exploring overseas options.
Kemp said the NZRL and WelTec were committed to continuing the academy.
"Over the last couple of years it's been a successful rugby league academy both in education and in sport," Kemp said.
"Linda is very happy for it to go ahead and we're working tirelessly at filling the position that was vacated by Paul and bringing the three parties together which is the NZRL, the Wellington Rugby League and WelTec so we can move forward."
The director's position has not yet been advertised and Kemp would not discuss individuals though the Lomax brothers, Johnny and David, appeal as possibilities.
Kemp will meet again with WelTec officials on February 14 to determine a shortlist of candidates to replace Bergman.
"There's a lot of people that could slide straight into that job," Kemp said.
"It's about making sure that the candidates stack up to all the KPI's [key performance indicators] that both WelTec and the leagues will work together on.
"It's not ideal but we're in no position to just whack someone in there who can't do what we expect them to do."
Kemp said the Petone-based program was the model for what will be similar academies in other regions.
"The NZRL are currently holding talks with other polytechnics to run academies, which has been greeted with open arms by not only the polytechnics but a lot of other people," Kemp said.
"It's making sure that we're feeding the polytechnic with kids that need an upskill in education and if they can benefit through sport they can.
"Of course elite football is part of it but it's not the only part."
Kemp hinted at some displeasure at how Bergman ran his programme, saying there were "a lot of flaws", but he refused to elaborate.
With no viable national domestic competition to play in, last year's Orcas side has almost completely disbanded.
Three under-20 players have gained contracts with National Rugby League clubs - Mose Masoe (Sydney Roosters), Alehana Mara and Meli Koliavu (Warriors) - while others are pursuing options in Australia or in rugby. stuff.co.nz
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Why Wayne Bennett decided to leave the Broncos By Robert Craddock - Wayne Bennett knew the Broncos were going to get rid of him. He didn't want to give them that satisfaction. A deteriorating relationship with the Broncos board had reached the point where Bennett decided to jump before being pushed when his contract expired at the end of next year.
It was the ultimate power play from a man who for 21 years had been the coach and all-encompassing figure at the game's most dominant club.
The day's most revealing quote came when Bennett said "I didn't want them to pull a Sheedy on me" in reference to Essendon's dramatic sacking of veteran coach Kevin Sheedy last year.
Bennett's departure was the talk of Queensland yesterday. Brisbane Broncos fans have never known another coach and such is his status that on the same day his resignation sent shock waves throughout the state his name was brought up during court proceedings involving a former member of Parliament and a coal mine millionaire.
Bennett will complete his 21st year at the club this season but is unlikely to be lost to the NRL with the Bulldogs and Dragons among his likely suitors.
This was the day that has been coming since mid-2006 when it was revealed that he had secretly brokered a deal to coach the Roosters.
Believing his position was under threat at the Broncos, Bennett made moves to secure his financial future. Despite a large property portfolio, including a farm at Warwick and an apartment on the Sunshine Coast, his great fear in life has always been passing away without having enough money to guarantee life-long support for his two disabled children, Katherine and Justin.
"It preyed on Wayne's mind," one Broncos official said yesterday. "It was one of those situations where he never felt enough would be enough given inflation levels and the cost of specialist treatment. Unfortunately Wayne's relationship with the board was never the same again."
The Roosters deal in 2006 hinged on it being kept secret and collapsed when word leaked out to the media. Incredibly, the Broncos were the last to know. And they never forgave him.
Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen, a straight-shooter not normally given to whimsy, initially joked how the rumours had come "from thin air" and mocked the story.
He started to get worried but consoled himself with the thought "surely if there's something happening Wayne would approach me".
Then finally he decided enough was enough. He phoned Bennett and the coach said "we better have a chat", which is where Bennett revealed the plan.
The long-term relationship between Cullen and Bennett was not reduced to poisonous levels, but it was never the same.
"The bottom line to all this is that Wayne thought he could control Bruno when he was chief executive and get his way like he always used to," one club source said yesterday.
