The Wayne Bennett Super thread!

[Huge]

Who cares that he negotiated while a coach was still employed, that's how it works.

I haven't lost respect for him for doing that, I don't respect that he ever said something so bloody stupid though

Do you mean WB saying ( quoted ? Source for the statement ?) he wouldn't take an incumbents job ? I actually didn't hear him say that but I'm unsure of where and when he said that..

 

[Alec]

Maranta's Long Connection To Bennett - Broncos

Maranta could be Bennett's Boyd v2 IMO.

Luckily I like Maranta a lot fucking more.

 

[Porthoz]

I personally don't care if WB came at the expense of a currently employed coach. Removing my opinion of WB's suitability for us aside, this is professional sport. You never stop trying to improve. You wouldn't expect Ben Barba to say no to signing with the Sharks because he's taking Nu Brown's spot in the team and another person's spot in the Top 25. Even though there's only 1 catch, I really do fail to understand the purpose of attacking WB for signing with a club where someone was already employed.

That's not and was never my point.

He has said several times he would never entertain the thought of taking a coaching role anywhere a contracted coach, then (unlike Huge's attempt at romanticising the situation by saying WB was likely offered a position, ignoring everything that clearly indicates he is the one who initiated the whole thing), he goes to the majority shareholder and tells him he will "save the club", provided he is given free reign to pretty much do as he wishes...

Said majority share holder then moves the strings behind the club's management and board (at least some of its members), bypassing due process, and hands Bennett most of his demands.

Yes, that is how some business is conducted, and the business men who conduct it that way, have no respect from me either, because integrity is not something you can buy or appropriate.

Had this process been conducted transparently, initiated by the board as a whole, because they lost confidence in Griffin, followed due process, informed White and Griffin of the decision and pending offer to WB, I wouldn't have had an issue.

Never been much of a "means justify the end" type of guy.

 

[Splinter]

EDIT: Baiting

Fair point but that doesn't really answer the question.

What does Bennett have to achieve in order to be considered a success?

WB has come here on a mission to win a premiership which can be seen in the roster shake up. I will regard him as a success if we improve 2015 and are right in the mix come 2016/17. I disagree with Ari and believe for him to be success also depends on him bringing on our juniors which I am confident he will do.
I expect we will be a real chance 2016/17

 

[Huge]

That's not and was never my point.

He has said several times he would never entertain the thought of taking a coaching role anywhere a contracted coach, then (unlike Huge's attempt at romanticising the situation by saying WB was likely offered a position, ignoring everything that clearly indicates he is the one who initiated the whole thing), he goes to the majority shareholder and tells him he will "save the club", provided he is given free reign to pretty much do as he wishes...

Said majority share holder then moves the strings behind the club's management and board (at least some of its members), bypassing due process, and hands Bennett most of his demands.

Yes, that is how some business is conducted, and the business men who conduct it that way, have no respect from me either, because integrity is not something you can buy or appropriate.

Had this process been conducted transparently, initiated by the board as a whole, because they lost confidence in Griffin, followed due process, informed White and Griffin of the decision and pending offer to WB, I wouldn't have had an issue.

Never been much of a "means justify the end" type of guy.

At the risk of appearing stupid , what 'clearly indicates WB as the one who initiated the whole thing' ? Is it your position that WB rang Murdoch out of the blue to demand Griffins job ? !!!!!! For that to be believed one would require some evidence,something that indicates that that was the case. Look, I'd totally understand your dislike of WB if you know that's the case, I wouldn't agree it was much of an offence myself but at least it would go some way to explain your dislike.

 

[Porthoz]

At the risk of appearing stupid , what 'clearly indicates WB as the one who initiated the whole thing' ? Is it your position that WB rang Murdoch out of the blue to demand Griffins job ? !!!!!! For that to be believed one would require some evidence,something that indicates that that was the case. Look, I'd totally understand your dislike of WB if you know that's the case, I wouldn't agree it was much of an offence myself but at least it would go some way to explain your dislike.

