To fully understand the calamity that is the Wayne Bennett-Brisbane Broncos coaching stand-off, you have to go back 11 years, almost to the day.
In late 2007, Bennett was on the nose at Red Hill. After 21 seasons, the foundation coach synonymous with the powerhouse club had lost the support of News Corporation, the majority shareholder of the publicly listed company which owned the club.
Standing his ground: Wayne Bennett is still Bribane coach – for now.Credit:AAP
Bennett suspected it, even shirt-fronting Lachlan Murdoch and News Ltd CEO John Hartigan on a Sydney Harbour boat cruise asking if he still had their support. It was something he had never had to do in his life.
But, by December 2007, there was no need for any more shirt-fronting. Bennett knew he'd lost their support.
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News Ltd's own Sunday newspapers broke a significant story – that Bennett was receiving "secret payments" of $9990 a month from the club's biggest private supporter, the now late mining magnate Ken Talbot. The arrangement had been in place since 2004, and was to continue for a total of 10 years with Bennett to be gifted a million tax-free dollars in that time.
These payments were not part of Bennett's salary and the amount – $9990 – was under the $10,000 threshold at which regulators needed to be informed of the financial transaction.
Battlelines drawn: Brisbane CEO Paul White and coach Wayne Bennett had a falling-out earlier this year.Credit:AAP
Talbot headed the so-called "Thoroughbreds", a bunch of business types who splashed cash all around the Broncos and who were often a thorn in the side of those who formally ran the club.
The Broncos board was furious when it found out. Bennett argued the payments were a "gift" from Talbot to help his family set up a future for their two disabled adult children Justin and Katherine.
Talbot was a billionaire but, by that time, was on the nose in Queensland. He and Peter Beattie-government minister Gordon Nuttall were each charged with 35 counts of corruption over $300,000 worth of payments Talbot made to Nuttall.
Talbot never faced trial, after being tragically killed in a plane accident while inspecting mining sites in Africa on 2010. Nuttall was eventually jailed for seven years and was released on parole in July 2015.
Bennett knew the payments story was leaked to the papers by the board of his own club. That act confirmed in his own mind he was a dead man walking at the Broncos, so, on the eve of the 2008 season, he announced he would leave the club at season's end, despite having a contract to coach them in 2009.
Patience ran out: Lachlan Murdoch has instilled his trust in CEO Paul White to run the club in a more corporate way.Credit:AP
As Bennett has told close friends in recent months: "I made it easy for them last time".
Fast forward 10 years and we're back where we were. With a year to run on his deal, Bennett is on the nose. New Corporation has fallen out of love with him for a second time.
After results didn't go their way without Bennett, who went on to win a title with St George in 2010, Lachlan Murdoch personally courted him and brought him back. On big money.
As a board member said at the time: "We just have to have him back. We're losing and the Broncos can't tolerate that. Our supporters and corporate supporters can't tolerate that".
However, after four moderate seasons, which included a grand final appearance in 2015, this time it's over for real.
Murdoch, who has loved the Broncos from the moment he was sent to Brisbane as a young executive by Rupert in 1994, has instilled his trust in CEO Paul White to run the club his way – a more modern, corporate way.
Karl Morris, the rugby union fan big-time accountant was installed by News as the chairman. There was no room for a coach who "ran the whole show".
The club courted Craig Bellamy – and failed – eventually settling on South Sydney's promising young coach Anthony Seibold, an old mate of White's from their days growing up in Rockhampton.
Bennett signed with Souths, but neither coaching deal begins until 2020, as they are both contracted to their current clubs for 2019.
And this is where Bennett is drawing on what happened 10 years ago.
"Ten years ago, I made it easy for them. This time around, I won't be making it easy for them," is what he has told his very inner circle.
Bennett will leave now, only if sacked and paid his full $1.1 million for 2019. He can add that to the $900,000 he will earn at Souths and it's a $2 million year.
But ego is in the way.
Around the globe, News Corp pays out executives at its operations regularly when things don't work out. It's a cost of business.
This is no different – Bennett should be seen as an executive at one of the companies it controls. Which is exactly what Brisbane Broncos Ltd is, a company in which News has a controlling share.
But football is different. And neither side will budge. "You can't let the other side win".
In the end, the Broncos and News will have no choice but to part with the $1.1 million and move on. It's the cost of doing business.
The current situation is intolerable – just as losing was.
Neil Breen is a senior Channel Nine sports reporter
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