Wayne Bennett’s (not so) toothy smile, Val Te Whare wins hearts and minds in Japan
Wayne Bennett will continue a proud rugby league tradition when he fronts up at Magic Round this week, an NRL cult hero is big in Japan and PNG unearth a Jarome Luai clone.
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Souths super coach Wayne Bennett has booked an emergency trip to the dentist following the completion of Magic Round this weekend.
Bennett’s sweet tooth cost him dearly last week when his front tooth fell out after he chomped down on a chocolate licorice bullet before Souths’ game against the Storm in Melbourne.
Since then, Bennett has made several trips to the dentist to have the tooth temporarily glued back in, only for it to keep falling out.
Bennett has finally bitten the (chocolate) bullet and will front up at Magic Round this week resembling a coaching version of Cronulla’s Cameron McInnes, who has been missing a front tooth for years.
“I’m coming to Brisbane toothless,” Bennett said with a laugh.
“I was eating one of those licorice chocolate bullets before the game and my front tooth just snapped on me.
“I went to the dentist to get it glued back in, but I’ve had it fall out about three or four times now.
“I had to keep going back to the dentist so I thought stuff it, I’ll just wait until next week to get it fixed.
“I was a bit embarrassed at first but now I’m getting used to looking at myself with a missing tooth.
“I’m getting it fixed next Tuesday.”
I take my scheduled break from NRL injury posts to inform you that Valynce Te Whare is still scoring length of the field tries. Petition to bring him back for Magic Round pic.twitter.com/Hjqrd7rkRR
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) April 27, 2025
VAL MENINGA’S TURNING JAPANESE
Former Dolphins Magic Round hero Valynce Te Whare has now become a cult figure ... in Japan.
Unwanted by Redcliffe this season, Te Whare has been a revelation since his move to Japanese rugby and resembled All Blacks great Jonah Lomu with a freakish try last weekend.
Now playing for Shizuoka Blue Revs, ‘Val Meninga’ scored a remarkable length-of-the-field try, beating seven would-be defenders to send commentators into raptures.
“That is one of the individual tries of the season,” said one English commentator as Te Whare dived over.
“He had so much work to do ... and he has made it look easy.”
Te Whare is one of the quickest big men in NRL history. Despite weighing around 110kg, the 24-year-old said he was clocked at 11 seconds in a 100-metre sprint as a 17-year-old.
Te Whare scored six tries in 12 games for the Dolphins and will always be remembered for his Magic Round heroics in 2023, when he scored two tries on debut against the Sharks.
HASLER’S BENCH BUNGLE
Under-pressure Titans coach Des Hasler has been using a bizarre interchange strategy this year.
Hasler has regularly been using four out of eight interchanges a game solely on captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
The ploy sees Fa’asuamaleaui start games and play about 25 minutes before coming off the field for a short break and then returning before halftime.
He then plays about the first 15 minutes of the second half before having another short break and then coming back on for the end of the game.
His three different stints means there have been matches where his brother Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui hasn’t got on the field at all.
Last week, starting prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard only got 25 minutes while bench forwards Brock Gray (nine minutes, sin-binned) and Arama Hau (six minutes) had limited involvement.
“Sometimes it’s the way it just worked out,” Hasler said when questioned about his tactics.
“The other day it worked out because of injury and sin bin.”
PNG UNEARTH THE ‘NEXT LUAI’
Meet Papua New Guinea’s version of Jarome Luai.
Just like Luai, Gairo Voro has the flowing long hair, black headgear and wears the No.6 jumper in his ambition to be one of the first signings for Papua New Guinea’s entry to the NRL in 2028.
Amid concerns about whether PNG has the talent to sustain an NRL team, look no further than five-eighth sensation Voro.
The 20-year-old has been a revelation in Queensland’s Hostplus Cup this season for the PNG Hunters and the Luai lookalike has become a cult figure with his eye-catching attacking style.
Hailing from Viriolo, a small village in PNG’s Central District, Voro made his Hostplus Cup debut last season. He has started this year in fine form with four try assists and five line break assists, plus a try in last week’s 22-14 defeat of Burleigh.
Goro captained the Junior Kumuls last year and is almost certain to be handed an NRL contract as the poster boy for a new generation of PNG stars in the big league in 2028.
“Gairo is killing it for the PNG Hunters,” said a QRL spokesman.
“He’s known as the ‘PNG Jarome Luai’ in his homeland because of his looks and playing style.
“As soon as you see him catch and pass, and the way he takes the ball to the line, you instantly think of Jarome Luai.”
“Gairo is a great showcase of the work we do with the Hunters in providing a pathway for PNG players.
BEARS COACHING MANIA
The ARL Commission has been inundated with applications from leading coaches to head up the Perth Bears in 2027.
Sport Confidential can reveal the ARLC has received a flood of expressions of interest from coaches keen to take charge of the NRL’s 18th team following reports last week that the Bears were back in the big league.