"But Bruno surprised him. It was a case of two stubborn old hard heads clashing and neither prepared to give way."
The Roosters deal or no deal was the defining moment in the club's history when the Broncos stopped being Wayne Bennett's club, when other people in the club were more important than the man who had coached it for all its life.
Broncos board meetings of that time reportedly featured angry words from members who contemptuously declared enough was enough. The same men who had worshipped at Bennett's altar only months before were privately questioning his future.
Anti-Bennett feelings intensified on October 5 when Bennett accepted a life membership at the Broncos presentation night but the only word he said on stage was "thanks" to Cullen when he shook his hand.
The next morning there was an informal phone round of several board members and word leaked to the media they thought Bennett's actions were "embarrassing, disgusting and disgraceful", with one official claiming "how can you expect the players to show respect to people when they get a lead like that from the coach?"
Bennett defended himself by claiming it was a long night - and the players' night - but talk centred firmly on the coach and his increasingly fragile relationship with the board.
The bond between Bennett and Cullen received another black eye when news leaked out on December 9 that Bennett was receiving six-figure payments annually from controversial mining magnate Ken Talbot to help support his disabled children.
Cullen was angry when told that Bennett had revealed to the media that Cullen was aware of the deal.
The next day Bennett tendered his resignation but the board requested a cooling-off period, believing Bennett had simply over-reacted to media pressure.
The Broncos are owned by News Limited (publishers of The Courier-Mail) whose chairman and chief executive John Hartigan last night revealed he had spoken to Bennett in Sydney on Saturday.
"I had read he was going to make a decision so I wanted to put in front of him what News' position was," Hartigan said last night. "That was one of great support. He was a creative genius with the players. We recognise that. In an ideal world I would have liked to see him see out his contract but we won't stand in his way. I left the meeting thinking he would resign."
Bennett's obsession about doing the best for his children reached all avenues of his life.
It spurs him to eat well and to exercise to a point where he can beat some of his players in road runs at the age of 58.
Bennett generally kept his concern over his family to himself but in a recent interview on the ABC he dissolved into tears when discussing his plans to support them beyond his own life.
Through his massively successful two-decade stay at the Broncos, Bennett has always been defiantly his own man. But he has also kept an open ear to those he trusted most.
It was widely thought the death of his cherished mentor Bob Bax and colourful club director Paul Morgan rocked Bennett's equilibrium because they were two people who never feared him and were often brave enough to privately challenge him and thereby help him make balanced decisions.
Bax, a colourful former bookie, story-teller and bush psychologist, was everything the non-drinking, non-gambling Bennett wasn't. But they clicked.
Bennett and Bax were so close that Bax would have no hesitation in saying to Bennett "I can't believe you are still picking that bloke".
No offence would be taken.
The gregarious Morgan was even more forceful and would occasionally ring Bennett after a big lunch demanding "when are these blokes going to stop playing like a pack of sheilas?"
Few would ever consider being as game.
Many players privately admitted they were intimidated by Bennett's presence in a headmaster-student sort of way.
One Courier-Mail journalist who gave Allan Langer a lift back from a guest-speaking lunch in Caloundra was stunned by how fearful he was about missing the start of training by a few minutes.
"Mate, we just have to be on time . . . otherwise I am dead," Langer said.
Bennett had a tempestuous relationship with Brisbane's football media and did not speak to The Courier-Mail's chief rugby league writer Steve Ricketts for almost three years after taking strong objection to this paper's coverage of Justin Hodges' decision to join the Sydney Roosters in 2002.
The two have now mended their differences.
The Courier-Mail online surveys yesterday started with a flood of support for Bennett, then swung around with a collective cheer for the fact that he was gone. Then came some strident demands from readers demanding Cullen be sacked.
None of this will surprise anyone who knows Bennett or has even followed his career.
Bennett polarises people. People are barely ever indifferent to him. Read more Courier Mail
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Allan Langer a Broncos coaching contender By Phil Lutton - Broncos great Allan Langer has emerged as a shock contender for a Brisbane coaching job in the wake of Wayne Bennett's resignation. Bennett has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the 2008 after 21 seasons and six premierships at Red Hill.
