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Wayne Bennett revealed he was in negotiations to bring the late Paul Green to the Dolphins as his assistant as he paid tribute to the premiership winning coach after his sad passing.
Green passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 49 and Bennett, who had a long history with him revealed he was in talks to get Green to the Dolphins just three weeks ago.
“He made a great contribution and he had a lot of coaching in front of him,” Bennett said on Triple M’s The Rush Hour.
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“I offered him a position at the Dolphins in the last three weeks. Three weeks ago now we were in negotiations at the time.
“I think he was keen to come, but we were just trying to work out a contract for him. That’s how much I thought of him.”
Bennett kept in contact with Green after he handed the Queensland coaching baton to him in 2021 and revealed that he knew it would be a tough transition for Green with that Maroons team.
“I was watching him from afar and I certainly was close to him in the Origin last year and I kept in contact with him there when he got the job,” Bennett said.
“I knew there was a bit of a challenge there in front of him. I spoke to him on a number of occasions.
“I didn’t want to see him out of coaching. I just think he had too much to offer.
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“I thought if I could help him get back into coaching by coming to the Dolphins it would have made us a pretty formidable coaching team with him there.
“I saw it as a way back into the NRL for him if he wanted to do that.
“I wasn’t sure he was busting to get back there because it is a pretty cruel place at times and you have a lot of disappointment and the Origin series would have hurt enormously because there is so much expectation there.
“There’s never been a Queensland coach that hasn’t felt that expectation and I know he would have.
“I saw it as a way for him to come and spend a couple of years with us and go back as a head coach somewhere.”
Bennett paid tribute to Green’s amazing contribution to the game as a player and coach over three decades.
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“He was born into rugby league I think,” Bennett said.
“He played it. He coached it. He loved it and he was a great ambassador for our game.
“I don’t ever remember him getting into trouble with his behaviour.
“He had a lot of friends in the game. A huge amount of friends. I was just thinking before about the amount of people that would be affected by what has happened today. It would be huge.”
Bennett was on the losing side of Green’s greatest achievement, the 2021 Grand Final win that gave the Cowboys their maiden premiership and he had a heartfelt message to Green.
“I can’t say I was pleased for him at the time, but I can say I am pleased for him today,” Bennett said.
“I genuinely mean that. He did a great job up there. He left in a situation that I’m sure he wouldn’t have liked. None of us enjoy that part of it.
“But it comes with the job and you have to go with the blows and he handled that pretty good.”
Given the amount of lives Green touched during his time, Bennett believes the rugby league community would be hurting enormously today.
“I think it is a tough day for rugby league,” Bennett said.
“Paul Green was such a big part of the game and he has been for over two or three decades.
“He had an influence and impact on so many people.
“I think all of rugby league will be heartbroken today there is no doubt about that.
“He was a decent person that’s the main thing. You won’t get many people bagging Paul Green.”
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