NRL State of the Game: Peter V’landys on Wayne Bennett’s future, grand final location, expansion, concussion

He will make history when he coaches his 900th top-grade game at Magic Round. Now Wayne Bennett is in the sights of ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys, who wants him in league for life.

ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has revealed his plan to keep Wayne Bennett in the NRL for life as the Dolphins super coach prepares to chalk up his 900th game in the big league.

On the eve of Bennett’s remarkable milestone feat in the Dolphins’ clash against Cronulla on Saturday, V’landys opened up to News Corp about the state of the code amid the NRL’s Magic Round celebration in Queensland.

In the first of a two-part series, V’landys spoke of the future of the NRL grand final, the code’s expansion gamble, why rugby league is winning the war on concussions — and how Bennett is central to winning a sporting turf war in Queensland.

ARLC boss Peter V’landys is a huge fan of Wayne Bennett and wants to keep him in the game for life.

“Rugby league has never been in a better position,” declared V’landys, who arrived in America in Friday to plant the seeds for a historic NRL double header in Las Vegas next season.

“We’ve had our haters, but the turnaround we have been able to achieve financially has been remarkable.

“Every club is now profitable, ratings are through the roof, and Magic Round is testament to the tribalism of our fans.”

MAGIC OF WAYNE

Bennett is the Don Bradman of rugby league.

The 73-year-old will coach his 900th top-grade game at Suncorp on Saturday — a statistic unlikely to ever be beaten — and V’landys is hatching plans to ensure Bennett is never lost to the NRL.

The seven-time premiership winner will coach one more season with the Dolphins next year before passing the reins to Kristian Woolf. In 2025, Bennett is technically unemployed. He has no idea if he will coach on with another club.

The Dolphins will almost certainly want to retain Bennett in a coaching director’s role.

The Queensland government could leverage Bennett‘s iconic status, but V’landys says he is prepared to give the supercoach a job as an NRL ambassador.

Wayne Bennett will coach one more season with the Dolphins next year, but currently remains without a club for 2025.

“There’s no doubt I would look at a position for Wayne with the NRL, absolutely,” V’landys said.

“If Wayne hadn’t have gone to the Dolphins, we would have wanted him working at the NRL.

“You don‘t get his experience and football brain easily. He is an extraordinary thinker. He has seen all facets and phases of the game. He has seen all sorts of stages in rugby league and he has been through a lot of experiences over the past 50 years.

“He can tell you what works in rugby league, what has failed and he was one of the big drivers in us wanting to eliminate head-high tackles.

“Wayne Bennett is a legend of the game and I don’t want to see him ever lost to rugby league.

“There is only one Wayne Bennett. The guy is a rugby league genius.”

NRL GRAND FINAL

The newly-minted New South Wales government is under siege to retain the NRL grand final.

Their Queensland and Melbourne political counterparts have both lodged expressions of interest in hosting this year‘s decider.

The Queensland government will up the ante this weekend, helping bankroll the Magic Round festival that will see more than 130,000 fans attend eight games — ramming home why Suncorp Stadium can be the jewel in the NRL‘s crown for their biggest day of the season.

Suncorp hosted their first ever grand final in 2021 during the Covid crisis and V‘landys confirmed the ARL Commission is serious about bringing the NRL decider back to Queensland this year.

“Yes, Suncorp is a genuine contender for the grand final,” he said.

“ The grand final location hasn’t been decided on yet, we’re still in discussions with the NSW government.

“When I get back from America, we will turbo-charge talks to make a decision pretty quickly, but nothing is off the table.

Suncorp Stadium would love to steal another NRL grand final from Sydney. Picture: Getty Images.

“Queensland is certainly in the mix, more so now when you consider there are four Queensland teams in the competition with the addition of the Dolphins.

“There is no doubt Queensland would love the grand final again and we‘re open to a Super Bowl concept where we take the grand final to different venues around the country.

“We have great respect for the premier (Annastacia Palaszczuk) and what the Queensland government did for the game during Covid.”

MAGIC CRACKDOWN

V’landys says the NRL is winning the war on concussions — and they will do the same with the dreaded hip-drop tackle.

Two years ago, Magic Round was the scene of the NRL‘s crackdown on high tackles. The data since shows the crackdown has worked. The NRL had a 42 per cent decrease in concussions last year compared to 2021. The number of players charged by the NRL match-review committee for high shots dropped by more than 60 per cent.

Now V’landys says the code will move to wipe out hip drops and warned NRL coaches and clubs the governing body will not tolerate abuse of referees.

“There is no doubt that the high shots are a lot less prevalent in the game,” V’landys said.

“Players can adapt and they have adapted. They can adapt with the hip drop tackle as well.

“I appreciate that some of the coaches need time to adjust (with tackling techniques), but the referees can’t just turn a blind eye to it.

V’landys says the code is winning the war on concussions.

“The professionalism of the referees is extraordinary, they could take the soft approach, but they haven’t.

“They are on a hiding to nothing. Do you think they want to be abused and yelled at? They have taken the professional, courageous approach and we’re backing them.

“We don’t want hip drops in the game. If a defender doesn’t comply with the rules and injures somebody (with a hip-drop tackle) that will keep them out for weeks, they will be penalised.

“If you follow the rules, there won‘t be a problem. The teams with the discipline will come out on top.”

DOLPHIN DELIGHT

The NRL’s newest franchise, the Dolphins, will make their Magic Round debut against the Sharks on Saturday.

Under the tutelage of Bennett, the NRL’s 17th team are remarkably in finals contention with a 5-4 record.

Installed as wooden-spoon favourites with bookmakers, Bennett’s Dolphins have triggered a remarkable 186 per cent TV ratings surge in the Brisbane broadcast market and V’landys hailed the rise of the expansion newcomers.

Bennett has made new franchise the Dolphins competitive from day one.

“The Dolphins are the fairytale story of 2023,” he said.

“The Warriors were the heroes during Covid and the Dolphins are the heroes at the moment.

“They have been a revelation in Queensland and they have Queensland pumping again for rugby league.

“It has been a massive game-changer for us. Everything we wanted to achieve with expansion has been achieved and possibly more. With all the increased ratings in Queensland, the Dolphins have been the backbone of our success.

“Wayne Bennett has been crucial to the success of the Dolphins and it’s why it was imperative that he was the first coach of the new franchise.

“Wayne Bennett fits the fairytale. He is the fairy godfather of the Dolphins.”

Originally published as NRL State of the Game: Peter V’landys on Wayne Bennett’s future, grand final location, expansion, concussion