The Broncos board "reluctantly" accepted Bennett's request for an early release from his contract, which was to have ended after the 2009 season.
Speculation has already began to mount about a possible successor, with Canberra coach and Maroons assistant Neil Henry a candidate if he can get an early release from the Raiders.
But a club source told brisbanetimes.com.au that the lack of coaches off contract in 2009 meant former halfback Langer may be considered in an interim position along with current assistant Ivan Henjak.
Langer, who is based in Caloundra, told brisbanetimes.com.au that Bennett travelled up the coast to meet him last week - and he wouldn't rule out a coaching role with his former club.
"Anything can happen between here and then. He's still got the job this year," Langer said.
"The Broncos are always at your heart, so if anything did come up you'd have to have a serious think about it."
If Brisbane suffered a poor start to the season, flagging results and the friction between Bennett and the Broncos board could see Langer and Henjak involved earlier than scheduled.
Langer played 258 games in the number seven jersey for Brisbane and is considered one of the greats of the club. He retired at the end of 2002 after a career that also included 34 appearances for Queensland and 21 Australian caps.
The source described the relationship between Bennett and Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen as "very tense" and said Bennett's silence when given a life membership of the club at last season's presentation night was the final straw.
"There is no love lost between the pair now. Wayne only comes in when he really has to. It's a very tense football office at the moment.
"The board have simply had enough of Wayne's antics in recent times - his failure to make an acceptance speech at last year's presentation night when awarded life membership sealed his fate." Read more League HQ
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Bulldogs, Dragons chase free agent Wayne Bennett By Steve Mascord - Wayne Bennett is to be targeted by a group trying to take over the Bulldogs following his dramatic exit from the Brisbane Broncos yesterday.
Dogs coach Steve Folkes and St George Illawarra's Nathan Brown, who is thought to have as few as six weeks to prove himself, shape as the men with most to lose after 58-year-old Bennett announced he would be quitting the club he helped found, effective at the end of 2008.
The current Dogs administration does not want Bennett but Graeme Hughes, leading a ticket to oust them, strongly suggested he would be considered under the alternative regime.
"It goes without saying that any management would certainly look at the best available people," Hughes said last night when asked about Bennett.
"Our absolute priority is the players."
Current CEO Malcolm Noad would not comment but last night told club insiders Bennett would not be appointed on his watch.
Dragons CEO Peter Doust was less reassuring to Brown, saying: "Obviously Wayne Bennett is a great coach but I have no comment to make about the coaching position at the Dragons in 2009.
"We'll be reviewing the situation at the appropriate time."
In Brisbane, assistant Ivan Henjak is an early favourite to be interim coach in 2009 with Melbourne's Craig Bellamy tipped to be aggressively sought for the following season.
Former Broncos Allan Langer, Kevin Walters and Trevor Gillmeister immediately put their hats in the ring. Officials want a decision by the end of May.
Melbourne and Canberra, homes of more favoured candidates Bellamy and Neil Henry, said they would not let either go before the end of next year.
Storm CEO Brian Waldron said: "I spoke to Craig today out of courtesy and he reaffirmed his commitment to us . . . for the next two years and we'll talk to him in due course about extending that out."
But it is understood Bellamy has so far rejected talk of extending his contract beyond 2009, suggesting he is leaving his options open.
Bellamy's agent, John Fordham, said he would not consider anything beyond 2009 "at this stage".
A straight swap with Henry and Canberra has been mooted but the Raiders' chief executive Don Furner said: "Neil is under contract and we wouldn't let him go."
Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen said: "My first reaction is that we will not be in the business of encouraging coaches to break their contracts at other clubs."
He would not rule out the possibility of an interim coach being appointed.
Bennett is in a strong bargaining position after walking out of Red Hill a year earlier than planned.
Folkes, Brown and North Queensland's Graham Murray are off contract this year while Manly's Des Hasler is poised to extend his tenure.
