Wayne Bennett (rugby league) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wayne Bennett
AM

Personal information
Full name	Wayne James Bennett
Born	(1950-01-01) 1 January 1950 (age 75) Allora, Queensland, [Australia
Height	191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Playing information
Position	Wing, Fullback
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1972–73 Huddersfield 1974–75 Past Brothers 1977 Southern Suburbs 13 2 0 0 6 Total 13 2 0 0 6 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1971–74 Brisbane 3 1 0 0 3 1971–73 Queensland 7 2 1 0 8 1971–72 Australia 2 0 0 0 0
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1977–79 Southern Suburbs 66 31 0 34 47 1980–82 Past Brothers 57 23 2 31 40 1984–85 Southern Suburbs 47 32 1 12 68 1987 Canberra Raiders 28 17 0 11 61 1988–08 Brisbane Broncos 526 335 12 179 64 2009–11 St. George Illawarra 79 51 1 27 65 2012–14 Newcastle Knights 75 34 1 40 45 2015–18 Brisbane Broncos 105 67 0 38 64 2019–21 South Sydney 77 53 0 24 69 2023–24 Dolphins 48 20 0 28 42 2025– South Sydney 0 0 0 0 Total 1108 663 17 424 60 Representative Years Team Gms W D L W% 1986–88 Queensland 10 5 0 5 50 1997 Queensland (SL) 3 1 0 2 33 1998 Queensland 3 2 0 1 67 1998 Australia 2 2 0 0 100 2001–03 Queensland 9 4 1 4 44 2004–05 Australia 15 11 1 3 73 2007 New Zealand All Golds 1 1 0 0 100 2010–15 NRL All Stars 5 2 0 3 40 2016 World All Stars 1 1 0 0 100 2016–18 England 16 11 0 5 69
As of 4 May 2024
Relatives	Bob Bennett (brother) Ben Ikin (son-in-law) Greg Veivers (brother-in-law) Phil Veivers (brother-in-law)

Wayne James Bennett AM (born 1 January 1950) is a famous Australian rugby league coach and former player. Many people think he is one of the greatest coaches of all time. He is currently the head coach for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL.

Wayne Bennett has coached many teams, including the Dolphins, Brisbane Broncos, Newcastle Knights, St George Illawarra Dragons, and Canberra Raiders. He also coached the Queensland Maroons State of Origin team, the NRL All Stars, and the Australian Kangaroos national team. He even coached the national teams for England and Great Britain.

Wayne holds the record for the most Grand Final wins in Australian rugby league, with seven premierships. He also coached the Southern Suburbs to a win in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership in 1985. He has coached the most seasons with one club (twenty-four with the Brisbane Broncos) and won the most games as a coach. He has coached over a thousand first-grade games!

He also helped the Tonga national rugby league team in 2022 and was an assistant coach for New Zealand in 2008. Before becoming a full-time coach, Wayne was a Queensland Police officer. As a player in the 1970s, he played for Australia and Queensland.

Early Life and Beginnings

Wayne Bennett was born in a small town called Allora, Queensland, in Australia. He has two sisters, Michelle and Gretta, and two brothers, Robert and Dwight. Wayne does not smoke, drink, or gamble.

Before coaching full-time, Wayne started working as a police officer at age 15. At the same time, he played junior rugby league in Warwick. His uncle, Eddie Brosnan, was also a famous rugby league player and police officer.

Playing Career (1970–1974)

Wayne Bennett started his playing career with local teams in Warwick, Toowoomba, and Ipswich. He played first-grade games for Past Brothers and Southern Suburbs in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership (BRL).

He was a skilled player, often playing as a winger or fullback. He also kicked goals. Wayne played for Queensland nine times between 1971 and 1973. He also played two games for Australia during a tour of New Zealand in 1971. In 1972, he played for Huddersfield in England. Wayne was the top try-scorer in the 1975 Brisbane Rugby League season.

