Speakers Profile - Wayne Bennett

Travels From:
Brisbane

Fee Range: E

Well known and well respected throughout Australia, Wayne Bennett is in demand as a conference and keynote speaker on leadership, accountability and teamwork. His presentation style and honesty is one that will not be forgotten by any audience.

Wayne is known as 'The Greatest Coach Ever'. He was awarded this title after coaching the Brisbane Broncos to another victorious win in the 2006 Rugby League Grand Final. The 2008 season was Wayne's 21st and final year of coaching at the Brisbane Broncos, and then in 2009 he moved to New South Wales to commence coaching with the St George Dragons. In 2010, Wayne guided the St George Illawarra Dragons to a Grand Final victory taking his impeccable record to 7/7 Grand Final successes.

Wayne took on another challenge coaching another NSW club the Newcastle Knights in 2011. They made it to the semi finals for 2013. Wayne returned to the Brisbane Broncos and coached the team to the Grand Final where they lost by 'the golden point'.

Wayne was inducted in to The Australian Sport Hall of Fame in 2012 and said he was very humbled by recognition given to him by SAHOF. Wayne was also awarded the Coach of the Year award in 2015.

Wayne started his coaching career in 1976 in Ipswich, Queensland. In 1987 he moved to Canberra where he coached the Raiders to their first-ever grand final appearance and was subsequently named Coach of the Year. He joined the Brisbane Broncos as their inaugural coach the following season and guided the club to six Premierships from as many grand final appearances between 1992 and 2006.

In 1998 Wayne created history by becoming the first coach to steer his club, state and country to victory in their respective series.

Wayne is recognised in Rugby League circles as one of the most influential and innovative of our modern day coaches. He is the longest serving coach of a single club in the history of the game in Australia and has one of the best winning percentages in Rugby League.

Wayne has also achieved considerable success as an author, with his books 'Don't Die with the Music in You', 'League's A Lot Like Life' and 'The Man in the Mirror' which is a candid story of his unprecedented 21 years as coach of the Brisbane Broncos; the story of a remarkable man who helped to launch a new rugby league club and turned it into a powerhouse.

The insight into Wayne Bennett and his family on the popular ABC series Australian Story was another outstanding success and it was, and is still the most requested story ever to be repeated.

In 2023, Bennett became the inaugural coach for the Redcliffe Dolphins. Bennett's challenge seeking continues.