The longest-serving coach in NRL history said for once football didn’t matter as his Newcastle side secured the two most meaningless competition points of Wayne Bennett’s career on Sunday.
An emotional Bennett admitted to being teary-eyed and unable to look at the army of red and blue-clad fans that flooded into Hunter Stadium in support of injured Knights back-rower Alex McKinnon.
McKinnon broke his neck against Melbourne last Monday night and Bennett said the 22-year-old’s tragic plight put the importance of football into perspective after seeing his Knights score a spirited 30-0 win over Cronulla.
“I wouldn’t have cared if we’d have won or lost the game, the way I feel,” said Bennett, a 27-year, 684-game coaching veteran.
“I’m just feeling really flat right now … it’s been a hard week. Maybe it’s the hardest week I’ve ever had in coaching.”
The Knights have dedicated their 2014 season to McKinnon and all Sunday afternoon in Newcastle was a tribute to him, with Bennett joining the team on the field for a pre-game huddle as fans rose as one.
“Usually at the end of the game you can get emotional, but not before the game,” Bennett said.
Newcastle’s first win of the season left the struggling Sharks as the only side yet to taste victory over four rounds.
South Sydney’s miserable start also continued on Sunday at ANZ Stadium, with Canberra recording a shock 30-18 win over Michael Maguire’s heavily-fancied team.
Fullback Anthony Milford was outstanding for the Raiders, but coach Ricky Stuart was full of praise for his entire team, who won despite losing Joel Edwards to concussion and key back-rower Shaun Fensom, who damaged his elbow ligaments.
“It was very satisfying to beat that level of footy team away from home,” Stuart said.
Maguire, whose side have now lost three games in a row for the first time since his arrival at the club in 2012, remained defiant that the Rabbitohs could rediscover the form that took them to within one game of the grand final for the past two years.
“It will swing,” he said.
On Saturday, Parramatta returned to the winners’ circle after a tremendous second-half display helped the Eels take down Penrith 32-16.
In Perth, Canterbury brushed aside Melbourne 40-12, a result and performance that left Storm coach Craig Bellamy fuming.
The 2012 premiers were without hooker Cameron Smith, who missed the game with a back injury, and have now lost their past seven matches in his absence.
Across the Tasman in Wellington, the Warriors beat Wests Tigers 42-18 in a breathless encounter that contained one of the tries of the season from Shaun Johnson.
The win also reduced the heat of coach Matt Elliott after his side lost their first two games of the season.
In Friday night’s games, Manly ended a run of four straight losses to the Sydney Roosters with an 8-0 win over the premiers in the grand final rematch and Brisbane halted St George Illawarra’s unbeaten start to the year with a 36-20 victory in Wollongong.