Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett reignites golden point debate before NRL finals
Just two weeks before the NRL finals, supercoach Wayne Bennett has reignited calls for the league to scrap golden point, or at least change its competition points system.
Wayne Bennett has called for golden point to be axed as the Dolphins supercoach turned up the heat on the NRL by backing a push for an end-of-season summit to address a code in “confusion”.
As the NRL finals series approaches, newly-minted Hall of Fame coach Bennett took aim at golden point, describing the extra-time concept as “five or so minutes of hype and bull****.”
Resigned to his pleas falling on deaf ears, Bennett says the NRL should consider introducing four competition points for victories and reward losing teams if golden point remains in place next season.
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys is considering an overhaul of the NRL’s current competition-points system.
A winning team during the regulation 80 minutes could be awarded four competition points instead of two.
A victorious side in golden point would get three points, with the loser to be given one point as a reward for registering a draw at full-time. A draw after the additional 10 minutes of extra time would see teams awarded two points each.
The NRL introduced golden point in 2003 in a bid to add an exciting dimension to the game and find a way to break an 80-minute stalemate.
But Bennett’s preference is to axe golden point altogether, saying he’s not convinced the extra-time concept is helping the NRL.
“I would scrap it because of the amount of controversy it causes and the disappointment it causes,” he said.
“You’ve got to be in the change room, mate, with a team that’s just lost in golden point.
“A team knows they’ve played their hearts out and they would have accepted the draw and taken a point.
“Then you’ve got the fans and the reason for this (golden point) is about the excitement of the game. The fans of a losing team aren’t excited walking home.
“I just don’t see what the game thinks that they get out of golden point.
“It’s five or so minutes of hype and bull****.
“What do we see in golden point? Teams running one-out, ball under their arm, getting into position for a field goal, and now you’ve got to be careful with blockers and all these rules.
“We’ve just added another layer to the drama.”
Of calls for an NRL summit, Bennett said: “I think we need an end of the season discussion.
“The bunker was supposed to solve all our problems but the bunker has made everything worse. We have added so many new rules and interpretations. The fans are confused.
“We are confused.”
Bennett was coaching the Broncos when Brisbane suffered a heartbreaking 17-16 golden-point loss to the Cowboys in the 2015 NRL grand final.
“I’m a coach that lost a grand final on golden point,” Bennett said.
“I had to go to the NRL at the end of the season with other coaches there.
“I pleaded the case that you can’t ever have a grand final again where you don’t have an opportunity to score a point (in extra-time).
“Golden point shouldn’t be over when you score one point. I’d be more happy if we had extra-time where both teams have 10 minutes to score as many points as they can.”
Bennett says if golden point is retained for the 2025 premiership, there is merit in revamping the competition-points system.
The Dolphins have been involved in three golden point contests this season, winning once.
Bennett agrees that a team which loses in golden point deserves some reward in the form of one competition point, as opposed to going home empty-handed.
“I think there’s got to be change,” he said.
“I’m not a mathematician, and you would need more information to make sure that the four points (for a win) would not have a negative impact.
“But at least you could take one point out of a game (if you lose in golden point).
“Right now, you’re taking nothing out of the game if you lose (in golden point).
“We’ve had three draws at the Dolphins this season and lost twice in golden point, so we’ve been penalised by losing a point, which can have a huge bearing on the table for the finals.
“There are teams drawing games that are walking away with nothing.
“It’s unfair in a competition that is very tight three weeks out from the playoffs.”
Bennett, meanwhile, applauded the impending return of the Bears to the big league.
The 74-year-old has been a key weapon in the birth of the Dolphins and Bennett believes the Western Bears will be a revelation as the NRL’s 18th team in 2027.
“The Bears represent a lot of great things for our game and the NRL has got this right,” he said.
“They will give us a presence in the west and bring a whole generation of new players into the game from Western Australia.
“We’ve shown at the Dolphins the benefits of expansion and the Bears are a foundation brand.
“My son Justin will be happy the Bears are back, that’s for sure.”
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