The ARL Commission will formally announce the addition of the Perth Bears in the next fortnight and one of the key next steps will be appointing the new franchise’s foundation coach.
It is understood former Eels mentor Brad Arthur is the preferred candidate for the post, but the ARLC, which will own the Bears licence, will go through a thorough due diligence of coaching options.
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys would not be drawn on speculation Arthur will be the Bears’ inaugural coach.
“I won’t be commenting on that,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of interest in the coaching position and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on any individuals.”
TIP KIT SHOCKER
NRL tipping has looked like a dog’s breakfast this season - and now there’s a jersey to match it.
Former Queensland Origin trio Justin Hodges, Ben Hannant and Dunamis Lui will this week parade the ‘Tip Kit’ jersey during Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium.
The custom-made jersey features the eight teams a fan tips for Magic Round - a wearable mix of hope, heartbreak and tipping pride.
According to SportsPick data, only three per cent of fans have managed a perfect round this season — proof that tipping glory is harder to come by than ever.
“With upsets every round, tipping this year is all over the shop,” Hodges said.
“It’s a rollercoaster and this jersey is the perfect way to wear the ride during Magic Round.”
Hodges, Hannant and Lui will be special guests at The Paddo in Brisbane during Magic Round wearing their Tip Kit jumper as they happily discuss tipping boilovers with punters.
“The Tip Kit captures the magic of tipping - the debates, the blind faith, the shockers, and the smug 8-from-8s,” said Entain Venues managing director Mark Sturdy.
“Everyone’s got an opinion on footy, and now they’ve got a jersey to match.”
REECE’S COBBO PLEA
Superstar fullback Reece Walsh has appealed for Selwyn Cobbo not to quit the Broncos despite the looming battle for the No.1 jumper.
Cobbo will start at fullback in Sunday’s Magic Round clash against the Panthers and is turning up the heat on the injured Walsh following his superb display against the Bulldogs last week.
The off-contract Cobbo has made no secret of his desire to play fullback and a move to another club would remove a major competitive threat to Walsh for the No.1 jumper.
But Walsh, demonstrating his team-first mentality, last year inked a $4.4 million upgrade and he urged Cobbo to follow suit by staying loyal to the Broncos.
Asked if he hopes Cobbo signs a new deal with Brisbane, Walsh said: “Of course.
“’Selly’ is a Brissy boy, he has his family here.
“We want him in the team his whole career if we can.
“I know the club is doing awesome things to try and keep him, I feel he just has to keep playing good footy and enjoying himself.”
The Broncos are battling salary-cap pressures but coach Michael Maguire is determined to keep Queensland Origin ace Cobbo at Red Hill for the long haul.
Maguire recently embarked on a trip to Cobbo’s hometown of Cherbourg to connect with the Broncos star, his family and community.
SPOTTED
Broncos star Ben Hunt surprised some Gold Coast locals on Anzac Day when he made an appearance at the Currumbin Alleygators Rugby Club to play two-up. Hunt and his family are living on the Gold Coast following his return to Queensland from the Dragons.
TITANS HONOUR ANZACS
The Titans scored a new legion of fans in Townsville last week, impressing locals after the entire team made an appearance at an Anzac Day Dawn Service.
Captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui led the charge in honour of the club’s long-term strapper and Australian Army veteran Darrell Madge.
Coach Des Hasler, his staff and the entire travelling squad fronted at the RAAF Base on match eve before their captain’s run training session.
Unfortunately they couldn’t get the job done on the field the next day, losing 50-18 to the Cowboys.
LEEK PACKS A PUNCH
One of Australia’s most promising fighters returns to the ring this weekend in his dream to win a world title.
Australian middleweight champion Mitchell Leek has overcome a severe hand injury and makes his comeback against Theo Dounias in a Victorian grudge match at Melbourne Pavilion this Saturday night.
Leek is undefeated from 11 fights and has given up his Australian belt to fight Dounias (6-1) for the IBF youth middleweight title.
Leek beat Jack Brubaker last June despite carrying a badly damaged hand tendon into the fight, underlining the toughness of a 25-year-old rated a genuine world-title prospect.
“I’m back from hand surgery and I’m feeling great again,” Leek said ahead of his return.
“I tore the ligaments off the tendon that go over my knuckle, and I also tore the tendon and put a hole in my joint capsule, so my right hand was full of joint fluid.
“My hands would just go numb after a while, so you get through on adrenaline in a fight, but I had to get the issue fixed and I have.
“My dream is to win a world title and fights like this will get me closer to that dream.
“I’ve got a long way to go, I want to clean out the backyard here in Australia first and then I’ll look to bigger and better fights on the international stage.”
NRL WOOS MEDIA
The NRL has wined and dined the game’s top media figures during its annual trip to Queensland.
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and ARL commissioners hosted a dinner at The Beetson Hotel on Caxton St on Wednesday night.