NQ chairman Laurence Lancini said: "We have had absolutely no discussions about Wayne Bennett."
Another club with which the Broncos could swap coaches is St Helens, whose boss Daniel Anderson is returning to Australia in 2009.
Anderson's manager, Jim Banaghan, said on Monday Anderson would only join a NSW club because of family commitments.
But in light of Bennett's decision, Banaghan said: "We've all learnt in the rugby league caper you never say no to an opportunity."
In announcing his departure, Bennett said: "My time has come, not as a coach but as the coach of the Broncos.
"The Broncos have always believed it is better for a player to leave a year too early than a year too late. I have always believed there should be no exception, even for the coach.
"My intention is to continue to coach - either in the northern hemisphere or the southern hemisphere.
"My time has not come to an end as a coach. I am currently not in negotiations with any other club." Read more Daily Telegraph
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Broncos heavyweights pay tribute as Bennett bows out - The rugby league fraternity is reeling at the news that one of sport's greatest heroes, Wayne Bennett, has quit as coach of the Brisbane Broncos.
The six-time premiership-winning coach will end his 20-year stint with the club at the end of the season, a year before his contract expires.
Bennett has coached the Broncos since day one of the team's history. This morning, rumours were rife that the legendary coach was going to quit.
Former Broncos player Glenn Lazarus told ABC's 'Breakfast Show' Bennett's resignation was a sure bet.
"Where there's smoke there's fire, I think," he said.
"I've had a few SMSs from certain people this morning saying that it's actually going to happen."
Then in Bennett's usual media-wary style, the announcement finally came mid-morning via a statement.
The club announced it had reluctantly accepted the 58-year-old's resignation last night.
The Broncos have also released a statement from Bennett, which says he had an unbelievable experience at the club, but he knows it is time to make a move.
He thanked all the players, fans and his staff, and says he hopes to continue coaching elsewhere.
But Bennett will not comment further because he wants to focus on the season ahead.
The announcement, while shocking to Brisbane Broncos fans, really comes as no surprise.
The relationship between Bennett and the club's board has been strained since mid-2006, when it was revealed he was close to signing a contract with the Sydney Roosters.
And in an interview on the ABC's _Grandstand_ program last year, Bennett hinted that it was time for new challenges.
"I've had to grow at the Broncos, and I've had to grow in so many ways because I can't keep doing the same thing the same way for 20 years," he said.
"I would have worn the place out, plus myself. I've liked that challenge. It's been a much greater challenge to do that than, as I said, to pick up and go somewhere else.
Bennett's position in Queensland was recently made all the more difficult when it became public that the coach had accepted cash gifts from controversial businessman Ken Talbot.
The money was reportedly given in trust for two of Bennett's children who are disabled.
Bennett once admitted in another ABC interview that he and his wife worry about how their children will cope when they are gone.
"Our great desire was that the quality of their life is no less when we're not here, because you love those kids. You love them more than probably life," he said.
The tributes have been flowing in for Bennett as speculation mounts about his next career move.
Former Bronco Steve Renouf says players - past and present - all see Bennett as a father figure.
"I have the utmost respect for the man, put it that way," he said.
"What he said went and that's the respect we had. We hung on every word he said to us."
Former Broncos five-eighth and Wayne Bennett's son-in-law, Ben Ikin, believes the coach's contribution to the NRL club will never be forgotten.
Ikin says Bennett's 20-year tenure puts him in elite company. "He built the club, and I think Wayne will probably want to be remembered for the person that he is, less the coach that he is," he said.
"He is a man of amazing character and it's been off the back of that character and those values and morals that he's been so disciplined with over the 20 years that he has been at the club... it's been the backbone of all success that they've had.
"It's why the players have played for him. It's why the board has always supported him. And I think he'll be remembered as a guy that's built an organisation from the ground up."
One-time Broncos captain Kevin Walters agrees that Bennett is rightfully a sports legend.
"His biggest strength and still is I suppose, is his ability to draw the best out of his players," he said.
"We've seen that time and time again over the years at the Broncos [club], where he continually gets success from his players and that's very hard to do as a coach."
