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NRL 2020: Confused coach Wayne Bennett banned for COVID breach
AUGUST 6, 20201:26pm
South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett has been stood down after inadvertently breaking NRL's strict COVID rules.
Jai Bednallnews.com.au
Wayne Bennett will miss this Friday’s grudge match against the Broncos after admitting to breaking the NRL’s COVID-19 rules.
The South Sydney coach confirmed The Daily Telegraph’s report he dined at an Italian restaurant in Leichhardt in Sydney’s inner-west on Wednesday with a woman believed to be his partner.
Bennett claimed he didn’t know he was breaching the NRL’s strict protocols, which ban players and coaches from visiting public places.
But News Corp understands the mastercoach will be ordered into self-isolation and miss the Rabbitohs clash with his old club.
Bennett follows in the footsteps of Bulldogs player Aiden Tolman and Knights star Bradman Best who both missed games for COVID-19 breaches.
He admitted his confusion at the league’s rules despite being on the committee that helped form them.
“I went for lunch yesterday at Grappa, I did. I didn’t think it was a breach … If I knew it was a breach I wouldn’t have done it. I went with my partner who I live with, had some lunch and that was it,” he told reporters after Rabbitohs training on Thursday.
“I go shopping, I go different places to get meals at times, it was just me and my partner who I live together with, she was with me and I went somewhere to get something to eat at lunchtime.”
Bennett, who also admitted there’d been “one or two other times” he’d been in public, was investigated by the NRL Integrity Unit.
“I go to the kebab shop to get a kebab and there’s just as many people there as there were in the restaurant,” he said. “There wasn’t many (diners) there at all, actually … I was isolated from everybody.”
Nine’s Danny Weidler said Bennett will “most likely” be forced to spend seven days on the sidelines. The Daily Telegraph was predicting a two-week ban.
Bennett was in the middle of a training session with the Rabbitohs when the news broke after the Daily Telegraph was tipped off by a patron at the restaurant. He said he would cop any punishment handed down.
“If that’s what happens, that’s their call. The rules have changed that many times about what we can do and can’t do,” he said.
“The protocols are changing all the time. At times I have been out when I thought it was right. I still thought it was right yesterday.”
Wayne Bennett with Adam Reynolds during a South Sydney Rabbitohs training session at Redfern ahead of their match against Brisbane this week. Picture. Phil HillyardSource:News Corp Australia
Bennett’s Rabbitohs are scheduled to play Brisbane, the club he used to coach, on Friday night at ANZ Stadium. His assistant Jason Demetriou will take the reins in his absence.
The 70-year-old mentor gave his tick of approval to the league’s COVID-19 rules when asked about it last month.
“We’ve got a lot of biosecurity rules around us and I’m happy with that,” Bennett said.
“If we don’t want that choice, we can just retire from football and go and do something else.”
Bennett yesterday added to the anticipation ahead of the Broncos’ clash by claiming his eventual move to the Rabbitohs wasn’t discussed until Brisbane had told him he was no longer required.
Bennett was replaced in Brisbane by Anthony Seibold, in what ended up being a straight swap.
“It’s absolute bulls*** that I was planning stuff with Souths while Seibold was there,” Bennett told the Courier Mail.
“It’s like many things in life, people only want to muddy the waters when the truth is not told. That is the case of my so-called planning with Souths when Seibold was there.”
NRL 2020: Confused coach Wayne Bennett banned for COVID breach
AUGUST 6, 20201:26pm
NEWS.COM.AU0:49 NRL: Wayne Bennett banned after breaking strict COVID rules |
Jai Bednallnews.com.au
Wayne Bennett will miss this Friday’s grudge match against the Broncos after admitting to breaking the NRL’s COVID-19 rules.
The South Sydney coach confirmed The Daily Telegraph’s report he dined at an Italian restaurant in Leichhardt in Sydney’s inner-west on Wednesday with a woman believed to be his partner.
Bennett claimed he didn’t know he was breaching the NRL’s strict protocols, which ban players and coaches from visiting public places.
But News Corp understands the mastercoach will be ordered into self-isolation and miss the Rabbitohs clash with his old club.
Bennett follows in the footsteps of Bulldogs player Aiden Tolman and Knights star Bradman Best who both missed games for COVID-19 breaches.
He admitted his confusion at the league’s rules despite being on the committee that helped form them.
“I went for lunch yesterday at Grappa, I did. I didn’t think it was a breach … If I knew it was a breach I wouldn’t have done it. I went with my partner who I live with, had some lunch and that was it,” he told reporters after Rabbitohs training on Thursday.
“I go shopping, I go different places to get meals at times, it was just me and my partner who I live together with, she was with me and I went somewhere to get something to eat at lunchtime.”
Bennett, who also admitted there’d been “one or two other times” he’d been in public, was investigated by the NRL Integrity Unit.
“I go to the kebab shop to get a kebab and there’s just as many people there as there were in the restaurant,” he said. “There wasn’t many (diners) there at all, actually … I was isolated from everybody.”
Nine’s Danny Weidler said Bennett will “most likely” be forced to spend seven days on the sidelines. The Daily Telegraph was predicting a two-week ban.
Bennett was in the middle of a training session with the Rabbitohs when the news broke after the Daily Telegraph was tipped off by a patron at the restaurant. He said he would cop any punishment handed down.
“If that’s what happens, that’s their call. The rules have changed that many times about what we can do and can’t do,” he said.
“The protocols are changing all the time. At times I have been out when I thought it was right. I still thought it was right yesterday.”
Wayne Bennett with Adam Reynolds during a South Sydney Rabbitohs training session at Redfern ahead of their match against Brisbane this week. Picture. Phil HillyardSource:News Corp Australia
Bennett’s Rabbitohs are scheduled to play Brisbane, the club he used to coach, on Friday night at ANZ Stadium. His assistant Jason Demetriou will take the reins in his absence.
The 70-year-old mentor gave his tick of approval to the league’s COVID-19 rules when asked about it last month.
“We’ve got a lot of biosecurity rules around us and I’m happy with that,” Bennett said.
“If we don’t want that choice, we can just retire from football and go and do something else.”
Bennett yesterday added to the anticipation ahead of the Broncos’ clash by claiming his eventual move to the Rabbitohs wasn’t discussed until Brisbane had told him he was no longer required.
Bennett was replaced in Brisbane by Anthony Seibold, in what ended up being a straight swap.
“It’s absolute bulls*** that I was planning stuff with Souths while Seibold was there,” Bennett told the Courier Mail.
“It’s like many things in life, people only want to muddy the waters when the truth is not told. That is the case of my so-called planning with Souths when Seibold was there.”