Wayne Bennett (rugby league)

Wayne James Bennett (born 1 January 1950) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who is the head coach of the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL and a former player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time. Bennett has previously coached the Dolphins, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the Brisbane Broncos, the Newcastle Knights, the St George Illawarra Dragons, the Canberra Raiders, the Queensland Maroons State of Origin team, the NRL All Stars and the Australian Kangaroos national team as well as the England and Great Britain national teams.

Widely regarded as one of the sport's greatest ever coaches, Bennett holds the Australian rugby league coaching record for the most grand final wins, winning seven premierships from ten grand final appearances in the NRL and its predecessors the Super League and New South Wales Rugby League, plus one premiership in the Brisbane Rugby League with Southern Suburbs in 1985. Bennett's twenty-four seasons with the Brisbane Broncos is a joint record for the most at a single club, shared with Craig Bellamy's stint at the Melbourne Storm. Bennett also holds the records for most games coached at a single club (631 with the Broncos), most games won as coach, and most games coached, being recognised by the NRL in Round 10 of the 2023 season as having coached 900 games in the competition and its predecessors.

Additionally, he was a coaching adviser to the Tonga national rugby league team in 2022 and the assistant head coach of New Zealand in 2008.

As a player, Bennett was an Australian international and Queensland interstate representative fullback or wing in the 1970s. He also played at club level with the Huddersfield Giants in England. Before becoming a full-time football coach in 1976, Bennett worked as a Queensland Police officer.