Why it’s time for Wayne Bennett to move on from the Brisbane Broncos
THREE weeks ago, the Broncos held an old boys’ lunch. Much of the conversation among the ex-players was around the direction in which the club is headed. And many are not happy.
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THE time has come for Wayne Bennett to move on from the Broncos.
Three weeks ago, Brisbane held an old boys’ lunch and a lot of the conversation among the ex-players was around the direction in which the club is headed.
And many are not happy.
I know we as former players don’t have a say in what happens with the Broncos, but when you help build something, you get passionate about it.
That’s why I believe the move to bring in Craig Bellamy is the right one.
It shows Brisbane are on the front foot and ready to make the right decision. They just need to be careful about how they do it.
Bennett has realised the writing is on the wall and his determination to stay in the job next season could also be Brisbane’s undoing.
He is forcing the club’s hand and is outsmarting them at the moment, because if they want Bellamy, he will either have to sit out of the game for a year or the Broncos will have to give Bennett a massive payout.
Bennett is putting Brisbane under the pump and is trying to force Bellamy to re-sign with Melbourne.
He doesn’t really want Bellamy coaching there.
But, in my opinion, it’s what has to happen.
There will be people who ask “how dare the Broncos treat Wayne like this”.
However, I had reservations when he came back in 2015. Everyone has a use-by date, no matter how great you are.
If Michael Jackson was still alive, he wouldn’t still be doing the moonwalk when he’s 68.
But I think that even with Bennett in charge, Brisbane have lost their shine.
Bennett used to have that pulling power but the fact is, he just doesn’t have it anymore.
The club also don’t have a star player to attract other players, so what they need is a star coach.
Craig Bellamy is that person.
If my sons were ever going to have an NRL career, I would send them straight to Bellamy, just so they could learn what it’s like to be an NRL player from him.
Bennett is trying to force Bellamy to either re-sign with the Storm or have a year off, but 12 months out of the game could be really dangerous.
I hope Bellamy comes north, it’s just about whether he wants the challenge.
I can’t see a premiership window with Brisbane at the moment and that is what he would have to change.
Melbourne’s premiership window is more like an open plan living space.
They’re always around the fight, always contesting, and Bellamy created that.
Cameron Smith walked past Brisbane, Cooper Cronk walked past Brisbane, Billy Slater walked past Brisbane.
They were all playing in Queensland.
No one wanted them except for Bellamy.
What would Brisbane do with a Cameron Munster right now?
The players Brisbane rejected became Melbourne’s grand final side.
But even if Bellamy doesn’t come to Brisbane, they have to pull the trigger on somebody else.
Too much has happened now to keep Bennett around.
Originally published as Why it’s time for Wayne Bennett to move on from the Brisbane Broncos