Wayne Bennett, a man of his word?
September 19th 2006 05:30
Category: Movies
The Australian rugby league community was turned on its head two weeks ago when it was supposedly leaked to the media that Brisbane Bronco mentor Wayne Bennett, would be heading south to coach the hapless Sydney Rooster in 2007, following the dismissal of Ricky Stuart as Head Coach. Quick to dismiss the rumours, Bruno Cullen, Brisbane Bronco's CEO laughed off the idea that the 19 season veteran coach would ever consider leaving his beloved Brisbane. In fact, it is well documented that Wayne Bennett would never coach against the Bronco's, having been their foundation coach as well as part share-owner in the club. However, almost as if to create controversy, Bennett last week admitted that coaching the Roosters was not out of the realm of possibility. Naysayers and sceptics in the rugby league community may have viewed Bennett's comments as crafty showmanship, but the fact of the matter was that wouldn't anyone in his position desire a change in scenery after so many years of patronage and successes at the one club? Last thursday all was revealed, Wayne Bennett would not be defecting to the Sydney Roosters; he would see out the rest of his contract with the Bronco's until 2009. One assumed at this point that the rumours of his intial defection were indeed a hoax on which Bennett played to to his advantage, until on last sunday's edition of the Sunday Roast, where Sydney Roosters confident and Rugby League analyst Phil Gould, revealed a different story. According to Gould who is a close friend of Roosters CEO Nick Politis, the sacking of Ricky Stuart was timed as such because the club had a confirmed successor who had verbally agreed to terms with the club... none other than Wayne Bennett. As far as the Roosters Board were concerned, before Bennett's press release last week denying his move to Sydney, they were expecting his arrival at Bondi Junction in 2007. Uninformed Queenslander's and bandwagoner's of Kevin Walter's pathetic and unsuccessful 'Shut-Up Gus' campaign may have viewed Gould's statements as slanderous; in reality, a man of his intellect would not be so foolish as to make outlandish statements on national television without proof. Bennett's actions were despicable; verbal or written, a contract is a contract. Luckily for the Roosters, they were able to snatch-up former Australian and premiership winning coach Chris Anderson!
Let me know what you think, was Wayne Bennett in the wrong?
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