Wayne Bennett has enjoyed a good start to NRL grand final week by taking out the Dally M coach of the year award.

The supercoach was awarded the honour at a black-tie event at The Star casino in Sydney on Monday night.

Bennett, whose Brisbane outfit meet North Queensland in Sunday’s premiership decider at ANZ Stadium, beat Cowboys mentor Paul Green, Sydney Roosters clipboard holder Trent Robinson and Cronulla’s Shane Flanagan to win the award,

Bennett came back to Brisbane this season after six years away and has returned the club to its former glory as a premiership powerhouse.

The seven-times premiership winner said he didn’t initially believe he had a team that could win the grand final but that changed as the season went on.

“Things unfolded and we got to the halfway mark of the season and I thought we had the chance to do something special and that is the way it has worked out,” Bennett said.

Bennett said he was concerned for skipper Justin Hodges, who will miss the grand final if he doesn’t beat a dangerous throw charge at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night.

“Of course,” he said.

“It is out of our control, we think we have a good case and that is the way it is. The judiciary is about fairness and we get a chance to state our case.”