Bennett, Boyd snub team barbecue at Broncos CEO’s house
BRONCOS coach Wayne Bennett and captain Darius Boyd sensationally snubbed an official team gathering at the home of club CEO Paul White, The Courier-Mail can reveal. It's put Boyd on a collision course with White, while the club's impending dismissal of Bennett could spark a player exodus.
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THE Wayne Bennett coaching saga has ripped the Broncos apart, with the super coach and captain Darius Boyd sensationally snubbing an official team barbecue at the home of chief executive Paul White.
The Courier-Mail can reveal Boyd declined to attend an annual club event hosted by White, instead opting to spend the afternoon at Bennett's house in a stunning show of loyalty that threatens to divide the club.
Boyd informed the CEO by text message that he would not be attending. Bennett, whose 34-year friendship with White has broken down over the fight to save his job at the Broncos, was also a no-show.
White was left bitterly disappointed that Brisbane's most influential footballing figures - the coach and captain - couldn't be bothered showing up.
Sources say several Broncos players left White's gathering, turning up "en masse" to Bennett's home - a compelling sign that the under-fire coach still retains the support of the dressing room.
White's Broncos BBQ was held 24 hours after Brisbane's 34-30 loss to the Cowboys last Thursday night. It is the fifth annual luncheon White has hosted at his home, and every employee of the club was invited, including partners and children, in a goodwill gesture designed to boost morale.
Instead, the Broncos are facing a destabilising mutiny on the eve of Thursday night's clash against South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium.
The BBQ brouhaha underlines the high-level tension building at the Broncos, amid speculation Bennett will be sacked by Brisbane hierarchy in the coming weeks.
White and Bennett declined to comment today, but the erosion of the CEO-coach relationship is clearly having ramifications for a Broncos playing squad fighting to save their season.
The Courier-Mail can reveal White notified players and staff of the annual BBQ last month.
Due to a mechanical problem, the Broncos’ flight out of Townsville was delayed several hours. Most of the full-time squad eventually turned up to White's home for the event, which kicked off at 3.30pm.
More than 40 Broncos employees attended, including first-graders Matt Gillett, Alex Glenn, Anthony Milford, Matt Lodge, Tevita Pangai Jr, Jamayne Isaako and James Roberts. Sam Thaiday and Josh McGuire stayed behind in Townsville after the Cowboys game.
Broncos coaching assistants Jason Demetriou and Kurt Richards, plus a team of club physios, also visited White's home.
But the absence of Bennett and Boyd was noted.
It is understood Bennett, who had no plans to host the team, received text messages of support from several Broncos players.
Most of the playing group left the event by 5.30pm and headed to Bennett's home to join Boyd, whose no-show at White's official gathering has put him a collision course with the CEO.
White and Broncos chairman Karl Morris have ostensibly decided to begin a fresh era in 2020, but the impending dismissal of Bennett could spark a player exodus.
Veteran back-rower Glenn underlined the playing support for Bennett on Monday when he said: "Wayne's got our backs and we’ve got Wayne’s back."
Legendary Broncos prop Shane Webcke is too loyal to Brisbane to get involved in the Bennett-White ructions, but said the super coach's great strength was his care for the players.
"Wayne is a bloke who cares as much about you away from the game as he does what you do on the field," Webcke said.
"Anyone who has played for him will tell you that and that is beyond questioning. That is why I feel a fierce loyalty to him.
"That loyalty would extend if I thought he was starting to embarrass himself or lose the plot.
"We all go off the boil eventually and he helped us make those decisions when it was happening to us as players.
"I would extend to him the same courtesy if I thought he was starting to lie to himself and not coach as well as he should.
"I am close with Wayne, but if I thought he was losing the plot I would tell him. I don’t think he is."
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