Immortals night is evidence Wayne Bennett will leave a lasting legacy, writes Robert Craddock

WAYNE Bennett has had a turbulent 24 hours where the past, present and future of his rugby league career was emotionally laid out before him, writes Robert Craddock.

Bennett has been a key figure in rugby league for decades. Picture: Glenn Barnes

WAYNE Bennett has had a turbulent 24 hours where the past, present and future of his rugby league career was emotionally laid out before him.

For Bennett it was a week to cherish and curse but one where the game was given a snapshot of the huge vacuum he will leave behind when he exits first grade coaching.

Nothing is certain in rugby league but the knock-on effect of the Broncos’ loss to the Bulldogs should consign Brisbane to finishing between fifth and eighth after the home and away season which, history insists, means they won’t win the title.

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Wayne Bennett will be sorely missed when he leaves rugby league. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

If they don’t win – or even make – the grand final it would seem unlikely the Broncos board would extend Bennett’s career beyond the end of next season though it must be said Bennett’s coaching career is renowned for 11th-hour contract twists.

In some ways it seems such an obvious decision for Bennett to finish at the Broncos next year yet the outstanding Hall of Fame ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday showcased the imprint Bennett had left on the game and why it will be such a massive moment when his career ends.

Queenslanders are almost too close to the Bennett story to appreciate its full magnitude. He coached Brisbane in 1988 and is coach in 2018.

Bennett has been a key figure in rugby league for decades. Picture: Glenn Barnes

Do you think Anthony Seibold will be Souths coach in 2048? Trent Barrett will be lucky to be coaching Manly in 2019 never mind in 30 years time.

Player after player who took the stage on Hall of Fame night – Mal Meninga, Gorden Tallis, Petero Civoniceva and Ricky Stuart among them – were coached by Bennett at club level and had not Bennett urged Meninga to believe in himself as a young player he may never have made the Immortal status that he was given on Wednesday night.

Of course there were juicy subplots everywhere for many of the players who took the stage have blown hot and cold and all temperatures in between in their dealings with Bennett over the years but these intriguing unions have added so much flavour to the rich tapestry of the sport.

Another Hall of Fame inductee, Cliff Lyons, paid tribute to his Manly coach Bob Fulton which, in its own way, put Bennett’s incredible longevity into perspective.

Fulton was a Bennett contemporary yet he has not coached a club team this century.

Bennett had a prolific influence on many involved in the Immortals induction night.

Bennett, by contrast, continues with admirable zest at the Broncos, shoehorning in a stint with England on the side.

Bennett may occasionally sound like the 68-year-old he is but his passion for the game remains undiminished.

He was also a judge of the Immortals and was in his element on Tuesday at a lengthy meeting in which many attendees said was one of the most stimulating discussions they had ever been associated with.

Immortal inductee Mal Meninga and Bennett at the NRL gala dinner.

Bennett was a key voice in the decision to scrap the move to admit just two Immortals and instead choose five including three pre-War pioneers.

Fearless as always of any public dissent, he said “we wanted to make it easier for judging panels who follow us’.’

Rugby league, forever is a madhouse chase of its own tail, needs big strong voices who make big strong decisions.

In order to survive as a first grade coach for three decades Bennett has had to stay strong to some beliefs but also respect the changing structure of modern society.

Bennett’s next season with Brisbane could be his last. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Asked on stage in Toowoomba earlier this year what was the biggest change in his 30 years as a coach he spotlighted the fact that back in the old days you could give a player some harsh medicine without fearing a major backlash.

If a player wasn’t defending properly you just told him straight. He copped it and moved onwards and hopefully upwards.

But these days, Bennett claimed, if you delivered the same serve a player would be more inclined to tell his manager or his parents – or both – and you might have the manager on the phone asking for an explanation or threatening to take his client elsewhere.

The worry for Bennett was not so much his team or the club but the fact that taking this option meant the player would not develop the resilience needed for life beyond football.

And resilience, as we saw this week, was something Bennett knows all about.