Monday Buzz: Why Wayne Bennett to blame for Newcastle’s woes

WAYNE Bennett may be the toast of the town following his return to Brisbane but he’s also to blame for the horrific situation in Newcastle.

THE man most responsible for the shocking debacle that is the Newcastle Knights has never been properly held to account. And we’re not talking about the recently bankrupted Nathan Tinkler.

Wayne Bennett has so many runs on the board from his seven premierships that no-one ever raises questions about how he brought this once great club to its knees.

Turn the clock back to 2013 in Bennett’s second year at the Knights and it’s easy to identify how and why it has all gone so horribly wrong.

The Knights have been smashed in their first two games of the season.

In a shortsighted approach, Bennett signed Willie Mason, Adam Cuthbertson, Craig Gower, Timana Tahu, Danny Buderus, Jeremy Smith, Clint Newton, Beau Scott among a host of other old players to turn the club into a retirement home.

At the time we questioned the Dad’s Army approach to recruitment in this sports section under the headline OLDCASTLE in Bennett’s second season at the club.

While it got them to a grand final qualifier, it was a quick fix and there was no succession plan.

Where was the next group of young players coming from?

When it became obvious the following year that there was no hope for the future, Bennett walked out.

“I’m extremely disappointed. I’m embarrassed by it and it’s time to move on,” he said.

The addition of Trent Hodkinson has not helped the Knights.

Thanks very much. See you later. I’m off to the Broncos.

Eighteen months on and the club has never recovered.

It’s very easy to point the finger of blame at new coach Nathan Brown but he inherited this absolute train wreck. They don’t have the players who should have been groomed 18 months ago.

Brown keeps harping on that he needs more effort and more enthusiasm from the players.

But that’s not the point. This is more about the quality of the team.

They are trying but they are simply outclassed. Like a Broadmeadow maiden trying to win a big race against the best horses in Sydney. It rarely happens.

Having a team as poor and out-of-their depth like the Knights is bad for the game.

Wayne Bennett during his Knights tenure.

The old Knights.

It hurts TV ratings, crowds and the potential to secure sponsors. And, in this case, the hunt to find a new owner. Who would want to buy this club in its current state?

Many fans would have turned off Saturday night’s game at halftime when the Rabbitohs led 24-nil.

The score line read 48-6 in the end and it was a long ride home down the M1 on Saturday night.

The Knights team flogged by the Rabbitohs had a combined total of just 957 NRL games - the lowest in the NRL.

The TAB has tightened the Knights’ wooden spoon odds from a season-opening quote of $5.50 into $2.50 after just two rounds of the premiership.

Next week it doesn’t get much easier against Ricky Stuart’s unbeaten Canberra Raiders.

A quick fix is not the answer. Nathan Brown needs to borrow Gus Gould’s a five-year plan.

Originally published as Monday Buzz: Why Wayne Bennett to blame for Newcastle’s woes