Coaching Career (1976–Present)

Early Coaching Days (1976–1985)

From 1975 to 1977, Wayne coached the Queensland Police Academy's Under 18s team. In 1976, he became a full-time coach in Ipswich. He then moved to coach Brisbane Rugby League teams, Souths and Brothers.

After a short break, he returned to coaching in 1983. He led the Souths Acacia Ridge Under 16s to a premiership. He also worked as a fitness instructor for the Police Academy. In 1984, he coached Souths to the Grand Final, but they lost. The next year, in 1985, his team, the Magpies, won the BRL Grand Final against the Wynnum-Manly Seagulls. This was a big win, as the Seagulls had famous players like Wally Lewis.

Coaching Queensland (1986–1988)

In 1986, Wayne became the coach of the Queensland State of Origin team. They lost all three games that year. However, he stayed on as coach for two more years. In 1987, Queensland won the series. In 1988, they won again, beating New South Wales 3-0.

Canberra Raiders (1987)

In 1987, Wayne joined the NSWRL's Winfield Cup Premiership. He was the co-coach of the Canberra Raiders with Don Furner. They led the Raiders to their first Grand Final, but they lost to the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

Brisbane Broncos (1988–2008)

Wayne Bennett became the very first coach of the Brisbane Broncos when the club started in 1988. He stopped coaching Queensland to focus on the Broncos.

He made some tough decisions, like changing the team captain in 1990. The Broncos won their first premierships in 1992 and 1993. After their 1992 win, they traveled to England and became the first Australian club to win the 1992 World Club Challenge against Wigan.

Wayne coached Queensland again in 1995, but he stepped down when players who joined the new Super League were not allowed to play. In the 1997 Super League season, the Broncos were very strong under Wayne. They won the 1997 World Club Championship and the Telstra Cup Grand Final.

In 1998, he coached Queensland again and also became the coach of the Kangaroos. Australia won both their games against New Zealand. Wayne won his fourth premiership with the Broncos in the 1998 NRL grand final. He was also named Coach of the Year. He stopped coaching the Australian team in 1999.

Bennett with the Telstra Premiership trophy after the 2006 Grand Final.

Bennett and Tonie Carroll at Suncorp Stadium in 2008.

In 2000, Wayne won his fifth premiership with the Broncos. After this win, another sport, Rugby Union, tried to get him to coach their team, but he said no. The Broncos played in the 2001 World Club Challenge but lost. Wayne coached Queensland again from 2001 to 2003. He famously brought Allan Langer back from England to play for Queensland in 2001.

In 2004, Wayne was given the Order of Australia award for his great work in rugby league and for the community. He also helped bring back the Rugby League Tri-Nations series in 2004. He coached Australia to win the Tri-Nations series that year. In 2005, he won the Rugby League International Federation's coach of the year award. However, he resigned as Australia's coach after they lost an international series for the first time in 27 years.

In 2006, Wayne coached his 500th premiership game. He led Brisbane to win their sixth premiership against Melbourne, making him the most successful Grand Final coach ever. He was also made a life member of the Broncos club. Wayne coached the 2007 All Golds. He left the Broncos at the end of the 2008 season. He then became an assistant coach for New Zealand in 2008, helping them win the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.

St George Illawarra Dragons (2009–2011)

Wayne Bennett joined the St. George Illawarra Dragons in 2009. Many new players and staff joined the team with him. In his first game, they lost a close match to the Melbourne Storm. In Round 4, Wayne coached against his old club, the Broncos, and the Dragons won.

In 2009, Wayne was added to the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame. In 2010, he led the Dragons to win the minor premiership and then the 2010 NRL Grand Final. The Dragons beat the Sydney Roosters 32-8, winning their first premiership as a joint club.

The Dragons also won the 2011 World Club Challenge against Wigan Warriors. Wayne was not there for this game as he flew back to Australia to be with his ill mother-in-law. In March 2011, he announced he would leave the Dragons after the 2011 season. His last game with the Dragons was a close loss to his old club, the Broncos.