There's already widespread speculation about who will step into the big shoes left by Bennett.
Former Brisbane assistant and Melbourne premiership coach, Craig Bellamy, has long been tipped to take on the role.
Renouf says he would be the prefect person to replace Bennett.
"He's a lovely bloke. He's very similar to Wayne, you know, but with his own style as well," he said.
"But he's got a big Wayne influence. He's a very smart coach, he's young. He's perfect." Read more Yahoo Sport
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No guarantee over expansion - RFL By Paul Fletcher - Super League currently has 12 clubs, including one from France. The Rugby Football League says it will refuse to sanction an expanded Super League if it does not receive enough suitable applications. A 14-team league, with no relegation for three years, is expected to start under a licence system in 2009.
But RFL chief executive Nigel Wood told BBC Sport: "We would not move from 12 to 14 if the quality was compromised.
"Subject to standard, we will be moving to 14 but that is not carte blanche on accepting inferior applications."
Clubs from Super League and National League One are eligible to submit an application for a licence, as well as teams from outside the RFL pyramid, like French side Toulouse.
All applications must be with the RFL by the end of March, when the governing body will then begin an evaluation process that is expected to last several months.
The system is being introduced to allow clubs to invest in facilities and junior development without the threat of relegation hanging over them.
In moving to 14 clubs we would have to find 50 new professional players of the right standard
RFL chief executive Nigel Wood said, "It will allow clubs to begin to direct some of the game's resources into medium-term development rather than the short-term panic of trying to hire a player, invariably from overseas, who will just make the difference battling against relegation and then move off without any long-term legacy," said Wood.
The introduction of the licence system is the latest RFL move to help develop and promote rugby league in Britain.
The first major initiative came in March 1996, when the game moved from a winter to summer sport.
Two years later, the play-offs were introduced, culminating in a Grand Final that takes place at Old Trafford in October.
Then came the 'Millennium Magic' weekend in May 2007, a format that involves all 12 Super League teams playing over two days in Cardiff.
The RFL will take its time deciding which teams will make up a revamped Super League.
It will employ a 10-point checklist, covering such criteria as facilities, finance, junior development and fanbase.
The current Super League clubs, plus Salford, Widnes, Celtic Crusaders and possibly Toulouse are all expected to apply.
But even if there was a consistently high level of bids, Wood does not think there is scope to extend beyond 14 clubs.
"I cannot imagine more than 14," he added.
"Moving from 12 to 14 will in itself be an upheaval because we want to make sure playing standards do not deteriorate.
"In moving to 14 clubs we need to find 50 new professional players of the right quality. At the same time, expansion has a destabilising effect on the National League."
Wood concluded that expanding Super League by two teams was "probably digestible" but more than a couple of additional teams was not. BBC Sport
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Harlequins Rugby League take part in APPRLG meeting - Harlequins Rugby League and London Rugby League were the featured guests at January's All-Party Parliamentary Rugby League Group meeting, held last week at the House of Commons.
Quins RL Chief Executive Paul Brown, as well as first team Players Joe Mbu and Lamont Bryan, were invited to join the various MPs, Lords and other distinguished guests in attendance as guest speakers.
RFL Development Manager for London and The South, Caro Wild, led the presentation and took the opportunity to highlight the significant growth in Rugby League participation rates currently so prominent in the area.
Last year 27,000 children played rugby league in schools in London and The South and the number of junior teams in the area have increased from 66 in 2007 to 100 teams in 2008, with 600 school teams expected to play rugby league this year.
These figures emphasise the success of the community development programmes in place at both Harlequins RL and other clubs across London.
The highlight of the evening came however, when locally developed Quins RL Players Lamont Bryan and Joe Mbu gave those present a unique insight into how they became involved in, and developed such a passion for Rugby League.
Once the nerves were dusted off both players relished the opportunity to tell their stories and answer the many questions that were put to them.
Ian Stewart, MP for Salford, was one of the many present impressed by the Players, saying to them: "It was really interesting to hear about how you both got involved in Rugby League. You are a great credit to your club, yourselves and the sport of Rugby League".
