Tonga Rugby League’s head coach, Kristian Woolf said having Wayne Bennett in the team will be a great experience for both the players and the staff.
Woolf released a statement on the reasons for Bennett joining his coaching staff.
“My commitment to St Helens and the inability of the representative and international weeks to line up in the two hemispheres means it is not possible to be in New Zealand for a week during the Super League season,” said Woolf.
“But we have been able to put together an amazing coaching staff with Dean [Dean Young], Wayne and Sika [Sika Manu].
“No one has had more success in coaching rugby league than Wayne Bennett – having him there will be a great experience for both the players and the staff.”
Bennett is largely known for his achievements at multiple NRL clubs and the Queensland State of Origin team but the 72-year-old also has quite the international resume.
His most recent international coaching job was with England and Great Britain but Bennett left the role after Great Britain toured New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in 2019 where they failed to win a single game.
Bennett has also coached Australia in the past and was an assistant coach for New Zealand when the Kiwis won the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.
It was announced recently that Bennett would be taking on a similar role for the Tongan national team when they take on New Zealand in a warm-up test on 25 June at Mt Smart Stadium ahead of this year’s World Cup.
Bennett was last in the coach’s box for the South Sydney Rabbitohs when they were defeated by the Penrith Panthers in the 2021 NRL Grand Final and soon after signed on as The Dolphins inaugural head coach ahead of their introduction to the NRL in 2023.