Bennett denies rift with Corey Parker
WAYNE Bennett says he didn’t axe Broncos legend Corey Parker from his coaching staff.
Parker has departed a part- time consultancy role at Red Hill in mysterious fashion following a reported falling out with Broncos players.
Parker’s departure is believed to centre around a conflict with Broncos captain Darius Boyd.
The fractured relationship prompted Parker’s role to end suddenly.
Parker played 347 NRL games for the Broncos and captained the club in 2016.
Bennett told Boyd at the start of the 2016 season that he would take over the captaincy from Parker in 2017, regardless of whether Parker remained at the club. Parker opted to retire at the end of 2016.
Bennett lost an assistant coach in Queensland mentor Kevin Walters, who quit his post suddenly in April only a few months after returning to the club.
But the Broncos coach was adamant he did not force Parker out of the club following the blow- up with Boyd.
“Corey left Bennett said.
“He was under too much pressure with family. His wife just got a fulltime job.
“He thought it was all catching up with him doing Fox Sports ( commentary) and all that sort of stuff.” of his own accord,”
The Boyd- Parker feud is understood to have been witnessed by a number of Broncos players and their partners.
Veteran forward Sam Thaiday said he wasn’t present on the night of the incident, but hoped Parker could return to the club to coach its young forwards.
Former Kirwan High student Thaiday will play his final game in Townsville on Thursday night before he joins Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston in retirement at the end of the season.
“I was driving up the Sunshine Coast that night,” Thaiday said.
“He was doing a bit of wrestling stuff with us and doing a great job,
“I still catch up with Corey. I don’t need him to be around the club 24- 7 to continue being a mate with him.
“He brought some really good things to the club while he was here. If he comes back it would be great for some of our young forwards.”
Club legend Darren Lockyer yesterday criticised Brisbane’s lack of onfield leadership.
Lockyer said the Broncos had too many passengers in last week’s shock loss to Canterbury, but Thaiday said he was not taking his former captain’s criticism on board.
“I think if you took every comment personally you would be feeling sad and sorry for yourself all the time,” he said.
“There are a few things to fix but we will get there.”