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BRISBANE: The Brisbane Broncos say they'll be supportive if Wayne Bennett is asked to coach or assist New Zealand for next year's World Cup.
Brisbane chief executive Bruno Cullen yesterday reacted to continued speculation linking their former Australian coach Bennett with the Kiwis, saying the club always supported players and staff involvement in representative football.
Australian and Brisbane skipper Darren Lockyer went even further, urging his longtime mentor to heed any approach from the Kiwis for the good of international league.
"There was talk after Australia put a record score on New Zealand and again after the Poms touched them up a few times that international rugby league was going to struggle, particularly the World Cup," said Lockyer.
"If Wayne Bennett being coach of the Kiwis is going to help international rugby league as a product, then I'm all for it."
Bennett has privately expressed concerns about the success of rugby league's showcase tournament if New Zealand aren't competitive.
The New Zealand Rugby League continues putting out feelers for Bennett following some poor performances under new coach Gary Kemble.
Bennett prepared the New Zealand All Golds in their centenary celebration match against the Northern Union in England last month, forming some strong relationships with the Kiwis players.
There's a feeling his appointment as coach or as advisor to Kemble would be widely applauded by the New Zealand rugby league public.
NZRL director of coaching Graham Lowe, the only non-Queenslander to coach Queensland at State of Origin, is a Bennett advocate.
"We've managed to develop a good relationship with Wayne and I don't want to go any further than that until I speak to Gary," Lowe told the Courier Mail newspaper this week.
Bennett will have a full-on NRL season next year but Cullen said the club would support him if he answered the Kiwi call.
- AAP
