Everything is on the line in the sold-out ‘Battle of Brisbane’ on Saturday as the NRL’s biggest new rivalry fight it out with a finals spot on the line.
It’s a fascinating coaching match-up between a master and his former apprentice, with a potential finals berth and bragging rights over whose ‘house’ Suncorp Stadium really is on the line.
It’s a chance for Kevin Walters to show the man who sensationally sacked him as an assistant coach 19 years ago that he is indeed up for the job as head coach of the Broncos.
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Bulldogs forward Max King joins the Fox League podcast to go inside the Bulldogs’ remarkable 2024 revival and chat about the impact of coach Cameron Ciraldo, captain Stephen Crichton and the club’s renowned defensive system
And it’s a chance for Bennett to get one over the club that sensationally sacked him via a voice message amid his lingering “resentment”.
Here foxsports.com.au breaks down the biggest game Brisbane has hosted in years.
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BENNETT VS WALTERS
Walters won five premierships playing under Bennett during the Broncos’ golden era and then joined his coaching staff after retiring in 2001.
But Bennett famously oversaw a coaching cleanout at the end of 2005 and one of Red Hill’s favourite sons, Walters, was shown the door.
Time heals all wounds in rugby league and Walters returned to the club in 2015 as the Broncos charged to their first grand final since 2006.
But when the Broncos started interviewing in 2017 for Bennett’s replacement, Walters didn’t exactly get the reference he was looking for from his long-time mentor. .
“I didn’t want Kevin… I didn’t think he was up for the job,” Bennett told The Sydney Morning Herald.
While much of the pre-game attention will turn on the rivalry between Bennett and the Broncos, that won’t distract from the pressure on both Walters and Bennett.
“Both coaches are under pressure. Kevvie’s been under pressure all year… but I can’t exclude the fact Wayne is under huge pressure going into this game,” Paul Crawley said on NRL360 this week.
“For him it would be personal.”
THE ‘BITTER DIVORCE’ THAT STILL HAUNTS BENNETT
Back in 2018, Wayne Bennett was sacked by the Brisbane Broncos over voicemail one year before his contract was due to expire.
Bennett had signed a contract to join the Rabbitohs as their head coach in 2020, but Brisbane terminated his contract early which accelerated the move south and saw the veteran coach arrive at Redfern 12 months early in a swap deal with Anthony Seibold.
Under Seibold’s guidance, the Broncos scraped into the top eight in 2019 before being trounced 58-0 by the Eels in the first week, and collected their first ever wooden spoon in 2020 a month after Seibold was sacked.
The following year, Walters’ first in charge, Brisbane improved their position, slightly, to finish 14th.
South Sydney on the other hand finished third, sixth and third during Bennett’s time at the club, never exiting the finals earlier than the preliminary final stage – including finishing as runners up in 2021.
And while nearly six years have past since Bennett’s unceremonious exit from the club he guided to six premiership wins, that does not mean the hatchet has been buried.
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Speaking on NRL 360 earlier this year, Crawley explained the Battle of Brisbane “would be personal” for Bennett.
“He was sent packing from the club, it was a very bitter divorce,” Crawley said.
“He’s held resentment against the club for what happened back then and won’t come out and say this, but he would like nothing more than to beat the Broncos in this game.”
Gorden Tallis, who played most of his NRL career under Bennett’s guidance, believes those six year old voicemails will act as a motivating fire raging in his former coaches’ belly this weekend.
“There’s no doubt Kevvie would want to get one over Wayne… but I reckon Wayne (would want) one over the club more because there’s a bit more bad blood there,” Tallis said.
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Fox League’s Corey Parker, who won the 2006 premiership under Bennett, told foxsports.com.au he has “no doubt Wayne will want to win this game. He’s failed to do it the last three times.”
“Wayne will approach this one internally, he’ll have the players absolutely dialled in,” he said.
Despite everything surrounding this clash – the rivalry between the coaches, the local pride and the enormous finals ramifications – Parker doesn’t feel Bennett will make “too much of a song and dance this week.”
“The game already holds enough enormity,” he said.
Unlike Tallis and Crawley, Patrick Carrigan, who was part of the Broncos’ juniors system during Bennett’s second tenure, believes the Dolphins coach won’t purely be motivated by bad blood.
“He probably wants to win for his club and for his own supporters,” Carrigan said.
“I obviously know what it’s like to play under him and he’ll have them ready to go.
Despite the Dolphins enter the contest having won just three of their last 10 – against Sharks, 14th placed Warriors and 15th place Rabbitohs – Carrigan is under no illusion about the challenge awaiting his side.
“I know Wayne will have them ready to go – that’s what he’s good at – bringing the best out of people and they’ve got a good outfit there with some veterans who know how to get the job done and some exciting players,” he said.
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WHOSE HOUSE IS IT?
Rewind to Round 4 last year to the first time these sides met.
It’s the 77th minute, the Broncos lead 14-12 when a Dolphins attacking grubber kick is drilled towards there try line.
