Broncos set for civil war over coach
THE Wayne Bennett coaching saga has ripped the Broncos apart with the super coach and captain Darius Boyd sensationally snubbing an official team barbecue at the home of chief executive Paul White.
It can be revealed Boyd declined to attend an annual club event hosted by White, instead opting to spend the afternoon at Bennett’s house in a stunning show of loyalty that threatens to divide the club.
Boyd told the CEO by text message he would not be attending. Bennett, whose 34year friendship with White has broken down over the fight to save his job, also was a noshow. White was bitterly disappointed the club’s coach and captain — did not appear.
Sources say several Broncos players left White’s gathering, turning up “en masse” at Bennett’s home — a sure sign the under-fire coach retains the support of the dressing room.
White’s Broncos barbecue was held 24 hours after Brisbane’s 34-30 loss to the Cowboys on Thursday night.
Every employee of the club was invited, including partners and children, in a goodwill gesture designed to boost morale.
Instead, the Broncos are facing a destabilising mutiny on the eve of tomorrow night’s clash against South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium.
The barbecue brouhaha underlines the high-level tension building at the Broncos amid speculation Bennett will be sacked in the coming weeks.
White and Bennett declined to comment last night but the erosion of the CEO-coach relationship is having ramifications for a Broncos squad fighting to save its season.
Due to a mechanical problem, Brisbane’s flight out of Townsville was delayed several hours but most of the Broncos’ full-time squad eventually turned up to White’s home.
More than 40 Broncos employees attended, including first-graders Matt Gillett, Alex Glenn, Anthony Milford, Matt Lodge, Tevita Pangai Jr, Jamayne Isaako and James Roberts. Sam Thaiday and Josh McGuire stayed in Townsville after the Cowboys game.
Broncos coaching assistants, Jason Demetriou and Kurt Richards, plus a team of club physios, also visited White’s home.
But the absence of Bennett and Boyd was noted. It is understood Bennett, who had no plans to host the team, received text messages of support from several players.
Most of the playing group left the event by 5.30pm and headed to Bennett’s home to join Boyd, whose no-show has put him a collision course with the CEO.
White and Broncos chairman Karl Morris have ostensibly decided to begin a fresh era in 2020, but the impending dismissal of Bennett could spark a player exodus. NORTH Queensland’s Gavin Cooper says the fact his side is running last means he won’t throw fuel on the fire ahead of Saturday’s potentially spicy NRL rematch with Cronulla .
The teams have made a habit of ending each others’ seasons in recent years and tensions flared following the Cowboys’ Round 1 win when Cooper accused the Sharks of employing “dirty tactics” to fell star prop Matt Scott.
Cooper triggered a backand-forth in March when he called out the Sharks for twisting Scott’s leg while tackling him in his first game back from a serious knee injury.
The Cowboys have gone on to win just five games since,