Wayne Bennett shrugs off focus on Anthony Griffin record against him as “rubbish”

WAYNE Bennett has shrugged off suggestions Anthony Griffin has any tactical mastery over the Broncos coach as “rubbish”, but the statistics tell a very different story.

Bennett wasn’t impressed at the focus on Griffin. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

WAYNE Bennett has dismissed Anthony Griffin’s success against him as “rubbish” as the Panthers coach attempts to salvage Penrith’s season by beating the man he was sacked for.

Griffin will return to Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night for the second time since being punted by the Broncos in 2014 to accommodate the return of Bennett.

The careers of the men in the coaching box at Suncorp could not be more of a contrast.

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Bennett wasn’t impressed at the focus on Griffin. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Bennett has won seven NRL premierships, including six at the Broncos, in a 769-game career which has yielded 477 wins.

Griffin has only coached 135 NRL games (52.6 per cent winning record) and was axed after four years in charge of the Broncos when Bennett decided to return to Red Hill.

But the head-to-head match-up between Bennett and Griffin tells a vastly different story.

Of the 10 NRL matches they have faced off in, Bennett was won just one, with eight losses and a draw. The anomaly is by far Bennett’s worst winning percentage against any NRL coach.

Bennett was bemused when asked numerous questions about Griffin and dismissed his rival’s record.

“Is it all about Anthony today?” Bennett said.

“What are we on about today? He sits on the bench like I do. We have no influence at all.

“At the end of the day … rubbish.”

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Griffin guided the Broncos to a preliminary final in 2011, beating Bennett’s Dragons in the semis, but an eighth-placed finish in 2012 and 12th in 2013 put him under immense pressure.

The retirement of Darren Lockyer in 2011 proved difficult for the Broncos and Griffin to overcome, but he did usher in a new wave of talent in the likes of Ben Hunt, Josh McGuire and Andrew McCullough.

Broncos veteran Sam Thaiday said Griffin may not have had the opportunity to put his stamp on the club.

“This is probably the hardest club in the whole comp to coach,” he said. “There is a huge expectation and aura around the club.

“We’re always a team that needs to succeed otherwise heads are going to roll within the players and staff. That’s the standard that the Broncos have set over many years. We live and die by them.

“It’s kind of hard when you’re not in a job long enough to really give it a crack.

“He brought a lot of those players through our under-20s and now they are regular first graders playing 100-150 games for our club.

“He’s been a huge part of the development phase of our team. He can definitely put his hand up and take credit where it’s due.”

Griffin needs to turn Penrith’s potential into reality. Photo: Gregg Porteous

Penrith has been one of the biggest disappointments of 2017 after finishing sixth last year in Griffin’s first season in charge.

The Panthers were considered premiership chances with their talented young squad but have barely fired a shot with just two wins in eight rounds.

Penrith has been in Queensland since Monday preparing for the game, having beaten the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium last season with a similar approach.

Griffin is under pressure to extract some success from a capable team and Bennett said the Broncos would not take Penrith lightly.

“They’ve got a very talented football team,” he said. “If you don’t respect that you’re lying to yourself. They are very capable.

“They’ve just had a bad start to the season and that can happen.”