Bingo!

 

[Huge]

Was the phone call from Lachlan Murdoch?
There was a phone call from someone at the Broncos telling me that there was an opportunity for me if I wanted to take it. It put me under a lot of pressure. I knew what I wanted to do, but I would have been happy coaching the other place, too.
I had another 24 to 36 hours putting it all together. I only signed my Broncos deal about a week ago, we didn’t negotiate one cent when I accepted it. The money or the contract wasn’t an issue. I wasn’t coming back for money, I was coming because I wanted to be here so I knew the rest would work itself out. I love the club.
The opportunity was there, it wasn’t something I sought but they made a decision and I wanted to be the Broncos coach again. It’s been the great love of my life in rugby league. I’ve given 21 years here and made sacrifices and I’m happy to make them all over again.

The above is WBs answer to the question about who initiated the contact. It seems to me that were the above not true it would have been refuted publicly. From this it seems as though Murdoch was aware that WB was deciding his future, contacts someone at the Broncos who contacts WB telling him the Broncos gig is available and would he like to return ? WB phones Murdoch telling him he can do the job and will give it a shot. Particularly germane is the line third from the paragraphs end where WB states that he did not seek the job but did grasp the opportunity , if he lied and publicly lied at that he did so knowing that the lie could be exposed. That seems like a huge gamble for a man who hadn't even taken the reins. It just doesn't add up that he would lie in the face of the media.

 

[Porthoz]

Been refuted publicly by whom?
No one in the know has any interest in refuting anything now that it all happened, as it would only be contra-productive for the Broncos well being.

It's not what I've been told, and what I heard from several sources whom I trust far more than words spoken in a press conference of circumstance. Besides, WB was definitely a willing and knowing participant in what happened.

You probably believe otherwise, and it's your prerogative, so let's leave it at that.
Neither one of us will be able (or willing) to prove anything conclusively to the other, so you'll just have to live with my dislike of Bennett (as a person) as I will have to live with your admiration of him (as a person).

 

[Kimlo]

I'll take the believe Bennett route on this one. I don't see him lying publicly because rugby league being rugby league, word will eventually get out.

 

[Huge]

Porthoz, the ONLY evidence you can have is anecdotal. You may know some lower level person in the Broncos but unless you have spoken with either WB or Murdoch you cannot possibly know what transpired between them. The only physical proof you could have would be a recording or phone records, phone taps etc and that's basically ridiculous. You very obviously do not have anything of that nature.

That just leaves second hand scuttlebutt, rumour and speculation. Surely you must be wise enough to know that it's at least POSSIBLE your source is not as well informed as you'd like to think. They may very well believe it wholeheartedly but ask yourself, how could they possibly know what transpired, were they sitting at Bennetts bedside when he received the call ? Were they sitting next to Murdoch in the back of the limo. Who are they to know ? A story can grow legs and if repeated often enough, it can very easily be mistaken for fact. A perfect example is the way various Internet hoax stories have shot around the world.

Hearing the same story from a few different sources in no way ensures the story is true. WB says he was 12 hours from signing with a club on the Sunday morning when he received the job offer the night before just before he went to bed. That clearly indicates the Broncos had made a decision as he pointed out in the interview. I have absolutely no doubt WB was sounded out previously by either a key board member or Murdoch himself.

Finally you would have to ask yourself...what's most likely ?

A. WB unbidden, randomly rings Murdoch and tells him he wants Griffins job

OR

B. WB is sounded out saying he doesn't want to take someone's job, Murdoch and some board members have a ring round and decide Griffins gone, Murdoch tells his man to give WB a call and inform him Griffins going and the jobs yours if you want it and asks WB to sleep on it and get back to Murdoch tomorrow with a decision

Surely B is so much more likely than A.......