Newcastle Knights (2012–2014)

In 2012, Wayne started coaching the Newcastle Knights. The team did not make the finals that year, which was the first time in 21 years that a team coached by Wayne missed the finals. In 2013, he led the club to almost reach the 2013 NRL Grand Final.

In 2014, Wayne announced he would leave the Knights at the end of the season to return to the Brisbane Broncos.

Brisbane Broncos (2015–2018)

Wayne returned to coach the Brisbane Broncos in 2015. The Broncos finished second in the regular season and reached the 2015 NRL Grand Final. However, they lost a very close game to the North Queensland Cowboys in extra time. Wayne continued coaching the Broncos until the end of the 2018 season.

On 2 December 2018, Wayne was officially let go as coach of the Broncos. He then signed to coach the South Sydney Rabbitohs for the 2019 season.

Great Britain and England (2016–2020)

In 2016, Wayne was chosen to coach England. Some people thought an Australian should not coach the English team. In 2017, he coached England in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

In 2019, Wayne coached the Great Britain Lions on their tour. The team lost all four matches, including a big loss to Papua New Guinea. After the tour, there was a lot of criticism. He also coached the England 9s squad in 2019.

South Sydney Rabbitohs (2019–2021)

In 2019, Wayne started coaching the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The team won ten of their first eleven games and were at the top of the ladder. Souths finished the regular season in 3rd place. Wayne led South Sydney to the preliminary final, but they lost to the Canberra Raiders.

In February 2020, it was announced that Wayne would leave South Sydney after the 2021 season. He still led South Sydney to the finals in the 2020 NRL season. They reached their third preliminary final in a row but lost to Penrith. In the 2021 NRL season, Wayne guided South Sydney to a third-place finish. He then took them to the 2021 NRL Grand Final, which was his tenth Grand Final as a head coach. South Sydney lost the final closely to Penrith by two points.

Dolphins (2022–2024)

In 2022, Wayne joined the Dolphins as their first head coach for their new team in the NRL. The Dolphins won their first three games in 2023. In one game, they made a huge comeback, winning after being behind by 26 points.

On 5 May 2023, it was reported that Wayne had coached a total of 1227 games. His game against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks on 6 May was his 900th premiership match.

South Sydney Rabbitohs (2025–2027)

On 21 May 2024, Wayne signed a new three-year deal to return to South Sydney in 2025. He said he felt he had "unfinished business" at the club.

Public Persona

Wayne Bennett is known for being quiet and not showing much emotion. He has said he doesn't like having to talk to the media as a coach. Sometimes he gives detailed interviews, but other times he avoids questions or starts press conferences early.

Personal Life

Wayne married Trish Veivers in 1974, and they had three children. They separated in 2016.

In 2007, Wayne wrote a book called Don't Die with the Music in You with journalist Steve Crawley. The book's title means to not let your potential go to waste. Many famous people attended the book launch, and it sold over 100,000 copies. His second book, The Man in the Mirror, was published in 2009. Wayne has also written a weekly column for The Australian newspaper.

In 2016, Wayne started a relationship with Dale Tynan.

Recognition and Awards

• 1994: Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to Rugby League.
• 1997: Super League Coach of the Year.
• 1998: Queensland Father of the Year.
• 2000: NRL Coach of the Year.
• 2000: Australian Sports Medal for his important work in sports.
• 2004: Member of the Order of Australia for his service to rugby league and the community.
• 2012: Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
• 2015: Dally M Coach of the Year.
• 2024: Inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame.

Images for kids

• 

  Bennett greets Dolphins NRL fans in Brisbane.

• 

  Dolphins NRL fan with a caricature of Bennett.

• 

  Bennett and a Dolphins fan in Brisbane 2024.

