Wayne Bennett’s frosty exchange with journo in press conference

Wayne Bennett was in no mood for playing around during his post-game press conference as he took aim at one journalist.

Wayne Bennett couldn't hide his satisfaction.

Master coach Wayne Bennett had a crack at journos, the Broncos and the critics in an epic first Dolphins’ press conference after his side’s upset first up win over the Roosters.

Not many people gave the Dolphins a hope of upsetting the pre-season favourites the Roosters, but Bennett couldn’t hide his emotions as he lauded his side’s performance.

“Yeah not too bad,” Bennett said of the result in his understated way with a smirk on his face.

Watch every game of every round of the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Bennett was at his witty best in some banter with journalists.

“They brought you up? It must have been a big game,” Bennett said.

However, things got heated in an exchange with one journalist as Bennett took exception to a story about his absence from a pre-season trial.

“Are you still looking for me?” Bennett said.

“Well I went to Cairns and you were looking for me, weren’t you?

“I’m not sure I want to answer your question mate because you haven’t had the decency to ring me about it.

“Well you made me a headline over it and no you didn’t bother to ask me where I was.

“You went on your little trip and had your say and you can’t just give it and not take it.”

Bennett was more concerned with paying tribute to his players and the Dolphins’ club after their upset 28-18 victory.

Bennett wasn’t in the mood. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“I’ve got no beef with anyone (of the players) today, I’m proud of everything they did,” Bennett said.

“It was a tough game of footy and they competed from go to wo.”

Bennett admitted it was special to get the club’s first win in the NRL and win the Arthur Beetson trophy, with the Immortal playing for both the Dolphins and the Roosters.

However, he believes the game was the biggest winner on the day.

“It was special for a lot of reasons today,” Bennett said.

“Certainly Arthur Beetson and the club and the chance they took about being in the NRL.

“And having 30,000 people here today. It was just a great occasion. There were so many winners there today.

“But the biggest winner today is the game. That’s the biggest winner today.”

Bennett paid tribute to Arthur Beetson Medal winner Felise Kaufusi, who changed the game with some brutal defence in the first half with the Dolphins trailing 12-6.

“I think that was the turning point in the game personally,” Bennett said.

“About 12 minutes out from halftime there he made a couple of crucial hits there that they dead set lost the ball and they thought they were going places and all of a sudden we are down on their try line and I didn’t think they recovered from that actually.

“It was a pretty influential performance by him and he got the Arthur Beetson Medal and I’m sure he will be very proud of himself.”

The Dolphins stunned the NRL. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Bennett was pressed on comparisons with his old club the Broncos, who upset Manly in their first game in 1988 in his first season in charge at Red Hill.

“1988 who remembers that?” Bennett said with a laugh.

“Of course it compares. The Broncos were game one. The Dolphins were game one. We played Manly that day and no one gave us a chance. No one gave us much of a chance here today.

“It’s terribly significant. One of the most difficult things is to get that first win because it just settles everything down.

“A loss here today would have put us under a hell of a lot more pressure. And 36 years ago it would have done a lot more to the Broncos.

“It was important and the way we played was important today and the Broncos showed a lot of spirit that day and those players and these players did today

Bennett believes Isaiya Katoa, who replaced the dropped Anthony Milford had a solid game, but will be better for the run.

“I didn’t think it was special he just did his job,” Bennett said.

“He has a lot more upside yet.”

Bennett explained the thinking behind building his pack around veterans and former Storm stars Kaufusi and the Bromwich brothers.

“That’s why we bought Kenny and Jesse and Kaufusi because I knew what they brought and we all saw that out there today,” Bennett said.

“That’s what we build the foundations on. We can’t just build the foundations on young men that don’t have a lot of football behind them. It just doesn’t work that way.

“They are our foundations and they proved that today.”

Up the Dolphins. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Bennett couldn’t resist a subtle dig at the Broncos, who he still has beef with from the way the club sacked him in 2019.

“I think the Broncos had 15,000 that day all those years ago, so 30,000 plus here today and it was a great atmosphere,” Bennett said.

“It was a great atmosphere that day as well, but today was pretty special to see all the colours.

“They even had the grandstand seats our colours red and gold, so it was a very good day.”

Bennett also gave an insight into the Dolphins’ team song, which they sang for the first time after an NRL win.

“It is an interesting story we went away on a team camp and I said, we haven;t got a team song we have to work on it,” Bennett said.

“A couple of hours later the senior players led by Kaufusi and Jesse and Kenny had a great song and we have sung it 10 or 12 times now.

“It is a tremendous thing and it is a real credit to them. It;s theirs and they own it. So we had one today and we sung it. It was great.”

Bennett was in no mood to talk about Round 2 against Canberra.

“Can we just enjoy today? Thank you,” he said when asked about the Raiders.

What a win. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Bennett admitted it was emotional day to pay tribute to Beetson and the club did their former player proud.

“It was such an emotional day for a lot of reasons and that (Beetson) was just a part of the day that added to the emotion,” Bennett said.

“We talked about it. We addressed it and I was just pleased with the way they handled all that because there was a lot of pressure out there today, before the game knowing the crowd, the expectation and all the stuff that was being said and what wasn’t being said and Arthur’s memory and all that.

“It will be a great tradition and carry a lot of emotion every time we play the Roosters.”

Bennett paid tribute to his side’s defence so early in their history.

“You come to this game and you don’t know your players all that well compared to when you have spent years with them and you are not sure what you are going to get or how quickly they will gell,” Bennett said.

“But I got to say I had a pretty good sense this week.We nailed some training sessions we had to nail and each one got better.

“They arrived here today with a lot of confidence about what they had to do and I think they just built on that.”

Bennett praised dummyhalf Jeremy Marshall-King after he dominated the ruck.

“he was very good,” Bennett said.

“There were a lot of good players out there today, but he was very good.”

Originally published as Wayne Bennett’s frosty exchange with journo in press conference