Craig Bellamy has hit 500 games as coach but how does he compare to the other three 500+ game coaches when they were players?
It’s time to delve deep into the vault.
Craig Bellamy
Craig Bellamy was a centre, five-eighth, and lock and part of the inaugural Canberra Raiders team in 1982. Only Tim Sheens (Penrith) was still playing at this stage.
For the record, the results were one sided between the two teams, especially considering the Raiders only won four games that year.
- Rd 12: Raiders 19 – Penrith 27 at Seiffert Oval
- Rd 25: Penrith 42 – Raiders 8 at Penrith Stadium
In sliding doors moments, Wayne Bennett would co-coach Bellamy and the Raiders to their GF loss to Manly in 1987 before Tim Sheens took over the following year and guided the Raiders to back to back Premierships in 1989-1990.
Interestingly, Craig Bellamy was not selected in the 1989 GF team, nor did he play in the World Cup Challenge in England. Thanks Tim!
He did play in the 1990 decider win over the Panthers.
| Team | Career | Games | Tries | Goals | FGs | Points | Country | State |
| Raiders | 1982-1992 | 148 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 175 | – | – |
Tim Sheens
Tim Sheens played Second Row and Prop for the Panthers. In all grades he made 258 appearances, 166 in first grade. Sheens was named as one of the Penrith Panthers “Team of Legends” in 2006.
| Team | Career | Games | Tries | Goals | FGs | Points | Country | State |
| Panthers | 1971-1982 | 166 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 33 | – | – |
Brian Smith
As unassuming as his premiership record as a coach, Smith started at the Dragons before finishing up at the Rabbitohs.
I found this football card on sale at eBay for $9. That’s $3 per career point. A points scoring machine he was not.
| Team | Career | Games | Tries | Goals | FGs | Points | Country | State |
| Dragons | 1974 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | – | – |
| Rabbitohs | 1975-1979 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Wayne Bennett
Wayne Bennett’s playing records are as elusive as the great man in a press conference. Bennett was a winger and goal kicker. He had stints at three clubs in the Brisbane competition in the 70’s and may or may not have been a player/coach at one.
He represented Queensland nine times but only against NSW on seven occasions. Who else did Queensland play?
He was also part of the Australian touring side of New Zealand in 1971 and played in two test matches. Bennett was one of only three players picked that wasn’t from the Sydney competition.
The best I can come up with is:
| Team | Career | Games | Tries | Goals | FGs | Points | Country | State |
| Warwick | 1969-1970 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | – | – |
| All Whites | 1971-1972 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Australia | Queensland |
| Huddersfield | 1972-1973 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | – | Queensland |
| Brothers | 1974-1975 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | – | – |
| Ipswich | 1976 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | – | – |
| Souths | 1977-1979 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | – | – |
| Queensland | 1971-1973 | 7 | 2 | 1 | ? | 8? | n/a | n/a |
| Australia | 1971 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | n/a | n/a |
Do you know more about Wayne’s stats? Do you know Wayne? Are you Wayne? Log in and comment.
-Rob
