Wayne Bennett’s private war behind feud with Paul Kent

WAYNE Bennett has been accused of using Benji Marshall as a pawn to wage his private battle against an NRL institution.

Wayne Bennett is marshalling his troops.

BRONCOS coach Wayne Bennett has been accused of using Benji Marshall as a pawn in his private battle with News Corp Australia.

The 67-year-old has also been accused of manipulating his feud with Fox Sports’ NRL 360 host Paul Kent for the purposes of undermining reports about his private life.

As the Broncos prepare to face the Raiders at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, a report emerged Bennett has placed a media ban on News Corp Australia journalists over a run-in with a paparazzi photographer, mistakenly identified as a News Corp employee.

Kent said on Fox Sports’ The Late Show With Matty Johns Bennett is waging a private battle against the media company, which is also the majority shareholder of the Brisbane Broncos, after a paparazzi photographer attempted to take photos of Bennett and his new girlfriend as they were leaving a restaurant recently.

It follows the incredible scenes at Broncos training on Thursday when Bennett attacked Kent’s character following his claim on NRL 360 that Broncos star Anthony Milford has a reputation of being a lazy trainer.

Kent responded to Bennett’s claims in The Daily Telegraph with a detailed list of reasons Bennett lied during the press conference in a deliberate attempt to manipulate the situation.

Why can’t we be friends?

Kent continued to press the attack against Bennett on Thursday night, claiming the revered coach has recently shown to those close to him that he is not the same “God-like” figure he once was.

Kent also said Bennett’s paparazzi anger is real.

“Wayne is changing, a lot of people close to Wayne who have been close to him for a lot of years, they’re confused by Wayne now,” he said.

“They don’t know who Wayne is anymore, they’re wondering where he’s going now.

“And I don’t want to get into his personal life and him and the paparazzi, that’s his argument, nothing to do with me. But the story is 100 per cent right.

“A few weeks back, he called all the journalists aside at training and said, ‘Listen, I know you’ve got paparazzi around trying to get a photo of me with my new girlfriend. If it continues, I won’t talk to you.’

“What’s a rugby league journalist going to do about that? We can’t do anything. That’s not our call in life.

“Anyway, what happens is last night he goes out and has dinner at a restaurant with his new girlfriend, walks outside after it and sees a cameraman.

“It’s not from News Limited, I don’t know where the cameraman’s from, but Wayne goes off deluxe and he calls News this morning and he’s now got a media ban in place.

Taking short cuts.

“He won’t talk to The Daily Telegraph or The Courier-Mail.”

He said the changes in Bennett’s character are most clearly shown by his use of Marshall for his own personal gains.

“I have never ever seen Wayne use up one of his players for his own purposes,” Kent said.

“Yet here he is trying to censor the media by plucking out what I said last night, manipulating it to make out I said something I didn’t say, and then using Benji Marshall today to say Benji’s innocent, Benji said nothing. I never said it.”

The feud all began when Kent reported Marshall was “horrified” by Milford’s lazy training habits during the club’s pre-season.

Bennett responded by demanding an explanation from Marshall on Thursday.

The former Dragons and Knights mentor said he had confronted Marshall and accepts the former Kiwi international did not speak out of turn to Kent.

He then said in his press conference on Thursday Kent’s report was “offensive”.

“He never made the comment. The journalist made it up,” Bennett said.

“It’s offensive. We don’t have a problem with Anthony Milford in any shape, form or manner.”