BRISSIE’S BATTLE FOR AGES
Wayne Bennett reckons the Broncos and ’Phins will form a famous rivalry, writes Peter Badel
WAYNE Bennett believes it can become Australia’s version of world sport’s greatest rivalries.
Broncos versus Dolphins. It doesn’t yet have the same spice, aura and crackle as Manchester United versus Man City, Spain’s El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona or Carlton going hammer and tongs with Collingwood in the AFL.
But in time, Bennett hopes the River City Rumble will become the NRL’s premier grudge match, surpassing any chapter the Roosters and Souths can conjure in the Book of Feuds.
Like all explosive narratives, a villain is needed. Enter Bennett. The greatest coach in NRL history, at times abrasive, mostly cunning, always entertaining, he is tailor-made to stand at the epicentre of rugby league’s newest rivalry.
The NRL will celebrate the most significant change to its competition landscape in 16 years this season with the birth of the Dolphins, Queensland’s fourth licence and the league’s 17th team.
For the first time in 25 years, the Broncos – the richest club in the league boasting a $53m empire – will not enjoy a monopoly in the River City.
As foundation coach of the Dolphins, Bennett comes armed with intent. At 73, age has not wearied him. Bennett has focused on making the Dolphins a credible force from day one but all the same, he has not forgotten the Red Hill civil war that led to his sensational sacking as Broncos coach in 2018.
Now Bennett is back on
Queensland soil, the face of an ambitious new Dolphins organisation taking on a Broncos club he made great and never expected to leave.
Will expansion sparks fly early? Bennett shoots his trademark crooked wry grin.
“I hope it is like that,” Bennett says of the prospect of a Broncos-Dolphins feud.
“It’s hard to imagine it won’t be one of the great rivalries. It will be driven by the fans.
“Two Brisbane clubs together … it will be a bit like Manchester City and Manchester United and so many competitions around the world where you have that sort of derby.
“It creates huge interest. When the South Queensland Crushers were here (from 1995-97), we had 40,000 people turn up to games and
they hadn’t won a game at that stage because everyone saw the local rivalry against the Broncos.
“The Dolphins against the Broncos … this will be great for rugby league.”
Bennett accepts the Dolphins will start a long way back as Queensland’s fourth
NRL club behind the Broncos, Titans and Cowboys. Alarm bells have rung early.
The Titans, who finished 13th last season, whipped Bennett’s Dolphins 40-16 in their final pre-season trial.
The Broncos, gradually rising under Kevin Walters,
missed last year’s playoffs by just one win. They have a finals roster.
And the Cowboys were the NRL’s feel-good story of 2022, charging from second last to the grand-final qualifier on the back of a posse of rising stars and a rookie coach in Todd Payten who has every right to believe he is building a northern dynasty.
Right now, Bennett has no interest in talking titles. Forget five or 10-year premiership road maps. He wants two basic nonnegotiables for the Dolphins: credibility and their own identity. “The Crushers’ mistake was that they tried to be too much like the Broncos,” he says.
“The reality is the Broncos won’t be affected. They’ve had a 30-year headstart in this market. “There will never be another club like the Broncos, simple as that, but the marketplace in Brisbane can be great if a second team comes in with the attitude that they will do things their way.
“I know this is a big challenge. But the beauty of it all is you have a clean sheet of paper. We have a blank canvas at the Dolphins. We aren’t walking into someone else’s problems. You can create your own culture.”
The Dolphins are raging $3 favourites to win this year’s wooden spoon, but Bennett is getting the bedrock right. Storm forward imports Jesse and Kenny Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi have won premierships and learnt how to graft and grind at Melbourne.
“I just want a group of men that are always doing their best for the club,” Bennett said. “There was a general in the First World War who said, ‘I would rather go to war with 100 men who will fight to the death than 1000 who won’t’. That’s my philosophy as a coach. “Some guys may not have as much ability but if they compete and always give their best, you give yourself a chance.
“The bottom line is we will start the competition with everybody else this year, have a plan in place about how we want to be perceived and the young men will buy into that. If you get the process right, you are a lot closer to success.”
Broncos coach Walters was once Bennett’s champion five-eighth as a player and, later, his assistant at Red Hill.
Now they face off as head coaches. The dawn of the Dolphins looking to gatecrash Brisbane’s ‘Kevolution’. Walters has faith in his own quest to break the Broncos’ 17-year title drought.
“I think it’s great that the Dolphins are here. It can only be good for Queensland rugby league,” Walters said.
“It’s important to give Brisbane kids a team to look up to and follow and hopefully they have aspirations to one day play for the Broncos.
“One of the most enjoyable parts of the job for me is working with the talent coming through in guys like Herbie Farnworth, Reece Walsh, Selwyn Cobbo and Ezra Mam.
“We’re aiming for these kids to win another premiership for the Broncos … this group has the potential to do something special.”