Quins RL Chief Executive Paul Brown has said: "The meeting was a great opportunity to lay out to a key stakeholder group the growth and foundations of London Rugby League and match it to the Government's commitment to sport.
"Caro Wild has led the RFL's programme for rugby league development across London for seven years now, and it's clear the benefit it has brought to the sport."
"Joe and Lamont were impressive guests, demonstrating the way Government and RFL-led programmes have helped lead to their success as professional players, and showing again why the club has such faith in them as young men - they were outstanding in representing the club in an environment, and in front of guests, that would over-awe plenty of us.
Speaking of the event Lamont Bryan said, "It was a very educational experience. I was really pleased to see that the Politicians were so interested in helping the development of Rugby League in London. The Ministers and Lords all really listened to what we had to say and asked lots of questions."
"It was a great experience and I think it would be good for all the younger players at Harlequins to get to one of these meetings at some point" he added. Harlequins Online
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Statistics don't do Bennett justice By Laine Clark - Six premierships. Never missed the finals since 1992. Twenty-one seasons at the helm of the Broncos. Summing up foundation Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett's time at the club he helped build from scratch would be easy enough using just facts and figures.
They speak for themselves.
But statistics alone could never do justice to Bennett's Broncos legacy.
Or Bennett's complex nature.
He may be the NRL's most successful coach.
But winning titles wasn't what Bennett was about.
He wasn't developing players, he was grooming men.
A quick look at the history books shows how important Bennett has been to the Broncos.
But it was a low-key book launch that gave a rare insight into how much the club meant to him.
It would have been easy for the media-wary Bennett to brush the official launch of the book on the club's first 20 years last August.
The intensely private Bennett had skipped much more important rugby league functions.
But an emotional Bennett strode to the podium in front of a handful of attendees - half of them media - and delivered a passionate monologue.
"In my 20 years here I have always been proud of them (players),'' Bennett told the small gallery.
"The men that have come here I have seen them grow from young boys - 15 of our 17 players last year came here as 17-year-olds.
"I'm even more proud of them when I see what they have done with their lives - that was part of our charter, part of our agenda.''
Legend has it original Broncos co-owner Paul Morgan camped outside the Canberra home of then-Raiders coach Wayne Bennett in 1987 and delivered a sobering warning: "I'm not leaving until I get your signature.''
Bennett showed the same dogged determination in his remarkable Broncos tenure.
A shrewd and innovative manager, he kept reinventing himself to not only stay alive in a decades-long Broncos career but thrive.
Working at a one-team town worked beautifully into Bennett's "us and against them'' approach at Brisbane.
He built a siege mentality into his players not only at the Broncos but also during his glittering Origin career that brought five series wins for Queensland.
"The loyalty of our players, it's been unbelievable,'' Bennett said last August.
"They have all paid a great price for it, but they've stayed.''
Loyalty was the buzz word throughout his record-breaking tenure.
But it also led to his greatest criticism.
His once vice-like grip on the Broncos became tenuous at best from mid-2006 when it was revealed he was close to signing with a club Queenslanders loved to hate - the Sydney Roosters.
Embarrassed Broncos boss Bruno Cullen first knew about it by reading a newspaper.
Bennett's refusal to make an acceptance speech after being made a Broncos life member at the club's presentation ball last October further strained relations.
And his reputation as a moral guardian took a hit when it was recently revealed he had been receiving annual $100,000 payments over 10 years from Queensland multi-millionaire Ken Talbot.
The money was going toward his two handicapped children.
However, it was not a good look considering Talbot is facing charges over $300,000 given to then former Queensland government minister Gordon Nuttall.
Cynics also wondered how Bennett could agree to $1 million in secret payments and let the Broncos release the likes of club legends Petero Civoniceva and Shaun Berrigan last season due to salary cap restraints.
Bennett also came under fire from rugby league purists when he flew the Super League flag.
But Bennett was never one to walk away from a tough decision.
