NRL grand final: Reg Reagan recalls bathing, dancing and playing with Wayne Bennett
Reg Reagan knows Wayne Bennett about as intimately as you can know any man you have bathed with - he lifts the lid on life with Wayne.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Well, the Old Flog’s done it again. The Wayne Train into his 10th grand final. Who would’ve thought?
You see, Wayne and I go way back. In the mid 70s Wayne dated my sister, Rhonda.
Things were pretty hot and heavy between the two of them and I distinctly remember the moment Wayne told me he was going into the coaching game.
The three of us were in the bath together, nothing kinky, Wayne and I were back to back, anyway, he just blurts it out in that docile, monotone voice, “Reg, I’m coaching Brisbane Souths this year, do you fancy joining the team?”
Watch Fox Leagues’s massive line-up of Grand Final week coverage on Kayo including live pre-game, half-time and post-game coverage with full analysis from the best team in the business. New to Kayo? Start your free trial >
Why not?! The money was good, I loved the Brisbane weather and the thought of being coached by my future brother-in-law sounded like fun.
Unfortunately, Rhonda and Wayne didn’t last. Rhonda said while Wayne was a machine in the sack, she couldn’t quite get her head around dating a copper, given our late dad had been doing a 30-year stint in Long Bay after accidentally stabbing a bloke 20 times during a disagreement.
But while that relationship was over, mine and Wayne’s was just beginning, and has stood the test of time. Here’s just a few memories.
THE BRISBANE YEARS
Brisbane in the 80s was fantastic, it was just like Australia in the 60s, and we were enjoying great success under Wayne’s coaching.
We won the title in my first year at Brisbane Souths. To be fair, the competition wasn’t strong – it’d be like playing the Bulldogs every week. Off the field was where the real action was.
The Supercoach earned the nickname Wingman Wayne, because every time we hit the clubs Wayne was right on my hip. I was Maverick, he was Goose.
In a lot of ways we were the odd couple. For instance, Wayne never touches the drink, whereas I’d drink my bath water if it gave me a buzz.
So, before we hit the town I’d pump four or five Beroccas into Wayne and in no time, a different beast. You’d swear he was off chops — I’m talking Joey Johns Mad Monday!
The ladies couldn’t keep their hands off us. Wayne used to wear these skin tight black denim jeans. When people spoke about Wayne’s balls, they weren’t referring to a Steeden
LIVING IN THE ACT
In ’87 when Wayne coached the Canberra Raiders I was the first bloke he signed.
It took me a while to adjust to life in Canberra, it was so different to Brisbane, the weather was freezing and you couldn’t bribe the coppers.
On the field, it was more success. I was a sensation that year, dragging a very ordinary team to the grand final.
Off the field, ‘Maverick’ and ‘Goose’ enjoyed even more success.
It seemed Wayne and I couldn’t be separated. We lived together, we shared headlines, we tied for first in Belconnen’s Succulent Studs competition. We were more than mates.
I’ll never forget those special Sundays. The leisurely 30-minute drives to Fyshwyck to buy our week’s supply of fireworks and skin magazines. Mates forever ... but will forever last?
THE MAGIC DRAGON
Wayne, of course, left Canberra to join the Broncos. I didn’t want to return to Brisbane. I’d fallen out with journalists at the Courier Mail after they ran a front-page story accusing me of fathering numerous children to numerous women and refusing to pay child support. The story was 100 per cent correct, but I took exception to them referring to me as a, “journeyman footballer.”
Eight grand final victories and Brisbane Player of the Year five times. Pretty good for a “journeyman!”
Wayne and I drifted apart. I watched him from afar as he enjoyed success after success.
I considered reaching out to him, but just couldn’t. I thought about him often and I suspect he, me.
Then, one day, he arrived at the front door of the little two-bedroom fibro at Lidcombe.
“Hello Maverick, fancy helping me win a comp at the Dragons?”
