NRL 2022: Wayne Bennett circling Sam Burgess and St Helens coach Kristian Woolf for coaching roles
The Dolphins have come under fire for failing to land a marquee recruit but one controversial legend is in the frame to join Wayne Bennett’s team of assistants for the club’s debut season.
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Sam Burgess is set to reunite with Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins as the super coach ramps-up plans to lure the South Sydney legend and St Helens mentor Kristian Woolf to Redcliffe.
News Corp can reveal Bennett is in negotiations with both Burgess and Woolf, with the Dolphins foundation coach confirming the pair are on his hit list to join his team of assistants for the entry of the NRL’s new franchise next season.
Bennett has been tight-lipped about the composition of his coaching unit, but if the 72-year-old gets his way, England forward great Burgess will be at the Dolphins in 2023.
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It is understood Burgess is in the advanced stage of talks with Bennett.
The 33-year-old wants to be part of Bennett’s coaching brigade, but he has great respect for Souths owner Russell Crowe and wants the blessing of the Hollywood icon before his move to the Dolphins is formalised.
Bennett is seeking at least two assistants, one of whom would be groomed to eventually succeed the code’s greatest coach at the Dolphins.
Highly-regarded Cameron Ciraldo is also on Bennett’s radar, but with the Penrith assistant being linked to head-coaching roles at the Wests Tigers and Canterbury, Woolf shapes as a frontrunner to join Burgess at the Dolphins.
Speaking for the first time about plans for his coaching platoon, Bennett said he had yet to finalise his assistants, but confirmed Burgess and Woolf are in the frame to help mastermind the Dolphins’ maiden season.
“I’m not sure if Sam will come on board but he is a guy I am interested in, yes,” Bennett said. “Sam has some ties to Souths but I’ve had some chats with Sam about coming to the Dolphins and we’ll see what happens.”
The signing of Burgess would be a major — yet controversial — coup for the Dolphins.
In March, the Rabbitohs premiership hero was fined $30,000 by the NRL and suspended from official Souths duties for 12 weeks for multiple breaches during his playing days, including illicit drug use.
The veteran of 182 NRL games retired in 2019 due to a chronic shoulder injury and endured the fallout of a much-publicised split with his former wife.
But amid the drama, former Souths coach Bennett has been one of Burgess’ staunchest allies.
The British Test luminary played his final season under Bennett at Redfern and the super coach says few players inspired teammates like Burgess, who famously played with a fractured cheekbone for 79 minutes of the 2014 grand final to lead Souths to premiership glory.
Burgess is hugely respected by current NRL players and would be an asset at the negotiating table as the Dolphins build their roster for 2023 and beyond.
It is understood Burgess is keen to eventually become a head coach and sees an apprenticeship under Bennett as the perfect stepping stone to a more senior NRL appointment.
“I have a great rapport with Sam,” Bennett said.
“He is as good a player as I’ve ever coached and as good a person as I’ve ever met.
“If you meet Sam Burgess, you can’t help but like him. He is a genuine guy.”
Bennett has held preliminary discussions with St Helens coach Woolf, who is also in charge of the Tonga national team.
The pair appear to have struck a bond, with Woolf recently reaching out to Bennett, asking him to help Tonga in an advisory role for this month‘s Test against New Zealand.
Woolf cannot coach Tonga for the Kiwis clash due to his English commitments and Bennett has agreed to a cameo role assisting caretaker Dean Young.
It is believed Bennett’s preferred succession plan is for a Queenslander to replace him as the Dolphins’ second coach. Woolf, who hails from Mt Isa, ticks that box.
The 46-year-old has also had success, winning two premierships and a Challenge Cup at St Helens and taking Tonga to the 2017 World Cup semi-finals.
The Warriors have Woolf on their radar following the departure of Nathan Brown, but the Tonga coach may prefer life as Bennett’s right-hand man back home on Queensland soil.
“I would be interested in Kristian, plus a couple of others,” Bennett said.
“I’m not sure what will play out. I imagine there are a few clubs interested in Kristian, he is a good young coach and yes, he is one of about four guys we are interested in.
“There is so much to be sorted out for us, I won’t be jumping at shadows.
“It’s not an urgent time frame yet (finalising his assistant), we’re still a while away from starting up so I can take my time. We know who the head coach is. I will get my ducks in order first and then I will see what our succession plan is.”
Dolphins add veteran big bopper to squad
Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett has continued his recruitment drive with the signing of Titans prop Jarrod Wallace.
Off-contract at the Titans at season’s end, the former Queensland Origin prop has secured his NRL future by inking a two-year deal with the Dolphins in the lead-up to Saturday’s clash against South Sydney at Cbus Super Stadium.
A veteran of 185 NRL games, Wallace will join an experienced Dolphins pack containing Storm trio Kenny and Jesse Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi and Souths grand-final prop Mark Nicholls.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “Now I can focus on playing footy and not worrying about what is going on next year which is good.
“I’m stoked to be reuniting with Wayne. He will be great for my game. I had a great connection with Wayne at the Broncos.
“I played with him at the Broncos and I was part of the grand final squad in 2015. We got along really well and we had some success there, he brought the best out of me as a player.”
Wallace played six Origin games for the Maroons and is eyeing a starting front-row berth alongside Jesse Bromwich.
“Hopefully I can play some really good footy at a new club,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to being part of a foundation club and to have Wayne as the Dolphins’ first coach, it’s exciting.
“My footy speaks for itself. I bring experience, I have played State of Origin and I will bring whatever I can on the field and off the field. With my experience over the last 10 years, I can share what I have done with the younger blokes coming through the club.
“We will have a good experienced pack. I am looking forward to playing with guys like Jesse and Kenny Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi, they are coming from the Storm system so I can learn from their success as well.”
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