 

[Socnorb]

Or Broncos officials receive news Bennett is 12 hours away from signing with the the dragons then (B)
Knowing this would be Bennetts last contract , they moved when they had to

 

[Mosyzlak]

The only 'proof' someone could have is physical evidence, like a tape recording. Quoting something from Wayne Bennett proves nothing except that is what WB wants people to believe, ergo your stance on this has roughly as many legs as Porthoz believes his does. He doesn't want to share his evidence with BHQ and accepts that people will naturally have doubt as to those sources.

/theend

 

[theshed]

A premiership would be great but it's not the only mark of success in this sport. The best team doesn't always win the comp. it's such a close comp that you need a lot of things that are out of your control to fall your way.

Bennet can not win a gf and still be considered successful for a whole range of much deeper reasons. For example if we become a consistent top 4 club thanks to his recruiting and him overhauling the jnr system.

 

[Huge]

The only 'proof' someone could have is physical evidence, like a tape recording. Quoting something from Wayne Bennett proves nothing except that is what WB wants people to believe, ergo your stance on this has roughly as many legs as Porthoz believes his does. He doesn't want to share his evidence with BHQ and accepts that people will naturally have doubt as to those sources.

/theend

Porthoz does not wish to share because his 'source' is just one of those 'you know what I heard' people. One is from someone not in the room so to speak and one is actually the person involved. Somehow you believe that the two positions are 'roughly' equal. Err, no, they are not even close. WBs statement is in direct response to a direct question and unlike a politician ,there is no equivocation . Porthoz believes it because it suits his greater conviction that the Broncos did the wrong thing in bringing WB back. While easy enough to understand it is illogical and a false premise.

 

[Ari Gold]

A premiership would be great but it's not the only mark of success in this sport. The best team doesn't always win the comp. it's such a close comp that you need a lot of things that are out of your control to fall your way.

Bennet can not win a gf and still be considered successful for a whole range of much deeper reasons. For example if we become a consistent top 4 club thanks to his recruiting and him overhauling the jnr system.

Except I don't see why our junior system would need overhauling? We have some excellent young players coming through.

Similarly, recent moves like the one to link with Logan set the club up well.

Administratively speaking we are in pretty good shape. The only thing we need is on field performance results to match off field strength.

WB gets no credit for us being good off the field because IMO we already were before he came.

 

[Nashy]

Porthoz does not wish to share because his 'source' is just one of those 'you know what I heard' people. One is from someone not in the room so to speak and one is actually the person involved. Somehow you believe that the two positions are 'roughly' equal. Err, no, they are not even close. WBs statement is in direct response to a direct question and unlike a politician ,there is no equivocation . Porthoz believes it because it suits his greater conviction that the Broncos did the wrong thing in bringing WB back. While easy enough to understand it is illogical and a false premise.

But like a politician, he's omitted details like "Murdoch rang me and told me to come to Brisbane".

 

[john1420]

well no. If you actually looked i said that we shouldve made the top 4 this year, and even without bennett i wouldve been expecting a top 4 finish because we came so close this year and should have made it, and we've gained milford. i think its fair to say that when you gain one of the most exciting prospects in the game that you should expect to do better the next year, and we came within a bees dick of the top 4 last year, so put 2 and 2 together.

but sure, just say its because i dislike bennett. what were you expecting, 15th or so, so when we make the 8 youll hail bennett as the messiah for single handedly getting them there?

Where on earth did I say that?

If we finish better next year than this, I will suggest WB deserves some credit for that

Crazy concept I know

 

[Socnorb]

The only 'proof' someone could have is physical evidence, like a tape recording. Quoting something from Wayne Bennett proves nothing except that is what WB wants people to believe, ergo your stance on this has roughly as many legs as Porthoz believes his does. He doesn't want to share his evidence with BHQ and accepts that people will naturally have doubt as to those sources.

/theend

Yeah I agree, I had a existing regard for Bennett and have gone on to believe he has acted honourably. Given there is no conclusive evidence it must be assumed that peoples position on the matter has been influenced by previous prejudice.