NRL 2024: Wayne Bennett sends Dolphins star Valynce Te Whare to boot camp to get weight under control

After being banished from pre-season training, Wayne Bennett has ordered a Dolphins star to attend a one-on-one boot camp in a desperate bid to ‘get his weight under control’.

Dolphins' cult hero Valynce Te Whare slogging it out at pre-season training. Pics: Dolphins Instagram

Supercoach Wayne Bennett has revealed Dolphins cult figure Valynce Te Whare has been sent to a personal boot camp in a last-ditch bid to save his NRL career.

Bennett said Te Whare has been stood down from Dolphins training for a fortnight and ordered to attend one-on-one ‘Fight Camp’ sessions with a personal trainer in a desperate bid to get his weight under control.

Exclusive images obtained by this masthead show Te Whare – nicknamed ‘Val Meninga’ – slogging it out in Brisbane’s humid heat with hard-nosed trainer Mark ‘Chopper’ Burgess, Bennett’s former conditioner at the Broncos.

Te Whare was one of the feelgood stories of 2023, making a sizzling Magic Round debut against Cronulla and attracting cult status with his bullocking frame that won him an army of admirers at the Dolphins.

But Bennett fears the 23-year-old’s ballooning weight could destroy his promising NRL career.

Dolphins' cult hero Valynce Te Whare has been sent to boot camp in a desperate bid to save his NRL career. Picture: Instagram

The explosive centre finished the season at 125kg and after putting on 4kg during one weekend on the eve of the new pre-season, Bennett had enough, calling on the no-nonsense methods of Burgess to whip Te Whare into shape.

Te Whare is off-contract at the end of 2024 and Bennett said he is doing everything possible to help the rookie succeed in the NRL.

“I’ve sent Val away to get fitter – that’s the situation,” Bennett said.

“He came back to pre-season way too heavy and too unfit to play NRL at that body weight.

“He is doing no ball-work with us at the moment, our priority is to get him fit, so I’ve asked ‘Chopper’ Burgess to help out.”

Burgess is one of the most decorated conditioners in Australian sport.

A former three-time Australian amateur champion, Burgess is the current masters heavyweight world champion.

Te Whare with trainer Mark ‘Chopper’ Burgess.

The 63-year-old was Brisbane’s conditioner during the Broncos’ premiership glory years, spent 17 years in the Queensland police force and served in Iraq training local police in 2004. He was also a VIP protection officer for ex-Queensland premier Peter Beattie and ex-US president Bill Clinton.

Burgess has spent the past 10 days putting Te Whare through punishing sessions.

The Dolphins hulk has been training twice a day, including daily boxing sessions and brutal hit-outs running Mount Coot-Tha’s steep hills and climbing the infamous steps at Kangaroo Point.

Te Whare was stood down from training after turning up to pre-season too unfit.

Bennett says Te Whare needs to drop 11 kgs before he is satisfied.

Te Whare showed touches of brilliance with six tries from 12 appearances last season but Bennett says he needs to work harder to have a long-lasting career in the NRL.

“At this level, you can’t carry too much extra weight, not the way the game is played now,” Bennett said.

“You can’t hide out there – you need a huge amount of fitness to make it in the NRL.

“Val reminds me of Dave Taylor (former Broncos and Queensland Origin forward nicknamed ‘The Coal Train’).

A faction at the Dolphins wanted Te Whare’s contract ripped up, but Bennett wants to give him one last chance.

“Those guys are big men, you put them in a weight room and they just have to look at weights and they put on size.

“When Val played in the State League grand final the year before (for Redcliffe in 2022), he was 114kg … he finished this season at 125kg.

“Val needs cardio training to get his weight under control.

“If we can get him back to that weight (114kg), I’ll be happy with that and then he will be of more benefit to the team.”

There is a faction at the Dolphins that has suggested ripping up Te Whare’s contract, but Bennett wants to give the Kiwi rugby convert a final chance to prove his hunger to make it as an NRL star.

“We think he can play,” Bennett said.

“Val did some good things for us last year, especially seeing he hasn’t played a lot of league.

“If he comes back to us in better shape with more weight loss, it’s more manageable for everybody.

“We know he can’t make it if he’s too unfit and carrying too much weight, but I believe Val can be a real asset and we’re trying to get him to that place.”