Wayne Bennett curse: Staggering numbers behind NRL’s toughest succession job, Kristian Woolf determined not to fall victim
It’s rugby league’s version of batting after Bradman. Succeeding Wayne Bennett comes with a long list of casualties, with Kristian Woolf the latest to struggle in the hot seat. See the shock figures behind the NRL’s cursed job.
Kristian Woolf says the Wayne Bennett ‘curse’ is not an issue as the Dolphins coach vowed to hold his nerve and resurrect Redcliffe’s season in Friday night’s Battle of Brisbane.
Woolf goes into the fifth instalment of the River City Rumble under pressure to snap the Dolphins’ dismal 0-3 start and claim his first win as Bennett’s successor in round 4 at Suncorp Stadium.
History shows ascending to Bennett’s hot seat is rugby league’s version of batting after Bradman.
Five coaches succeeded Bennett at various clubs over the past two decades – Ivan Henjak (Brisbane), Steve Price (Dragons), Rick Stone (Newcastle), Anthony Seibold (Broncos) and Jason Demetriou (South Sydney).
Some had moments of success, but every one of the quintet was ultimately sacked, including Seibold, who delivered Brisbane’s first and only wooden spoon in the 2020 Red Hill train wreck.
But if Woolf is feeling nervous about the dark Bennett cloud hovering over Redcliffe, he isn’t showing it.
After two years serving the finest apprenticeship under the supercoach, Woolf is confident he can overcome some early-season turbulence in the post-Bennett era and bring success to the Dolphins by doing what Wayne did best – never panic.
Asked if he is wary of the Wayne Bennett curse, Woolf said: “No, it’s not an issue for us.
“One of the best things I learned from Wayne is he never faltered under pressure. He never questioned anything under pressure.
READ ON TO SEE THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE BENNETT CURSE
“In 2023, we lost (six) games in a row and Wayne didn’t falter in terms of what we were doing and the way we were going to dig ourselves out of it.
“It was great to sit there and watch Wayne when we had similar scenarios last year.
“Every team has its tough periods.
“We’ve come across a tough period earlier than we would have liked, but I am confident in the direction we are heading.
“These derbies are big games for both teams and both sets of players.
“You know it’s a big occasion with plenty of interest in it, a big crowd at Suncorp and they are the games that everyone wants to be involved in.
“There’s a few things we have to clean up, but we’re not miles off, that’s for sure.”
The cynical view is that Bennett has cleverly orchestrated a club’s demise, hand-picking rookie successors such as Henjak, Price, Stone and even Woolf, to enhance his own legacy and reputation upon departure.
But Bennett is privately livid at that sentiment.
When he was considering a successor for the Dolphins post, he identified two men: Woolf, and Cameron Ciraldo, who ultimately clinched the top job at the Bulldogs.
In Woolf, Bennett saw a kindred spirit. A born-and-bred Queenslander of moral fibre who, to use a popular Bennett phrase, “stood for something”.
“Kristian is ready for the NRL,” Bennett said upon hiring Woolf in September 2022.
“I believe you need to be a Queenslander to coach the Dolphins. You have to get Queensland. The majority of Queensland NRL clubs have Queensland kids.
“I’m not saying other coaches can’t be successful, but you have to get Queenslanders.
“The Queensland people are different. It’s just a gut feel. It’s something that lives inside you.
“I like Kristian’s qualities and what he stands for. He is Mt Isa born and you don’t need much more toughness than that.
“I just know he’s not a wimp.”
Right now, Woolf’s fortitude is being tested.
Before a ball was kicked, bookmakers had installed the Dolphins as favourites for the wooden spoon. They head into the Battle of Brisbane languishing in 15th spot and could be dead last if they are flogged by the Broncos to crash to 0-4.
But Woolf, who did much of the coaching at the Dolphins last season as Bennett stepped back to streamline the transition, is up for the fight.
“I’ve been with teams before that have taken a bit longer to get going,” he says.