Worshipped as The King in Queensland, foundation Broncos skipper Wally Lewis was dethroned by Bennett in 1990.
His sacking delivered a sobering message that no one was beyond reproach.
Just like his good mates Kevin Walters, Gary Belcher and Glenn Lazarus who were sensationally cut from the Broncos coaching staff for the 2006 season.
Despite becoming embroiled in the Roosters saga and the fallout from his controversial staff cuts, Bennett led Brisbane to the 2006 NRL title and became the competition's most successful coach.Read more Foxsports
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Rhinos winger Danny Williams joins loan exodus By Peter Smith - Rhinos winger Danny Williams is poised to join engage Super League rivals Hull on a one-month deal - becoming the fifth Leeds player to move to another club on loan.
Williams scored 12 tries in 15 senior appearances for Rhinos in 2006, but failed to break into the Super League side last year and spent much of the campaign on loan at Castleford Tigers.
Hull are understood to be keen to bring in the 21-year-old former England flier following injuries to first-choice wing men Gareth Raynor (hamstring) and Matt Sing (foot).
Rhinos coach Brian McClennan said Williams is currently fourth-choice at Leeds, but will benefit from the chance to play first team rugby at the top level.
"He will be going on loan, to get some Super League football, for a month," revealed McClennan.
"Then he gets to get some experience, because we've got Lee Smith, Ryan Hall and Scott Donald fighting for a wing position.
"It's a good opportunity for Danny to get a taste of Super League football. He has been training well, he is ready for it and he will do a good job, but at the moment he is ranked four with our wingers.
"I think this just proves our club are trying to do right by our players, by giving them an opportunity."
Prop Michael Haley has just begun a one-month stint at Doncaster, centre Mike Ratu is on long-term loan at Halifax, half-back
Luke Gale will spend the season at Doncaster and stand-off Kyle Briggs has joined Hunslet Hawks on a similar deal.
Gale and Briggs have yet to make a breakthrough at Leeds, but Ratu and Williams both have Super League experience, while Haley played against South Sydney Rabbitohs during Rhinos' recent training camp in Jacksonville, Florida.
The deals involving Haley and Ratu began at the weekend, but McClennan reckons both players have a future at Headingley Carnegie.
"Our Senior Academy doesn't start for four weeks," said the coach.
"Michael Haley has gone on loan for a month and it's a good chance for him to play some footy. We think he needs to play some games now.
"He has been training since November 1 and he is ready for football. This is the best way of getting him into the contest.
"After a month, when we start, we will look at it again. He can come back and look at where he wants to go from there.
"We have been in discussions with Michael as to what he feels he needs to do to be a Super League player and we feel this is the best way forward for him."
Ratu, who made one substitute appearance last season, needs to be playing against hardened professionals every week, according to McClennan.
"He needs to play against men," said the coach.
"He has got that raw ability, but there's areas he knows he needs to improve in. This is an opportunity to help him grow as a player and as a person.
"It might be what can help kick him on, we are really hoping that is what happens because he has got tremendous potential, he is just going to have to work on other facets of being a professional player."
McClennan added: "It is about their development, every decision we make with regards to the players is about their development.
"It is really important that we give them every opportunity we can to help them become a better player.
"These players have been training since the start of November and we've had a good look at them at training.
"We have talked closely with them and looked to see where we can help them and they really need to play some games." Yorkshire Evening Post
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Eagles left to count cost of the cup By Jim Collins - Sheffield Eagles are being hit in the bank balance by this season's Northern Rail Cup draw. The Eagles face long, expensive trips to South Wales based Celtic Crusaders and London Skolars - and it's unlikely either club will bring many travelling supporters to Don Valley.
Chairman Ian Swire has warned there could be a "gaping hole" in the club's financial projections.
That was borne out by a crowd of only 773 - including only a handful of Crusaders supporters - for last Friday's game at Don Valley.
The only consolation is a derby game with Doncaster - the fourth team in the group.
In contrast last season the Eagles had money-spinning games with Yorkshire rivals Castleford Tigers and Featherstone Rovers plus Doncaster.