“You had me at hello, Goose…”
And win a comp we did. It was old times again. Me smashing schooners, Wayne smashing Beroccas, both of us smashing the dance floor. We moved a little slower, but our hips still had the trademark thrust!
Whereas in Canberra, we bonded over People magazines, at Kogarah it was cheese toast and potato skins. The day they shut Sizzler, a little of both of us died.
RABBIT HUNT
After our Dragons success, Wayne ventured to Newcastle and quickly ventured back.
He returned to the Broncos after that, but things quickly went to shit after losing a grand final, insulting everyone at the club and sending Buck the Bronco to the glue factory. Then he received a call from the Gladiator himself — Mark McGaw.
The former Souths centre had covered himself in glory as Hammer on the Channel 7 program Gladiators.
McGaw asked if it would be ok if he passed Wayne’s number onto Russell Crowe, who was looking for a new coach.
Wayne was reluctant, saying he didn’t agree with Russell’s politics. I had to inform Wayne that Romper Stomper wasn’t a documentary!
Wayne and I had met Russell years ago in LA. Wayne was going through his acting phase and had travelled to the States to read for the role of ‘Blue’ in Old School.
Over dinner, Russell had expressed his desire for Wayne to coach Souths one day.
That one day arrived two years back. And after sorting out a few little things (Wayne bleeding Russell for almost every penny) we were off to Redfern.
It hasn’t been easy, I’d forgotten how difficult it is living with the ‘Supercoach.’
The dirty laundry, the constant old man smell in the house, and the incontinence pads lying around the bachelor pad.
But here we go again.
A Souths win will be our finest achievement.
What a journey! Who could’ve imagined two young blokes who once shared a bathtub together on the cusp of history?
But our journey will continue. With all my illegitimate children now over 16, I’m returning with Wayne to Brisbane to coach the city’s second team.
Until then, Glory, Glory to South Sydney!
JOHNS: WHY THE TEAM THAT SHOULD WIN THE GF WON’T
In round 9, South Sydney lost 50-0 to Melbourne. Two weeks later, it was hammered 56-12 by the team it will play in Sunday’s NRL grand final.
The final straw should have come in round 24, when star fullback Latrell Mitchell was suspended for the rest of the season.
These three moments highlight the job Wayne Bennett has done to constantly pick his team up and get them to grand final day.
This is one of Wayne’s greatest coaching feats. And if the Bunnies win on Sunday against Penrith, it will be undoubtedly his greatest coaching season.
Everything has seemingly been timed to perfection — with every piece of adversity, there’s been some masterful tinkering in response. The belief he’s instilled in the team, particularly in young players such as Blake Taaffe, must surprise even Wayne’s greatest admirers.
LEARNING FROM RECENT WEEKS
Form is important, but the form of the two teams against one another is king.
Recent matches between these two sides show how both subtly changed.
Up until two weeks ago, when Souths upset the Panthers in week one of the finals, Penrith would have been at very short odds on Sunday after hammering the Bunnies in Round 11, then scoring 25 unanswered points in round 23 to win 25-12.
But when you look a little deeper at that round 23 match, it is deceptive. Souths were on a dangerous 10-game winning run. I say dangerous because nearly all of those wins were floggings, rattling up 50 and 60 points on occasion — not ideal with finals in sight.
This really softened them up and made them vulnerable to Penrith, which had been winning in gritty fashion without Nathan Cleary. Penrith was in a tough, grinding space, while Souths were playing open, fast and fun. But much has changed.
CHANGE OF ATTITUDE
From that loss, Wayne has tightened the screws of Souths’ defence. The Rabbitohs have upped their aggression and are more controlled and deliberate with the ball.
Souths score points naturally, creativity isn’t a problem. But they are no longer relying on that to win. The core of their performance is now discipline and defence.
Meanwhile, Penrith just veered off course slightly when Cleary was missing through injury and, in my opinion, it is still finding its way back.
