Griffin plays down clash of coaches
SYDNEY: His record stands miles in front of any other against Wayne Bennett, but Penrith mentor Anthony Griffin wishes he had the super coach next to him yesterday.
Griffin will coach against Bennett in the finals series for the first time in five years when the Panthers face Brisbane in the NRL semifinal tonight.
Griffin, who spent four years at Red Hill before being replaced by Bennett in 2014, has lost just two of 11 matches against the coaching great.
It is by far the best record of any
NRL coach against Bennett, but Griffin played down its significance before the Suncorp Stadium grudge match.
‘‘I’m only worried about one record, and that’s tomorrow,’’ Griffin said yesterday.
‘‘It’s like any other coach. You’ve got a lot of respect for them and I’ve got no issue there, I never have. Just looking forward to the game and trying to get ready.’’
The Panthers head into the doordie clash as underdogs, but will be buoyed by a Broncos defence that has leaked at least 24 points twice in three weeks.
Asked what Bennett would think about his team’s defence, Griffin said: ‘‘I’m not really sure. I wish I had Wayne at this press conference.
‘‘There’s a lot of questions for Wayne. I’m happy if you want to talk about Penrith.’’
Griffin insisted his team deserved to share the playoff spotlight with the Broncos on their own merits, and not because of the battles of the coaches.
The Panthers upset Manly last week to advance to week two of the finals, while the Broncos were pipped by Sydney Roosters in a nailbiter.
‘‘I’ve obviously spent a lot of time there and been over this a million times. I’ve got a lot of good friends in the team,’’ Griffin said.
‘‘But it’s just a real big game for us as a club. We’ve been through a lot this year and been really resilient and got ourselves to this point.
‘‘So I don’t ever think of it from a personal point of view. I think our club’s earned the right to be in the game and we’re really looking forward to the game.’’ — AAP