Is it time for Wayne Bennett to be sacked?

Years in charge and he has hardly improved the national team. He was going to be the man who came in and took us to the next level, well he hasnt done that.

IMO he is out dated as a coach and very much over rated. Its the same old boring low risk rugby with 5 drives and kick.

Super League is supposed to be more attacking orientated than the NRL according to those who have played both and we need a national coach that will allow the players to play to their strengths and throw the ball around more just like the GB teams of the 90's did. If we are going to lose at least do it with entertaining rugby.

His team selections are also farcical. Ryan HalL and Jermaine McGilvary? They might be ok at making meters but they are both slow and thus hardly liable to go around defenders. Both have had poor seasons yet they are picked for GB. Id rather of had Regan Grace on the wing, at least he may of added some zip and elusiveness.

Then theres Josh Hodgson. For years we have put up with this guy being picked over Roby and now over Clarke. Clarke would of added some much needed speed around the ruck area.

Where was Philbin? He was just the kind of robust, top heavy forward that we needed coming off the bench. Instead Bennett plays Josh Jones who is just an average player who happened to have a decent season playing in an in form Salford team.

Yes, Bring in Kelvin Skerrett instead

You could make an arguement that Bennett has actually taken us to the next level with a WC final appearance and a test series win.

That said I share your concerns albeit to a lesser extent. I don't actually have much of an issue with Ryan Hall keeping his place as he has a great track record. Bennett himself admitting that Mcgilvary has been s*** all year but then picking him anyway has to be a concern but in fairness who else would come in? Bennett basically said Makinson would have started pre injury and Tom Johnstone and Manfredi are injured. Grace would have been mullered size wise. Chris Hill ahead of Watts is a poor one. Clark should have been on the bench but Hodgson to start was fair enough for me considering his NRL form. The lopsided nature of the squad is bizarre with so many halfbacks and few outside backs.

Who would you replace the coach with? Wane has been mentioned - I do think he'd do well but you wouldn't be getting innovative attacking play from him either.

Bennett has probably got the best CV of rugby coaching of all time and has also gone well with Souths this season is Aus.

He’s far from past it; and far from old fashioned coaching. Will he makes mistakes from time to time? Of course, he’s human. But to think we should move on is very knee jerk.

He’s been fantastic for the England/GB international team and has some very able coaching assistants to help our who know SL very well.

He’s of the highest quality and I’m pleased he’s overseeing our international team.

He certainly would help himself if he picked a more balanced side. Hastings is the only pivot who engaged defenders and tried to create space. Coote, Widdop and Hodgson stifled our attack.

We agree on something!!



It’s ridiculous to say WB hasn’t taken us to the next level, look at the WC and a thumping series win versus New Zealand last season.

Are some of his selections on this tour strange? Yes. For me I’d have Watts in before Hill everyday but WB doesn’t pick his squads wholly on form. He’s said he picks players on form and on those who fit in and add to his playing group. You only need to ask the players what they think of him and they can’t speak highly enough of him, almost worshipping the ground he walks on. I think we’ll see a very much improved GB team next week.

All that being said I do believe the GB job should be put out to tender as the B&I Lions job is in RU. I have no issue with WB taking the reins on this tour and in all likelihood he probably won’t be GB/England coach in 4yrs time, but even so the jobs should be ran by different coaches.

Im unsure but i would want Wane involved in the setup to bring enthusiasm and passion. The head coach must let the players play the super league way and throw the ball around. Perhaps Watson based on how Salford played attacking rugby?

We got to the WC final by way of a last second ref error. If we had played an extra 80 minutes we wouldnt of scored a try in the final.

We beat an under strength NZ team on home soil. Dont forget they thumped us in the final game.

The players worshiping him is more to do with his over inflated reputation. If he is the coaching genius they make him out to be why dont Australia want him coaching the national team? They realise he is bad for the team and is still stuck in the early 00's playing a similar brand of flat attack rugby that Chris Anderson brought in. I would say he has stabilised the performances of the national team and we are a bit more consistent than we were but it ends there, we are just consistently ok and never brilliant and also lack passion, a bit like Bennett himself.

Have to say I agree with Enforcer on this. I wasn't a fan of his appointment in the first place. It's a long time since he's done anything special in the NRL (at Souths he has inherited an already good side). And I don't like his grumpy mug as the face of rugby league.

It’s the whole not offloading business that did me. Wane doesn’t like the offload either. If we were to have a new coach it would have to be someone who lets their teams express themselves and throw it about a bit.

Just give Adrian Lam the job. That seemed to work well at Wigan.

Me either. His facial expression matches his coaching style, dull and boring and so 2002 in style when teams were trying to play the Chris Anderson flat attack which was equally dull and boring then as it is today. How many times did Tonga knock our final passes down due to our players being stood so flat?