“We just have a bit of cleaning up to do in terms of beating ourselves and I have no doubt we will get rolling very soon.
“I am very confident the club is in good hands and I’m very confident we’re on the right track with the players we’ve got here and the people we’ve got here.
“I am very confident that everything that has happened has been left in a really good state in terms of Wayne moving on.
“There’s no issues in that regard.
READ ON TO SEE THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE BENNETT CURSE
“Coaching is challenging at every level, particularly at NRL level.
“We all know it’s hard to win games in the NRL, and you can find yourself on the back foot very quickly and very easily and we are on the back foot quite early.
“But I know what we have in place and with the improvements we have made around the place, that will start to show as the season unfolds.”
Woolf’s record commands respect. He won three consecutive premierships at St Helens from 2020-22, winning 61 of 80 games for a 76 per cent strike rate.
The 49-year-old took the Townsville Blackhawks to the Queensland Cup grand final in 2015 and masterminded Tonga’s fairytale charge to the 2017 World Cup semi-finals that provided a stunning shot in the arm for international football.
But there is no question the talismanic Bennett leaves a void whenever he moves on and often the absence is imperceptible … until end-of-season NRL ladders deliver a reality check.
Former Broncos skipper Corey Parker, who won a premiership with Bennett in 2006, says the secret to the super coach’s greatness is his simplicity.
“Wayne is a great delegator these days,” he said.
“In his younger days he was more hands-on but at the Dolphins, Kristian Woolf did a lot of hands-on work with Nathan Fien last year and Wayne was overseeing the whole show.
“Wherever he has gone, he has signed the right players and knows what it takes.
“There’s a massive belief factor with Wayne. His great asset is that, as a player, he gets you feeling and believing.
“The Wayne Bennett curse, I guess, is absolutely real because if you look at the history, coaches succeeding him have not done well.
“When people talk about the curse, Wayne coaches for the now and as a coach you have to.
“He was only going to be coaching the Dolphins for a short period of time, so he had to get success as quickly as he could.
“There’s definitely that comfort factor with Wayne for players. He has a genuine aura and players take a lot of belief from him.
“But let’s also not get too carried away. The Dolphins had two solid first seasons but they still ultimately came 13th and 10th, so Wayne never took them to the finals.”
Former Broncos and Dolphins forward Tevita Pangai Jr worked closely with Bennett and Woolf and believes the latter is made of the right stuff.
“Look, I love Wayne, he is one of the great coaches,” Pangai Jr said from France, where he is now playing for Catalans Dragons in Super League.
“I feel like with troubled players in particular, he gets to know guys on a personal level and gets the best out of them.
“When I was a kid at Canberra, I was reading his book and he spoke about a young guy who he thought should be playing NRL but he had a lot of people in his ear.
“I felt in a similar position to that kid, so I made the call to Wayne and said I want to be mentored by you.
“Wayne has become great at delegating and his voice is strong with the overall stuff. Even with Wayne, I won’t always talk footy, I will talk about life, whereas the assistants come in and drive strategy and culture.
“At the Dolphins, Woolfy ran a lot of the meetings and Wayne would chime in here and there. Wayne was the best motivator. Some of his speeches before the game and during the week would have you pumped up. He would also have the hard conversations with you if you needed it.
“But the Dolphins have made the right choice with Kristian Woolf. I really rate ‘Woolfy’. I’ve had him as my coach at Tonga and I believe he can get the job done. Even now, Woolfy calls me up and checks on me over here in Super League.
“The Wayne myth has some history, but I believe Woolfy can change that. The best thing about Woolfy is he doesn’t bullshit people. He is straight with the players and Wayne is exactly the same.”
Parker agrees with Pangai Jr that Woolf can finally exorcise the Bennett curse.
“There’s some mitigating factors for Woolf. The Cyclone Alfred stuff was a freak event and their first game had to be moved, so it’s way too early to write him off,” Parker said.
