"Poker faced", "deep thinking", and "big hearted" are some of the descriptions commonly applied to him. League is a brutal business, but Wayne Bennett is regarded as personifying some of the old fashioned virtues that are supposed to have disappeared from the game.

Brief History

• Wayne Bennett is coach of the Rugby League team, the Brisbane Broncos and is generally regarded as one of the most interesting and enigmatic figures in Australian sport.
• The club has won five premierships - in 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998 and 2000 - while featuring players of the calibre of Allan Langer, Glenn Lazarus, Steve Renouf, Darren Lockyer and Wendell Sailor. Bennett has also led Queensland to victory in many State of Origin matches.
• Bennett is much more than a great coach - he has won acclaim for the way he motivates and manages the men he coaches. Two of his three children are disabled but Wayne is fiercely proud of them all.
• Bennett is the son of an alcoholic father who deserted the family when Wayne was just nine years old. Despite this Bennett himself grew up with strong nurturing and mentoring skills.
• He became a "Father of the Year" and is something of a surrogate father to many young footballers who have gone on to become legends in the game.
• In his recent book "Don't Die With the Music In You", Bennett gives a rare insight into his character by discussing everything from mateship to the politics of sport, from the importance of loyalty and self-confidence to lessons learned from playing and coaching football at the highest level. In doing so, he recalls a number of classic and revealing tales about champions and characters, and explains some of his most contentious and controversial decisions.  The book reveals Bennett's view of what it takes to be a winner, in football and in life."