The Castleford game produced a crowd of just under 1,900 at Don Valley.
The Eagles have protested about being put in a group with the game's two 'outpost clubs' but the Rugby Football League has ignored the complaints.
Chairman Ian Swire, writing in the Eagles programme for the Crusaders game, said: "From a financial prospective, substituting Castleford and Featherstone from last year with Celtic and London this year leaves a gaping hole in our projections." The Star
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Sidmouth Stingrays RLFC
An application has been forwarded to the Rugby Football League (RFL) to form a team in Sidmouth, Devon, England in the 2009 English season.
This club will join the South West Conference, which play the like of Devon Sharks, East Devon Eagles, Plymouth Titans, Exeter Centurions and Somerset Vikings.
The playing standard would be equivalent to a reasonable divisional side in country rugby league.
While the club will be strictly amateur, the opportunity to further a career in the English Rugby League is certainly an option, and all effort will be made by the club directorate to assist players and coaching staff looking to play or coach at a higher level.
The club will also be eligible for several knock out competitions in the UK.
Assistance with work, accommodation and visas will come from the club.
Sidmouth also has a progressive rugby union club, where opportunities may exist to stay on and play union in the winter months.
Sidmouth is a regional town of approximately 16,000, is located on the coast, and will be a great opportunity for players looking for something different.
We are open to older, experienced players looking to maybe finish their career with an opportunity to play in the UK, but are open to all players, regardless of playing experience.
Any players through parents or grandparents that are eligible for a British passport would be also be highly regarded, especially if they are looking to maybe move up to a higher level.
The season is relatively short, May-September.
Many opportunities exist for employment in the hospitality industry, as Sidmouth is a holiday destination, and this is the English summer period. All interested parties should send a short note, outlining playing experience to:
Martin Pye
Pye Sports Development
Po Box 207. Narooma. NSW 2546
or email marty@...
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Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs (South Coast Group 7)
The Bulldogs are seeking Front Row forwards for the upcoming 2008 season
The Club fields a 1st Grade, Reserve Grade and under 18's in the Group 7 competition.
Remuneration package by mutual agreement is available.
Please contact or
Barry Ryan
President
0412298933
Richard Ashford
Vice President
0417603079 or Email primepest@...
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Marker Defence Discussion on Leaguecoach Discussion eGroup
By Rick Campbell - The taper - players are spaced as per defensive line, as the players close to the ball press forward the players outside of this form an arm of players set at a 45 degree line.
As the ball shifts across the field the players tapered back will press forward as the ball comes toward their lane - anticipation is needed to time their engagement into the defensive line (so as not to be over-pressing & getting caught flat footed or pausing too early & getting caught for pace when the ball shifts out).
The players must understand that they need to maintain their normal spacings (shape) just set back on the taper until required to engage.
Have your players get their timing from the inside defender - as they press forward then the next man will begin to press forward, as the inside man engages then the next man will press up to act as "wingman" for second phase offloads.
Our zones are ruck, edge, & fringe - with the ruck we have three men pressing forward regardless of number of players in front or width of first reciever (zone 1), then we have edge defending 2 + passes (zone 2), & fringe defending 3 + passes (zone 3).
We don't have any nomination of people until close to contact on a shift or when we get the offence to a fringe & we have 3 to their 3.
We press up to the first pass, then as the ball is shifted out we simply shift toward the direction of the pass - defending the pass!
A simple mathmatics exercise is this - there are 13 attacking players vs two markers, ten in-line defenders, & if they make a break - the fullback! (where would we get to playing man-on-man).
To beat a zone defence you would have to isolate a defender by playing a couple of passes wide then play soft hands to a straightening run to catch players shifting laterally (unsure of who has who) OR play behind (sweep) a couple of block players & exploit the numbers created out wide.
RLCM will reproduce some of the discussions which feature on the LeagueCoach website. Feel free to use the forum link to barter thoughts on coaching and training drills and philosophies. Thanks to all those who contributed during the month.
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