“I know Woolfy as a person and coach. He has great clarity of message and he is quite an innovative thinker. He has a great understanding of the club and where he wants the club to go and what he wants to do.
“It will take time for Kristian. They are still a new club and developing, but Woolf is the right man for the job, 100 per cent.”
THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE CURSE
BRONCOS 1988-2008
Bennett forged his coaching legacy through six premierships in his 21 seasons at the Broncos. In his final season, Brisbane were eliminated in week two of the finals. The following season, they actually progressed to week three of the finals, where they were beaten by eventual premiers the Storm, 40-10 in the preliminary final.
However, they wouldn’t play another grand final until Bennett returned to the club in 2015.
Successor’s fate: Ivan Henjak was appointed to replace Bennett, which proved akin to following Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. Henjak’s side won five straight games to charge into sixth place and within one game of making the 2009 grand final. The Broncos lost their final four games of the following season and Henjak was sacked weeks out from the 2011 campaign, when Brisbane again went on to make the grand final qualifier.
DRAGONS 2009-2011
Minor premiers in Bennett’s first season, but were bungled out of the finals with back-to-back defeats. Made amends the following year with a 32-8 grand final win over the Roosters. But were again beaten in straight sets in the 2011 finals as Bennett departed for Newcastle.
Successor’s fate: Steve Price took the helm and won just 21 of his 58 games in charge, unable to lift the Dragons into the finals. They won just four of their opening 10 games in 2014 before Price was replaced by Paul McGregor.
KNIGHTS 2012-2014
Missed the finals in Bennett’s first season. They finished seventh in 2013 but went on a giant-killing finals run, defeating the Bulldogs and Storm before falling one game short of the 2013 grand final, losing to eventual premiers the Roosters, 40-14 in the preliminary final.
That was the Knights’ only finals series under Bennett as the club struggled in the Nathan Tinkler era.
Successor’s fate: Rick Stone holds the title of being both Bennett’s predecessor and successor, having temporarily taken over from Brian Smith in 2011. When Bennett went back to Brisbane, Stone was handed a two-year contract, but was sacked after a 52-6 defeat to Souths in Round 20, their 12th loss in 14 games.
BRONCOS 2015-2018
Finalists in all four years. They lost arguably the greatest grand final ever in 2015, and made the preliminary final in 2017. However, he was sacked in December 2018 in a bitter split with the club.
Successor’s fate: Anthony Seibold struggled in the first season after Bennett; the Broncos were 14th after 15 rounds with just five wins. However, they went on a run to sneak into the finals in eighth place, but the Broncos were trounced 58-0 by the Eels in their worst-ever defeat. Things got worst in 2020 as Seibold was removed as head coach and the Broncos claimed the first wooden spoon in their history.
RABBITOHS 2019-2021
Preliminary finalists in all three seasons, Bennett’s final game was the 14-12 grand final defeat to the Panthers, before handing over the coaching reigns to Jason Demetriou as part of the succession plan.
Successor’s fate: Jason Demetriou took Souths to the 2022 preliminary final, losing to eventual premiers the Panthers. The Rabbitohs were top of the ladder after 11 rounds in 2023 but capitulated spectacularly to miss the finals. Six losses from his opening seven games in 2024 sealed his fate and Demetriou was dismissed.
DOLPHINS 2023-2024
The Dolphins hand-picked Bennett to lead their expansion project. Won four of their first six games but faltered to finish 13th. Bennett then had them in the top four after 15 rounds last season, but they couldn’t maintain the momentum. A final-round loss to Newcastle cost them a maiden final appearance.
Successor’s fate: The Dolphins adopted Souths’ succession plan, recruiting the highly respected Kristian Woolf as Bennett’s assistant, who took over this year. It’s been a rough start to the year – their Round 1 game was shifted and players withdrew due to Cyclone Alfred, and they gave up a 12-point lead last start against the Tigers.
Woolf faces a tough, defining six weeks of the season.
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