Wayne Bennett to coach new NRL team

Former England coach Wayne Bennett will be the inaugural head coach of the NRL’s newest team, Redcliffe Dolphins.

Bennett, 71, has signed a four-year deal with the Dolphins, who will become the competition’s 17th club from 2023.

He said: “I feel very privileged. At the start of the season, I had no idea this would happen.

“It’s been quite a journey, and I’m pleased to be back in Brisbane and pleased to be here.”

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Bennett holds the record for Grand Final wins in Australia with seven and led South Sydney to the 2021 Grand Final where they lost to Penrith.

He won six premierships with Brisbane Broncos after joining them in their inaugural year and the 2010 title with St George-Illawarra Dragons.

“When I started in 1988 with the Broncos, we had virtually nothing. But it’s a wonderful facility here, extremely well run and very successful, so it’s a different context.

“This is an established club and I recognise that, it’s my job to come and work within this framework.

“I want them (Redcliffe) to be the best club.”

Building blocks

Bennett was England coach between 2016 and 2020, leading them to the 2017 World Cup final, but also oversaw the disastrous Great Britain tour in 2019.

At representative level, he has also coached Queensland and Australia.

Bennett will now start the task of building a team within the $9.5m salary cap.

He says he will start with the marquee players and might lean on the relationships he has built during his coaching career.

“We’ve got to get some marquee players, that will be the priority, and get the other players around them.

“Those relationships (from State of Origin) won’t hurt me.”

Meanwhile, the coach of the Redcliffe Dolphins Queensland Cup team – former Catalans centre Adam Mogg – has stepped down.

Mogg is the Dolphins’ longest serving first grade coach, with six years at the helm.

Under his guidance, they reached two Intrust Super Cup Grand Finals in 2016 and 2018.