NRL 2024: Wayne Bennett rejects suggestions he disrespected Hall of Fame presentation

Wayne Bennett has broken his silence on his shock snubbing of the NRL’s Hall of Fame dinner after Gorden Tallis hit out at legendary coach for not attending the glamour event.

Wayne Bennett and Gorden Tallis.

Wayne Bennett has broken his silence on his shock snubbing of the NRL’s Hall of Fame dinner, saying he has no regrets at missing Ron Coote’s crowning as the code’s 14th Immortal.

And while Bennett applauded the selection of Coote as an NRL Immortal, he called for a review of the judging process to ensure strict guidelines are in place.

Bennett dropped a bombshell on the eve of the gala black-tie event at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday night by informing the NRL he would not be attending.

The 74-year-old was given the greatest honour of his career by being inducted into the Hall of Fame, but Bennett was nowhere to be seen.

In his absence, Bennett’s former England captain Sam Burgess took to the stage to accept his ring and tailor-made Hall of Fame blazer.

Bennett’s former Broncos skipper Gorden Tallis took aim at the super coach for refusing to attend, but the Dolphins mentor hit back at suggestions he was thumbing his nose at the special event.

“I just couldn’t get there. Simple as that,” Bennett told News Corp.

2024 #NRL Hall of Fame Inductee 136 Wayne Bennett pic.twitter.com/CctAJXdGSs

— NRL (@NRL) August 21, 2024

Asked why he didn’t attend, Bennett said: “I’m not going into details, I’m just telling you I didn’t go, that’s it.

“I want to make it clear I wasn’t being disrespectful.

“Anyway, I’m not going to talk any more about it.

“I just had to make a decision and I made it.”

A notoriously private individual, Bennett rarely attends public functions, but the NRL were hopeful the seven-time premiership-winning coach would accept his invitation given the gravity of the Immortals and Hall of Fame concept.

“You know I don’t like public events,” he said. “I didn’t watch it but of course it’s a great honour and I’m glad Sam Burgess was there to accept my award.

“Sam was a great player and I will always have enormous respect for him.

Sam Burgess stood in for Wayne Bennett at the Hall of Fame ceremony.

“The critics will all have their say, mate, but nobody knows the reason I didn’t go, OK?

“There were personal reasons.

“I’m not concerned about the backlash I will cop.”

Told on stage that he will have to speak on behalf of Bennett, Burgess said: “I won’t have to say much then”, triggering raucous laughter from 250 guests.

“This is probably not his style,” Burgess added. “But the majority of people in this room would have been touched in some way by Wayne.

“We’re all so grateful Wayne is part of this game.”

Bennett was part of the Immortals judging panel in 2012 and 2018, but was not included for this year’s voting process that saw Coote emerge victorious.

The only three living Immortals – Andrew Johns, Mal Meninga and Wally Lewis – expressed their disappointment at not being on the judging panel and Bennett says the process should be reviewed for the 2028 induction.

“It’s not for me today to judge who should have been on the panel and if I should have been on it,” he said.

“I just think it’s important that there is some criteria set about who makes up the panel.

“In that judging room you need a healthy debate with people that do have knowledge of the game. They don’t have to be just ex-players, they don’t have to be ex-journos, they don’t have to be ex-anything.

“They just have to be the best people that you can gather at the time with a period of time served in the game.

“We need a panel of men and women that understand the game and go in there with an honest intent to make the best decisions.”

Bennett lauded the selection of Coote.

“It’s wonderful, he is such a great man,” Bennett said.

“There’s a number of guys who could have been chosen but I have no issue at all with Ron Coote – he sums up everything great about rugby league.”

TALLIS HITS OUT AT BENNETT OVER NRL HALL OF FAME SNUB

Gorden Tallis has hit out at Wayne Bennett’s decision to snub the NRL Hall of Fame dinner, revealing the super coach should have shown “respect for the game” by attending the event that honoured rugby league’s 14th Immortal, Ron Coote.

Bennett was a late withdrawal from the prestigious event at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where the 74-year-old was on Wednesday inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Just 24 hours after Darryl Brohman confirmed he was not attending in protest at Les Boyd’s elevation to the Hall of Fame, Bennett informed the NRL he would not be present.

Instead, he called close friend Sam Burgess, who flew 17,000km from the UK to also be inducted into the Hall of Fame, to receive his honour.

That didn’t sit well with Brisbane Broncos great Tallis.

“I’m a little bit disappointed for the game, because I’ve been to so many Broncos presentations and when Wayne talks it’s so beautiful about the game and I know what it means to him,” Tallis told NRL 360 on Wednesday night.

Gorden Tallis expressed his disappointment over Wayne Bennett’s snub of the Hall of Fame. Picture: Tara Croser

“When you’ve got Sam flying out from England, who’s made a rushed trip, and I jump on a plane every week for work and I know it can be a pain in the bottom when you’re coaching, but the respect for the game is Wayne coming in and grabbing that jacket, because I know how much he loves the game and what the game’s meant to him.

“I’m a little bit disappointed for Wayne not talking and getting up there and getting a jacket in front of all those people.”

Wayne Bennett is known for his dislike of public ceremonies. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

Bennett’s absence was a major blow for the gala black-tie event, which witnessed the unveiling of Coote as rugby league’s 14th Immortal.

Burgess, the current coach of UK club Warrington, flew to Australia on a hit-and-run mission to be honoured in between Super League rounds.

“Wayne rang me this morning and said ‘will you collect my jacket for me?’ He can’t make it, unfortunately,” Burgess told NRL 360 on Wednesday night.

“I’m thrilled to be here and thrilled to be inducted.

Sam Burgess collected Wayne Bennett’s jacket on his behalf. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

“We play Friday night (Saturday AEST) back in the Super League, we’ve got Castleford over there. My staff have been great, they’ve run the week. We’re really in a good little swing at the moment. Our senior guys are taking over which allowed me the opportunity to come back. We’ve got a big game Friday night where we’re chasing top spot.”

The absence of Bennett was disappointing, given the Dolphins mentor is widely regarded as the greatest coach in rugby league history.

He is a seven-time premiership-winning coach, having delivered six titles to the Broncos — the first in 1992 — and more than three decades later, Bennett remains in charge as the foundation mentor of the expansion outfit the Dolphins.

For all his profile, Bennett is a notoriously private individual and is known for his dislike for attending public ceremonies.

Bennett rarely attends private functions, but this decision will raise eyebrows given the gravity of the NRL Immortals concept and the coach’s induction to rugby league’s Hall of Fame.

Bennett usually has Wednesdays off as Dolphins coach and spends the day tending to his cattle at his family farm near Warwick.

Originally published as NRL 2024: Wayne Bennett rejects suggestions he disrespected Hall of Fame presentation