Brisbane-based heavy hitters like Channel 9’s Kylie Blucher and radio star Ben ‘Dobbo’ Dobbin were in attendance along with local reporters who cover the NRL.
Magic Round has been a resounding success for the NRL thanks to Queenslanders embracing the concept.
‘LOSING ALL CREDIBILITY’: BENNETT WHACKS NRL OVER HIGH SHOT LOTTERY
Wayne Bennett says the NRL is “losing all credibility” and has unveiled his solution to save the code from referee and bunker dramas during the Magic Round carnival at Suncorp Stadium.
Bennett fears Magic Round could be marred by more officiating controversies and has called for NRL CEO Andrew Abdo to bring in an immediate sin bin policy change amid the code’s crackdown on high shots.
League Central is under siege going into Magic Round with Abdo conceding there has been a “slight over-reaction” from the NRL bunker which has intervened on a number of incidents.
Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns blasted the NRL over the sin-binning of Tigers prop Fonua Pole last Sunday for what seemed an innocuous tackle on a Sharks opponent.
Bennett revealed he met with NRL bosses last summer as part of a panel that included Penrith coach Ivan Cleary and Canberra’s Ricky Stuart to address several issues in the code – including how to police high shots.
The South Sydney super coach says he tabled a proposal for defenders to be sin-binned – only if a ballrunner was diagnosed with a category-one concussion that ruled him out of the game.
Bennett’s suggestion was trialled in pre-season and the NRL’s Hall of Fame coach implored Abdo and ARLC boss Peter V’landys to implement his plan immediately for Magic Round this weekend.
“The game is losing all credibility,” Bennett said ahead of Souths’ clash against Newcastle on Saturday.
“You have eight different games every week and all those eight refs see things differently, which is human nature.
“This issue will not go away.
“The NRL can’t get this right until they make a change right now.
“The idea I have come up with – and I spoke to the NRL about it – it will take all that interpretation away and take the pressure off the referees.
“Ricky Stuart, Ivan Cleary and myself had meetings and addressed it with the NRL.
“They were great meetings, but they didn’t listen to us on this sin bin idea.
“I came up with the idea of using the sin bin only after a player has been ruled out with a category-one concussion.
“I don’t think they should bring this proposal in next season – they should bring it in now.
“A few years ago, just before Magic Round, they had a fiasco with a number of high tackles and they had a crackdown in one week.
“This is not a huge change. It’s just a procedure change, not a rule change.
“There’s no reason they can’t bring it in for Magic Round this weekend, because what’s going on right now is destroying the game.”
Under Bennett’s proposal, if a ballrunner who cops a high shot leaves the field and is given a category-two grading, the defender penalised for the high tackle will be allowed to stay on the field.
But if the ballrunner is ruled out by medicos for the rest of the game, the defender will be called out and sent to the sin bin.
If that defender is on the interchange bench at the time of the category-one ruling, one of his teammates will be called from the field for a 10-minute period, leaving that side with 12 men.
“That takes all the confusion away for the referees and the bunker,” Bennett said.
“My suggestion was to simplify rulings on high shots and be more consistent with it.
“The reality is the refs can’t measure force in a split-second.
“If a player suffers a category-one, the defender goes to the sin bin for 10 minutes. If it’s a category two, it’s penalty sufficient, there’s no sin bin, and the game goes on with no added pressure for the referees.
“There is no flaw in that idea.
“They used it in the trials but for some reason it’s not in the NRL (premiership) at the moment.
“People at the NRL are looking for smarter answers, but this requires a simple solution and this is the simple solution to make the whole process work better.”
Bennett says his superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell should be playing in Magic Round, claiming he didn’t deserve a one-match suspension for his dangerous contact on Storm flyer Sua Faalogo last week.
Abdo insists it was never NRL policy for the bunker to make retrospective rulings on incidents that happened three or four tackles earlier and says officials won’t be as over zealous during Magic Round.
“The NRL are leaving themselves open to criticism because they haven’t fixed this issue from last year,” Bennett said.
“I would have copped Latrell getting 10 minutes in the bin for his tackle (on Faalogo), but I can’t cop a week’s suspension for it.
“Of course, we’re confused. We all are, fans included.
“That’s what this hullabaloo is all about.
“Andrew Abdo talked the other day about mitigating circumstances.
“The refs can’t take that (mitigation) into account in the heat of battle.
“Sometimes when we have a player charged (by the match-review committee), it takes us 20 minutes at training to go through shot after shot in slow motion to work out what happened in the tackle.
“It’s not something refs can mitigate on straight away during a live game.
“It’s very simple. If you knock a guy out, you do 10 minutes in the sin bin and if you don’t knock a guy out, you stay on the field.
“We had meetings and I recommended this sin bin change, but they didn’t listen and put it into practice this season.
“Now they have the chance to do it.”
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