Wayne Bennett could coach the Broncos into his 70s, says Darren Lockyer

WAYNE Bennett has revealed he hasn’t signed his final Broncos contract as Brisbane legend Darren Lockyer declared the super coach had the ability to coach into his 70s.

Bennett doesn’t have any plans to quit yet. (Adam Head)

WAYNE Bennett has revealed he hasn’t signed his final Broncos contract as Brisbane legend Darren Lockyer declared the super coach had the ability to coach into his 70s.

Speaking exclusively at The Courier-Mail’s NRL season launch on Tuesday, Bennett hinted at extending his remarkable career beyond his current contract, which expires at the end of 2019.

Brisbane powerbrokers have had informal discussions about a succession plan for Bennett, prompting a third-party with links to the Broncos to approach Cowboys coach Paul Green last year.

But at 68, Bennett says he hasn’t contemplated retirement and opened up about the pressure to break a 12-year title hoodoo — the longest premiership drought in Broncos history.

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Bennett doesn’t have any plans to quit yet. (Adam Head)

Asked if he had signed his last contract, Bennett said: “No, not yet”, before refusing to rule out making NRL history by coaching into his 70s, saying it “may or may not happen”.

Bennett will launch his 32nd season of NRL coaching against former club the Dragons next week.

Lockyer, a Broncos board member who was Bennett’s skipper in the club’s most recent title triumph in 2006, backed the seven-time premiership-winner to remain at the helm in his 70s.

“If Wayne wants to go on beyond 70 and he says he is capable, you trust him,” said Lockyer, who was coached by Bennett for 14 seasons.

Bennett in the early days in 1988.

“He wouldn’t throw his hat in the ring if he didn’t think he couldn’t do it. If he does decide to go on beyond his current deal, it will be for the right reasons.

“Tactics are always a moving beast but it comes down to a group of men all playing together and playing for each other. It doesn’t matter if Wayne is 27, 47 or 70, getting a group together is the primary objective of a coach and Wayne is pretty good at that.

“He has this year and next year on his contract.

“Like any coach, regardless of reputation, results are the key to all this. If he gets to the end of this contract and he is keen to go around again and he is winning games, I’m sure the Broncos would back him.

“But there’s still two years of footy to go under Wayne’s tenure. We don’t know what mindset Wayne will be in next year, he might have a change of heart, but I’d like to see him go on.”

Bennett enters his fourth season at Red Hill since returning to the Broncos from Newcastle. He admits pressure is building to deliver Brisbane’s seventh premiership after their heartbreaking grand-final loss to Queensland foes the Cowboys in 2015.

“There is always pressure on the Broncos, nothing has changed,” he said. “I was away six years, you feel a different pressure at the Broncos.

“It was different coaching other at clubs. It was kind of refreshing but you take the Broncos job knowing the expectations that come with it. They come every year, they come every game and everyday.”

Asked if his 2018 squad was prepared to pay the price to win the premiership, Bennett said: “I can’t answer that right now, I don’t know. We’ll have to find out over the 24 rounds.

“But we have recruited some of the best young talent in Australia, there’s half-a-dozen kids that will we see a lot of NRL in the next decade.

“It is pleasing to realise that we have such talent backing up the (senior NRL) squad.”