Wayne Bennett aims to steer the Broncos to victory in Sunday's final against North Queensland. Photo / Getty Images
Wayne Bennett aims to steer the Broncos to victory in Sunday's final against North Queensland. Photo / Getty Images
Players say Brisbane coach’s human touch key to his extraordinary grand final record.
Ask his loyal charges and they'll tell you it's the human touch that gives Wayne Bennett the coaching Midas touch.
Bennett will on Sunday bid to put an exclamation mark on an already unrivalled head-coaching record with an eighth NRL or Super League grand final triumph from as many attempts.
And he will do so in the same cool, fuss-free and measured manner as he did with Brisbane in 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2006 and while at St George Illawarra in 2010.
"The bigger the game, the more relaxed he is and I think that just calms the playing group down," said four-times Brisbane premiership winner and former captain Darren Lockyer. "But it's a phenomenal record, to go to seven grand finals and not lose one."
Bennett is famous for not wasting words but Lockyer said, if it was possible, the master motivator talked even less in grand final weeks.
"He's not one to come up with a Churchillian-type speech to motivate you," Lockyer said ahead of the Broncos' and Bennett's latest date with destiny against North Queensland at ANZ Stadium.
"That's the theory he takes, that he's not going to make his players a better footballer in seven days.
"All the work's been done. It's just about getting them mentally prepared for the week and making sure they don't play the game before Sunday and get to the ground and have confidence that what they're doing is going to work.
"It's more about just understanding what the little things are and individuals' jobs and make sure they each do that and as a team what the targets are and reminding them about the processes."
Petero Civoniceva, who won three premierships under Bennett, said it was the unique bonds he created with his troops and equal respect he held for his players that made the 65-year-old such a special coach.
"Apart from being a great tactician, it's just the relationships that he builds with his players," Civoniceva said. "Everybody's different and he knows that and he knows how to get the very best out of each individual.
"So the way he treated Darren Lockyer would be no different than the way he treated, I guess, myself or a Shane Webcke.
"He knows what makes each individual tick. So knowing that, he utilises that knowledge to really push and drive each player and that's why they want to play for him."
While Civoniceva agrees with Lockyer that Bennett's steadying influence on his players is key, the former front-rower says it's a myth the taciturn coach can't turn up the volume.
"Accordingly, he can up the ante in terms of the direction that he wants the team to go in and he's one not to hold back, that's for sure," Civoniceva said. "He's very straightforward in the expectations that he sets for his players. He'll be very simple, direct in what he's expecting from each individual and how they play on Sunday."
Civoniceva said fans do not need to be a fly on the wall to know what Bennett's instructions will be before the Broncos run out.
"He'll tell them not to get away from what's worked for them," he said. "Play with that toughness, play with that energy and also with that willingness to work hard for each other.
"I know that's always been commonplace with Wayne in every team that he's coached."
Brent Tate, a member of Brisbane's last title-winning side in 2006 before spending four years at the Cowboys, also testifies that Bennett's mood doesn't alter in grand final week.
"The great thing about Wayne is he doesn't change too much," Tate said. "What he does know is how to prepare players, obviously with the record he's got."
Gorden Tallis, a triple premiership-winning disciple of Bennett's, said the 740-game coaching veteran's trust in his charges to play with freedom was another secret to the maestro mentor's success.
"He doesn't tell you how to play. He actually doesn't. He just let's you play and you've got to be the man that you want to be and that's pretty important," Tallis said.
Justin Hodges of the Broncos celebrates victory after the NRL First Preliminary Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the Sydney Roosters Photo / Getty Images
Justin Hodges has moved to jump on claims Aidan Guerra lied for him at Tuesday night's NRL judiciary hearing, after the Brisbane skipper was cleared to play in the grand final.
Guerra, a Queensland teammate of Hodges', gave testimony favourable to him at the hearing, claiming he jumped in the tackle under scrutiny to earn his Sydney Roosters side a penalty in Friday's preliminary final.
The judiciary panel of Royce Ayliffe, Chris McKenna and Bronson Harrison believed Guerra's testimony and found Hodges not guilty of the grade one dangerous throw charge levelled at him.
As a result Hodges is now free to play in Sunday's premiership decider against North Queensland at ANZ Stadium.
Guerra's claims come despite Roosters coach Trent Robinson consistently maintaining his players never play for penalties.
Judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew appeared concerned by Guerra's testimony at times and asked him to clarify what he was saying - chiefly that he jumped in the tackle to earn a penalty, subsequently putting himself at risk - on a number of occasions.
Hodges also testified that Guerra jumped in the tackle and that had contributed to the position Guerra ended up in with his head and shoulder striking the ground. After the hearing Hodges denied that Guerra had been bending the truth.
"He came here to speak the truth, I didn't ask him to come here and lie," Hodges said. "I knew straight away that he jumped and he felt the same. I said to him you don't have to come if you don't want to.
"This is what I felt happened in the tackle and if you feel the same can you come and say that. He honestly felt the same and that is why he came."
After several days of worry, Hodges said he was looking forward to ramping up his preparation for the grand final. "To be honest," he said, "I just want to get through tonight, it has been a tough few days not knowing the outcome."
