State of Origin: Kevin Walters has picked Wayne Bennett as the man to replace him as Queensland coach
Queensland have wasted little time in replacing Broncos-bound Kevin Walters for November’s Origin series, with NRL experience and success with younger players playing a huge part in their decision.
Broncos
Don't miss out on the headlines from Broncos. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Wayne Bennett has opened up about his stunning return to the Maroons after the Queensland Rugby League issued an Origin SOS to the NRL super coach.
News Corp can reveal Bennett will be appointed Queensland coach for next month’s State of Origin series following the resignation of Kevin Walters.
Walters will remain in the Maroons mix until November 1 when he officially steps into his new position as head coach of the Brisbane Broncos.
Watch the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership Finals on Kayo. Every game before the Grand Final Live & On-Demand with no-ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
NRL NEWS
Kevvie’s first interview: ‘I never gave up on Broncos dream’
Broncos’ Bellamy heist: How deal of decade will happen
The star-studded cast Broncos are prepared to hand Kevvie
Bennett will then take the reins of the Maroons when the three-game series kicks off in Adelaide on November 4 after beating Mal Meninga to the role.
The QRL board will meet on Thursday to ratify Bennett’s return for the 2020 campaign, with former Cowboys mentor Paul Green favourite to take on the Maroons duties from 2021 after being pipped for the Broncos post by Walters.
Bennett, 70, has had three previous stints as Queensland coach in 1986-88, 1998 and 2001-03.
He has won 11 of 22 matches and led Queensland to their first series clean sweep in 1988.
The South Sydney coach insisted he had not been told whether he had secured the role but admitted he would relish leading the Maroons again.
“I won’t be lobbying for the job. If the Queensland Rugby League ask me, I will seriously consider it because there would be no issues with me coaching Origin in November,” Bennett said.
“I love coaching Queensland. It’s state versus state, mate versus mate and what Origin means to Queenslanders. It’s the job I found most difficult of all of all the things I have done. It’s so tough because of the expectation.
“It’s harder than NRL coaching in my eyes. In the NRL, you get time to build a team. In Origin, you don’t have that time. And for Queensland, the pressure is all-consuming.
“I can remember nights where I didn’t want to go to an Origin game. I loved everything in the lead-up but then 6pm would come and I wasn’t keen to get on the bus because you knew your whole world could fall apart depending on what happened in the next 80 minutes.
“But when you win, it’s exhilarating.”
Meninga coached Queensland to a remarkable nine series wins from 2006-15, including the record-breaking eight-straight dynasty (2006-13).
The NRL was prepared to allow the current Kangaroos coach to lead Queensland given the national team will not play any Tests this year.
However Bennett’s experience coaching in the NRL and ability to nurture young players is set to get him the nod given how many inexperienced representatives Queensland is expected to blood this year.
QRL chairman Bruce Hatcher said the Maroons faced a firestorm by appointing Meninga and Bennett was the right man for the job.
“We will have one of the most inexperienced sides we have ever fielded,” Hatcher said.
“Wayne is the appropriate guy but that has to be ratified by the board and we expect a decision in the coming days.
“It would certainly create a bit of interest if Wayne comes back. Kevin will be having some strong input.
“This shouldn’t be a total surprise on Wayne. We have previously discussed him as a Plan B option when Mal Meninga took the Australian job (2016) and we considered Wayne.
“We felt if Wayne could get the support of the Rabbits he would be on standby if Kevvie went to the Broncos.
“We didn’t think of Mal initially because we felt he couldn’t coach due to his contract with the Kangaroos.
“His name was raised but it could have put us in a compromising position. It had the potential for all-in brawl with NSW before the series even started.”
Walters will continue to prepare Queensland’s train-on squad before Bennett enters the Maroons’ bubble on the Gold Coast after the Rabbitohs’ finals campaign comes to an end.
“There are some great candidates there, Wayne would be the ideal one they are looking at, he would do a fantastic job,” Walters said.
“A lot of those guys wouldn’t have been coached by Wayne, but he has his own style of coaching so it works at all levels of the game.
“He has been there and done it before which is important for the Queensland players.”
Walters’ Origin coaching career will come to an end after four years, with a 50 per cent winning record (six wins from 12 games) and two series victories (2016-17).
Originally published as State of Origin: Kevin Walters has picked Wayne Bennett as the man to replace him as Queensland coach