2 years ago
134
South Sydney manager Jason Demetriou is conscionable 80 minutes distant from shattering a Wayne Bennett hoodoo that has lasted for implicit 3 decades.
No manager that has followed successful Bennett's footsteps has ever taken a squad to a expansive last - so astir person failed miserably.
Ever since helium near Canberra to assistance commencement the Broncos successful 1988, coaches person struggled to capable the maestro coach's shoes - until now.
READ MORE: Fagan 'doesn't recall' cardinal Hawks accusation
READ MORE: 'Deserved' NRL victor tipped to miss large medal
READ MORE: Crisis forces rugby club's call-up to pizza store owner
They haven't been helped by the information that Bennett has often instrumentality prima players and cardinal unit with him erstwhile helium has switched colours - Demetriou has been fortunate due to the fact that Bennett is taking a 'gap' twelvemonth earlier taking implicit arsenic inaugural Dolphins manager successful 2023.
But Demetriou has done it successful his ain style, forging his ain individuality astatine the Bunnies, who tin marque the expansive last if they bushed premiers Penrith connected Saturday night.
The Bennett hoodoo archetypal claimed incoming Tigers manager Tim Sheens erstwhile helium took implicit Canberra successful 1988. After Bennett took the Raiders to the 1987 expansive final, Sheens made the finals, but bowed retired successful consecutive sets successful 1988.
Ironically, that astir outgo Sheens his job, aboriginal successful 1989 - the twelvemonth helium made past by becoming the archetypal manager to instrumentality the premiership trophy retired of Sydney.
"There was a committee gathering and determination were rumblings I was going to beryllium sacked," Sheens recalled to Wide World of Sports.
Bennett past moved to the Broncos for 11 palmy season, leaving successful 2009 for the Dragons.
His successor, Ivan Henjak, won his archetypal 2 finals earlier falling a crippled abbreviated of the large one.
Bennett tasted occurrence astatine the Dragons successful 2010, but near aft the pursuing year, with Steve Price taking implicit and missing the finals.
Stream the NRL premiership 2022 unrecorded and escaped connected 9Now
Bennett's adjacent determination was to Newcastle, wherever helium had small success, but the antheral who replaced him successful 2015, Rick Stone, did adjacent worse, collecting the woody spoon.
The overmuch trumpeted instrumentality to Brisbane successful 2015-18 didn't bring the expected results but again, the antheral who filled his shoes did adjacent worse.
Antony Seibold scraped the Broncos into eighth spot connected the ladder, but his lone finals quality was a 58-0 nonaccomplishment to the Eels.
Souths skipper Cameron Murray has spoken successful lavish presumption astir Demetriou's power connected the nine successful a pivotal year.
Latrell explains wherefore helium loves the large moments
"I beryllium a batch of my maturation to him," Murray said.
"He has been present for 3 years anterior to being a caput manager and gathering that narration with myself and each the boys truly helped."
He had the narration and the spot of the full radical and everyone knew helium was up to it.
"We weren't stressed astir whether helium had the reply oregon not - we each knew and trusted that helium has what it takes and helium has proved that.
"He's got a large beingness astir him and is passionate. He trusts the players and the players spot him."
For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
:contrast(4)/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fe2bc6a8b-63cd-4f11-95e5-569d2fadc842)
English (US) ·