Statistics

Club Coaching Record

Season	Team	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %	Notes
1977	Southern Suburbs	21	7	0	14	33.33%	Finished 8th.
1978	Southern Suburbs	21	9	0	12	42.86%	Finished 5th.
1979	Southern Suburbs	24	15	0	9	62.50%	Finished 3rd. Lost grand final.
1980	Past Brothers	22	14	0	8	63.64%	Finished 3rd. Lost semi-final.
1981	Past Brothers	21	5	1	15	23.81%	Finished 8th.
1982	Past Brothers	14	4	1	9	28.57%	Finished 6th.
1984	Southern Suburbs	24	15	1	8	62.50%	Finished 2nd. Lost grand final.
1985†	Southern Suburbs	23	17	0	6	73.91%	Finished 1st. Won grand final.
1987	Canberra	28	17	0	11	60.71%	Finished 3rd. Lost grand final.
1988	Brisbane	22	14	0	8	63.64%	Finished 7th.
1989	Brisbane	23	14	0	9	60.87%	Finished 5th. Lost Playoff.
1990	Brisbane	25	17	1	7	68.00%	Finished 2nd. Lost preliminary final.
1991	Brisbane	22	13	0	9	59.09%	Finished 7th.
1992†	Brisbane	24	20	0	4	83.33%	Finished 1st. Won grand final.
1993†	Brisbane	26	20	0	6	76.92%	Finished 5th. Won grand final.
1994	Brisbane	24	14	1	9	58.33%	Finished 5th. Lost semi-final.
1995	Brisbane	24	17	0	7	70.83%	Finished 3rd. Lost semi-final.
1996	Brisbane	23	17	0	6	73.91%	Finished 2nd. Lost semi-final.
1997†	Brisbane	20	16	1	3	80.00%	Finished 1st. Won grand final.
1998†	Brisbane	28	21	1	6	75.00%	Finished 1st. Won grand final.
1999	Brisbane	25	13	2	10	52.00%	Finished 8th. Lost Qualifying final.
2000†	Brisbane	29	21	2	6	72.41%	Finished 1st. Won grand final.
2001	Brisbane	29	15	1	13	51.72%	Finished 5th. Lost preliminary final.
2002	Brisbane	24	16	1	7	66.67%	Finished 3rd. Lost preliminary final.
2003	Brisbane	25	12	0	13	48.00%	Finished 8th. Lost elimination final.
2004	Brisbane	26	16	1	9	61.54%	Finished 3rd. Lost semi-final.
2005	Brisbane	26	15	0	11	57.69%	Finished 3rd. Lost semi-final.
2006†	Brisbane	28	16	0	12	57.14%	Finished 3rd. Won grand final.
2007	Brisbane	25	11	0	14	44.00%	Finished 8th. Lost elimination final.
2008	Brisbane	26	15	1	10	57.69%	Finished 5th. Lost semi-final.
2009	St. George Illawarra	26	17	0	9	65.38%	Finished 1st. Lost semi-final.
2010†	St. George Illawarra	27	20	0	7	74.07%	Finished 1st. Won grand final.
2011	St. George Illawarra	26	14	1	11	53.85%	Finished 5th. Lost semi-final.
2012	Newcastle	24	10	0	14	41.67%	Finished 12th.
2013	Newcastle	27	14	1	12	51.85%	Finished 7th. Lost preliminary final.
2014	Newcastle	24	10	0	14	41.67%	Finished 12th.
2015	Brisbane	27	19	0	8	70.37%	Finished 2nd. Lost grand final.
2016	Brisbane	26	16	0	10	61.54%	Finished 5th. Lost semi-final.
2017	Brisbane	27	17	0	10	62.96%	Finished 3rd. Lost preliminary final.
2018	Brisbane	25	15	0	10	60.00%	Finished 6th. Lost elimination final.
2019	South Sydney	27	17	0	10	62.96%	Finished 3rd. Lost preliminary final.
2020	South Sydney	23	14	0	9	60.87%	Finished 6th. Lost preliminary final.
2021	South Sydney	27	22	0	5	81.48%	Finished 3rd. Lost grand final.
2023	Dolphins	24	9	0	15	37.50%	Finished 13th.
2024	Dolphins	24	11	0	13	45.83%	Finished 10th.
Career totals		1108	663	17	424	59.84%

Representative Coaching Record