The ball is collected by Brisbane centre Kotoni Staggs, who runs the length of the field to score the game-clinching try and celebrates by pointing to Suncorp Stadium turf and shouting ‘this is our house!’.
It sent a clear message to the rest of the competition that despite their being new kids on the bloke, albeit led by a familiar face, Brisbane remained the home of the Broncos.
However, as Tallis revealed on NRL 360 earlier this week, the Queensland capital is very much alive with the two clubs’ rivalry.
“When you’re in Brisbane, you know it’s a rugby league city, flags are everywhere, it’s on the radio,” he said.
“So I think the players are under a lot of pressure too. You saw Kotoni Staggs last year when it went right down to the wire, he scores in the corner and says ‘this is our house.’ So I think everyone’s under the pump.”
Speaking to media during the week, Dolphins prop Mark Nicholls reignited the debate about who owns Brisbane – the Dolphins or the Broncos.
“We’ll be in the home sheds on the weekend so it’s our home on Saturday,” he said.
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Despite Nicholls’ pre-match claims, the decision on which club owns Brisbane, and Suncorp Stadium, will be decided over 80 minutes this weekend.
Both side’s enter the game with their finals dreams on the line, and will need big showings from their star men if they are to claim derby bragging rights and keep their season alive for another week.
Among those stars on show this Saturday will be Staggs and Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth, who played 79 games for the Broncos before defecting to Bennett’s side at the beginning of this season.
If Staggs is to repeat his heroics from Round Four last year it’ll be Farnworth needs to get the better of.
Outside of Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton, Farnworth has arguably been the competition’s form centre this season – with Staggs on his day capable of going toe to toe with his former teammate.
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Speaking ahead of this weekend’s clash, Carrigan noted the pair’s battle will “be exciting.”
“Herbie is a stubborn old fella and Kotoni is (too) so they’re the clashes you look forward to as a player,” Carrigan said.
Given the enormity of the task laid before him, Carrigan is backing his centre to excel against the Englishman.
“I think he (Staggs) locks in a bit more and he’s always pretty focused and I think he takes it a bit more personal,” he said.
“We know the quality player he is and he knows the quality of the opposition he is going up against so it’s probably a bit more if a respect thing to be honest about who he’s versing and I love playing with Kotoni.”
If Staggs does rise to the occasion, as he did at the same stadium almost 18 months ago, it would go along way to confirm that Suncorp remains the Broncos house.
THE FINALS SPOT ON THE LINE
Ninth-placed Brisbane’s finals hopes seemed over a few weeks ago but they remain a chance to feature in September should they topple Wayne Bennett’s tenth-placed Dolphins on Saturday night
Conversely, Bennett’s Dolphins must win to stay in the finals hunt with both sides equal on 26 points, two points behind the eighth-placed Dragons who must drop at least one of their two remaining games to keep both Queensland sides in the finals hunt.
“The Dolphins and the Broncos this weekend; the loser’s gone. It’ll be sold out at Suncorp,” Fox League’s Cooper Cronk said on The Matty Johns Podcast.
“The loser goes home, the winner has a chance. Then if the Broncos win they play Melbourne the next week, who are resting their players this weekend, so I think everyone’s still in contention but pole position is to the Dragons – it’s up to them.
“Two years in a row they (Dolphins) have done exactly the same thing. Entrenched in the top four for the majority of the season.
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“They get through to halfway and they start losing more games than they’re winning and there’s a number of games and you jag a couple of those and they’re assured of finals. But you’ve only got yourself to blame at this time of year.”
Bennett was Brisbane’s foundation coach and led them to six premierships between 1988 and 2006.
He spent 21 seasons at the club before stints at the Dragons and Knights and returned in 2015 for four seasons before being sacked in December 2018 following a bitter dispute with Broncos powerbrokers.
“Wayne versus the Broncos – you can’t make this up,” Johns said.
“Dolphins must be kicking themselves – they should be there (in the finals).”
Corey Parker, who played nine seasons under Bennett, believes the formers Broncos coach would love nothing more than to beat his former side this weekend.
“If you can’t get up for a Broncos-Dolphins game being a modern day player from those two clubs, well you’re tough to move.
“From a Dolphins point of view, the players will be up and about for it because they’re in the same conversation as the Broncos, fighting for that last spot.
“Despite the rivalry only being two years old, the (Dolphins) players get it and understand the rivalry.
“From a players perspective, there is no Payne Haas and Reece Walsh for the Broncos, so they’ll fancy themselves.
“The last couple of times they’ve pushed Brisbane when they’ve played them.”
Broncos coach Kevin Walters famously declared the club would indeed play finals following his side’s last round 30-24 come from behind win over the Eels.
And after making last year’s grand final, Cronk reckons the glamour club should not be in the position they find themselves fighting for life.
“They should not be in the position they are. Full stop,” Cronk said.
“They should not even be fighting for eighth. They should be locked in the top four.”
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