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Ken Talbot makes secret payments to Broncos coach Wayne Bennett

BRISBANE Broncos coach Wayne Bennett has been taking secret six-figure cash payments from mining magnate Ken Talbot for the past three years, The Sunday Mail can reveal.

BRISBANE Broncos coach Wayne Bennett has been taking secret six-figure cash payments from mining magnate Ken Talbot for the past three years, The Sunday Mail can reveal.

Talbot, the founder of Macarthur Coal and worth more than $700 million, yesterday confirmed he had been making cash gifts to Bennett since 2004.

Talbot said he regularly gave money to friends. It is understood the money Talbot gave Bennett was placed in a Bennett family trust account.

The Sunday Mail has been told Talbot had a million-dollar arrangement with Bennett – worth $100,000 a year in cash gifts for 10 years.

Talbot last night said his fiscal assistance to the NRL's most successful coach was primarily for Bennett's disabled children, Justin and Katherine.

"I have helped him financially, yes . . . I've helped him for a couple of years actually," Talbot said. "But it's particularly for his children.

"In principle, I have sought to help Wayne, and one day I hope his family can achieve the things they want to achieve.

"Wayne has enormous responsibility providing for those disadvantaged children. From that viewpoint, I'm happy to assist Wayne."

When contacted last night for comment about the payments, Bennett said: "I don't discuss private family matters publicly.

"Any arrangement I had with Ken Talbot was disclosed by me to Broncos CEO Bruno Cullen earlier this year."

Talbot stressed Bennett – who gets paid $540,000 a year by the Broncos – did not seek financial aid.

"Wayne is one person who has never asked for help and didn't want any assistance initially," he said.

"But I persuaded him to accept it in the spirit in which it was intended. I just wanted to see those children provided for. I thought in some way, we must do something for Wayne. I've chosen to do it and I'm sure there are other people who would also like to help Wayne's family."

Talbot said his cash handouts to Bennett needed to be taken in the "context of the overall investment I have made in the community".

He said he had pumped $4 million over the last five years into public works, including a revamp of Queensland's State Library.

"There are several areas where I've tried to invest and assist," Talbot said

"Wayne is an important person and we haven't talked about this publicly before.

"In a broader sense, I do a lot of stuff. I've invested $4 million over the last five years – I look at four areas, arts and education, cultural heritage, health and lifestyle and the last area is charity and we've put in around a million dollars into each area."

Broncos and Thoroughbreds

Bennett is an icon of Queensland sport and is revered as a highly principled man who preaches the virtues of loyalty at the Broncos, where he has coached for 20 years.

Talbot is affiliated with the Thoroughbreds, a group of high-profile businessmen set up with Bennett to act as a support network for Broncos players.

Cullen last night admitted he was aware Bennett accepted secret payments from Thoroughbreds member Talbot.

Speaking with The Sunday Mail yesterday, Bennett confessed he had disclosed his transaction with mining magnate Talbot to Cullen this year.

The Broncos boss said Bennett's revelations were accurate.

"Wayne told me that Ken Talbot gave him money to put into his children's trust fund and he told me that in the strictest of confidence," he said.

"I would never break that confidence until now, because Wayne has made the statement himself.

"That is the 100 per cent truth."

Asked if he felt duty-bound to report Bennett's actions to the Broncos board, Cullen said: "No I didn't. Wayne told me something in confidence.

"I was satisfied that it was a personal transaction between himself and Ken Talbot and that it had absolutely nothing to do with the Broncos. I didn't feel compelled to tell the Broncos because Wayne insisted it wasn't a salary cap issue."

It is understood Bennett made the confession in March after the NRL launched investigations into potential salary cap breaches by the Broncos.

There has been speculation Talbot also made secret payments totalling $700,000 to former Broncos powerbroker Don Nissen, now chairman of the Talbot Group.

But Talbot said: "With Don, we needed a chairman of our group.

"We asked him if he wanted to come on as chairman and he agreed. We did a package for that and he contributes in that way.

"I see that as a normal business arrangement, it's not one of our social investments."

After an investigation by the Crime and Misconduct Commission, Talbot was charged in January over payments totalling $300,000 to Gordon Nuttall, a former minister in the Peter Beattie ALP State government, between 2002 and 2005.

Yesterday, Talbot said it would be up to his lawyers whether they would call Bennett as a defence witness.

"They know the legal system so I'll leave that decision with them," Talbot said.

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/wayne-bennetts-secret-fund/news-story/83fb64ee740a95915432aa1b89643e61