Wayne Bennett’s disappointment that he missed chance to coach Russell Packer

BRONCOS coach Wayne Bennett’s surprising revelation on the eve of Brisbane’s clash against the Dragons at Suncorp Stadium.

Coach Wayne Bennett. The Brisbane Broncos training at Red Hill. Pic Peter Wallis

WAYNE Bennett says failing to coach Russell Packer is one of his great disappointments after helping the Kiwi prop fight back from a jail cell to play NRL.

On the eve of Thursday night’s Broncos-Dragons clash at Suncorp Stadium, Bennett backed one of the most controversial figures in rugby league.

Packer returns to Suncorp for the first time since 2013, when the former Warriors prop was fined $15,000 by the NRL for urinating at the home of Queensland rugby league.

It was the prelude to the most traumatic period of his life, with Packer subsequently serving 12 months behind bars for the brutal assault of a man in Sydney’s CBD.

During his time in jail, Packer found an unlikely ally in Bennett. The Broncos coach formed a bond with Packer via a series of phone conversations and when Bennett returned to the Broncos last year, he attempted to sign Packer from his jail cell.

The Dragons ultimately won his signature in a sliding doors moment that led to the Broncos poaching Adam Blair from the Tigers.

Packer returns to Suncorp to face Blair’s Broncos forever indebted to Bennett, who first recruited the 118kg enforcer to Newcastle in 2013 just weeks before his assault conviction.

“I am really disappointed that I never got to coach Russell,” Bennett said.

“I was the guy who rang him and said I wanted to coach you at Newcastle. I felt he could bring something special to my team.

“I watched him at the Warriors and thought he was just the type of player I would enjoy coaching .”

Bennett admires Packer’s toughness on the field.

Bennett viewed Packer’s on-field menace as the ingredient that could take the Broncos to a premiership. But Brisbane’s salary-cap constraints hampered them in the face of a more lucrative offer from the Dragons.

Bennett came under fire for attempting to recruit a man with a criminal record and Blair has since proven to be an outstanding addition to Brisbane’s engine room.

“I’ve got no regrets ultimately about what we did or didn’t buy,” Bennett said. “Russell is now going good at the Dragons and I’m really pleased for him.”

Packer plays his sixth game for the Red V on Thursday night and Broncos skipper Corey Parker is wary of his presence in the Dragons pack.

“It’s a great story with Russell,” Parker said. “Everyone goes through some adversity and hardship in their life, he’s certainly done that from where he has been the last few years ... he’s brought a tougher dimension to that team.”