Wayne Bennett officially unveiled as Dolphins’ inaugural NRL coach

The NRL’s fourth Queensland franchise will enter the league in 2023 after being awarded a licence as the competition’s 17th club.

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The Dolphins confirmed rugby league’s worst-kept secret when they announced Bennett as their coach at a press conference on Thursday.

The seven-time premiership winning mentor is seen as one of the greatest coaches, if not the greatest, in rugby league history.

He will begin working with the Dolphins from November 1 as they begin to build their facilities, staff, development system and first grade squad.

Bennett left the South Sydney Rabbitohs following the team’s grand final defeat to the Penrith Panthers and remained tight-lipped when asked about his future during the finals series.

He said in August he would be moving to Queensland in 2022, but did not address the potential offers he had on the table.

“I am heading back there (to Queensland),” Bennett said at the time. “Look, there are a lot of things on the table for me next year.

“None of them will be resolved until the season’s over.”

Last week it was reported that Bennett had agreed to a three-year deal with the Dolphins, beginning from their entry into the competition in 2023.

It means Bennett will be 75-years-old by the time the contract expires at the end of the 2025 season.

On Tuesday, Panthers great Greg Alexander warned the Dolphins not to go overboard with the length of Bennett’s deal, arguing a three-year deal is more than enough to begin with.

“Three (years) is long enough,” he told SEN. “Three is long, if Wayne’s going well halfway through the second (year), they make the finals, everything’s good and the club’s happy with him, well then you extend.

“There’s no need to go over the top. Three is plenty.”