When Penrith met Souths in week one of the finals, it was the Panthers who were caught off-guard. Souths’ defensive intensity shocked Penrith. The Panthers turned up for an attacking shootout; the Rabbitohs turned up for a grind. Their attitudes had reversed.
The encouraging thing for Penrith was that its attack was very good against Melbourne, certainly better than the 10 points it scored indicated. The improved attack with the defensive mindset of the past two performances has them well placed.
STAR POWER
PENRITH
Penrith’s attack works like a three-punch combination. It starts with Isaah Yeo, then comes Cleary, and then Jarome Luai. Each brings the other into play.
But it all begins with Yeo. Rarely has a forward played so much like a halfback. Yeo pushes them into position and then kick starts the attacking sequence. He also leads the team out of trouble with his creativity, giving the go-forward variation.
If Souths shut down Yeo they win.
SOUTHS
Cody Walker is in outstanding form, his left-side attacking team are the best in the competition and he’s given the right side extra teeth by crossing over and combining with Adam Reynolds.
Damien Cook being able to escape the clutches of the markers and run freely made Cody doubly dangerous last Friday.
IF I WAS WAYNE BENNETT
Wayne’s about simplicity, on grand final day — just do as you normally would, only better.
Souths’ left-side attack is so dangerous, but it’s the cream on top. The Bunnies need to dominate through the middle, and from there the pieces fall into place.
Souths need to loosen Penrith’s middle defence and you best do that with controlled ball movement early, a little bit of edge-to-edge stuff, and then as you approach the 25th minute revert to fast, through-the-middle football.
Cam Murray does all the damage here. When Murray starts penetrating, Cook gets out of dummy-half, and here comes Cody.
Penrith have had a draining last month and if Adam Reynolds can kick for repeat possessions, through errors or kicks into the in-goal, the extra possession will hurt the Panthers.
IF I WAS IVAN CLEARY
Don’t get dragged into a forward slugfest. Penrith’s style is skill and ball movement. Yes, the forwards need to lay an early platform, but don’t get trapped in that and play conservatively.
Yeo needs to keep varying the go-forward and Luai needs to compliment Cleary’s right-side raids and provide width out on the left.
Luai and Cleary can’t keep resetting the middle; they must stretch Souths on the edges.
Nathan can kick Penrith to victory. Firstly, those towering bombs always put a back three under pressure. I feel that Nathan has kicked a little conservatively this finals series.
In the opening 30 minutes I’d be kicking long and kicking early to subject Taaffe and his wingers to a suffocating defensive line.
X-FACTOR
How much petrol is left in the tank?
Souths have enjoyed a month which has allowed them to freshen. Resting stars in the final premiership round, a rest in week two of the finals and a tough, but not exhausting win over Manly last Friday. They enter the grand final with an extra days’ recovery as well.
It’s been a brutal finals series for the Panthers, each match going to the wire and requiring tremendous effort. The last two games in particular have been epic encounters.
Playing on a warm Sunday afternoon and defending your way to an upset victory over Melbourne can either have you primed and battle hardened or tired and vulnerable.
PREDICTION
Penrith deserve this grand final win, they have been brilliant over the past two seasons. On the field they have played a refreshing brand of exciting football, off the field they have promoted the game generously with their charm and personality.
But I sense the tough month will catch up with them.
There’s a sense of destiny about Souths and Wayne Bennett. Everything Wayne has done this season has been so well thought out and executed. There’s a reason he rarely loses grand finals.
Souths are undeniably fresher and I’m tipping them to win by 6.
Clive Churchill medallist: Cameron Murray.
More Coverage
How NRL plans to exploit rugby chaos and raid the Wallabies
As Rugby Australia battles a costly legal challenge and broadcast uncertainty, the expanding NRL is ready to pounce with key salary cap dispensations.
Hand of Dyl: Edwards opens up on grand final try saver
Dylan Edwards’ try saving tackle in the 2024 NRL grand final may appear to be a miracle to many, but the Penrith fullback explains it was just the perfect execution of a move he had practised over and over at training.