‘That was brutal’: Rift deepens as Bennett refuses handshake

Wayne Bennett has proven he is just as savage as he has always been with a “brutal” live TV snub of NRL legend Brad Fittler.

The smirk on Wayne Bennett’s face as he pulled away from the microphone said it all.

The Rabbitohs coach on Friday night showed he is just as ruthless as he has always been with a brutal handshake snub of Brad Fittler on live TV before his team’s season-opener against the Dolphins.

The 75-year-old was at his vintage best as South Sydney scraped past the Dolphins 16-14 at CommBank Stadium in western Sydney.

The infamously cold, calculating coach did his most savage act before the game even began when his pre-match interview with Fittler turned into the slapstick comedy it was always expected to be.

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The conclusion to the interview was always going to be more entertaining than anything Bennett was going to say with the “wily old fox” making a running joke of snubbing Fittler in recent years.

Channel 9 host James Bracey was just as excited as everyone else when he crossed to Fittler inside the bowels of the Parramatta stadium.

You can watch the incident in the video player above

Wayne Bennett is a straight up savage. Photo: Channel 9.

Wayne Bennett's grin said it all. Photo: Channel 9.

“Will Brad get a razzle, a cuddle or even a handshake? Let’s find out,” he said with a big smile.

Fittler began the interview by apologising for the absence of retired NRL cult hero Paul “Fatty” Vautin — a Channel 9 commentator that Bennett always previously enjoyed a pre-match handshake with.

The former NSW State of Origin coach finished the interview by saying: “Haven’t had to shake hands for a while, but how about a fist-bump?”

After looking directly down at the fist Fittler was offering him, Bennett paused and then turned away, dropping a “see ya mate” as he began to walk away.

The “thug life” response was made all the more brilliant by the grin Bennett held as he walked out of the room.

The Channel 9 production crew didn’t do Fittler any favours, keeping the camera on his face as Bennett made his exit.

“Good luck Wayne,” Fittler said.

“Emma, over to you.”

Channel 9 host Emma Lawrence and Cowboys icon Johnathan Thurston burst out laughing on the broadcast.

“Love ya work Brad. That’s brutal. Wowee,” Lawrence said.

The knife was twisted on Fittler again after the game when Nine played a cut-up of other times Bennett has left him hanging in front of a national TV audience.

With a facial expression of mock-devastation, Fittler responded: “What have I done wrong?”

Bennett burned Fittler in a 2019 pre-match interview, knowing they were going to be State of Origin enemies in 2020 when they coached against each other.

Thurston said at the time Bennett’s coldness towards Fittler may have been the result of Fittler saying “Go the Blues” after a previous interview.

Wane Bennett was out the door. Photo: Channel 9.

“He caught it too late and he was filthy on me,” Fittler replied.

Despite the mock-rift, Fittler has previously spoken with admiration for what the “master coach” has achieved.

“He allows people to be themselves, which is something I’ve really tried to work on,” Fittler said, explaining what he has learnt from his former State of Origin adversary.

“You walk away sometimes a little bit underwhelmed. But that’s the key to him, he doesn’t really do much.

“He’s very simple. You can tell, his defences are the things he understands and tries to get across to his team

“He does it in a real simple manner. You can see always, all of his teams build over the season... he allows them to come together.

“In the short time I spent with him, they’re the couple of real basic things.”

Bennett has still got it.

Originally published as ‘That was brutal’: Rift deepens as Bennett refuses handshake