The Wolf You Feed

by Andrew Webster

'the greatest coach in Australian sports history . . . an extraordinary man' Matthew JohnsWayne Bennett is the greatest rugby league coach Australia has ever had. He has won seven premierships and is the greatest man manager the game has known.He is a living a self-professed introvert who can hold an audience in the palm of his hand; an autocrat on a humanitarian mission to make good men of his young charges; a devoted husband (and father of the year) who left his wife after 42 years of marriage. Other coaches decry his tactics then attempt to imitate them. Players are desperate to work with him but are left feeling deceived when he cuts them loose. The media disparages him then lavishes him with praise.So who is the real Wayne Bennett?Celebrated sports journalist Andrew Webster has been on a mission to find out. For two years, he has interviewed family, close friends, sworn enemies, colleagues, coaches and players, as well as Bennett himself, and trawled through acres of print and recordings.Webster shows us a complex, brilliant and difficult man. We come to admire the good wolf of Bennett's nature - the genius who transforms young unformed players into titans of the game. And the bad wolf - the wrangler who plays the dark arts of football politics with obsessive determination.Expertly written and compulsively readable, Webster's account of Bennett is not unlike the man controversial, combative, and impossible to ignore.

Genres: Biography, Audiobook, Sports

448 pages, Paperback

Published September 12, 2023

About the author

Andrew Webster is Professor of the Sociology of Science & Technology and Director of the Science and Technology Studies Unit at the University of York, UK.

Reviews

[Huw Radcliffe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt like a 400 page newspaper column.

[Lyn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book to try and gain an understanding of a man who is well known in the rugby league community, but is also a bit of an enigma. To be honest I have never been a fan of the man, but respect his ability to coach and bring the best out in those who play under his guidance. I hoped this book would soften how I felt about him, but it didn't. I also learned a lot more about "behind the scenes" stuff that I probably could have done without. Did the book shed any new light on Wayne Bennet for me? Yes, but not in a positive way. That said, the book is well written and researched by the author.

[Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read. Not a big rugby fan, but still enjoyed reading about a man who has achieved incredible success on the field but has a complex history off it.

I think one of the things Webster does well is painting the enigma that is Wayne Bennet. He has incredible people skills that make him loved by his players, yet he comes off as cold and harsh to others. He cares deeply for his family and wants his players to become men, yet the book ends with Bennet's affair and deceptive backroom dealings to get the coaching positions he wants.

I think you come into the book wanting to either despise or idolise Bennet and in the end, you can't really do either.

The book will certainly be a fun read for NRL fans. For someone like myself who knows enough to follow, I sometimes had to google players to put them into context. In saying that, not remembering Bennet's coaching career made for a more fun read as it felt like I was on the journey myself.

[Davis Grohl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book about a brilliant coach.

[Geoff Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Well written and easy to read account on a brilliant and complex man.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a really great book from the inside of nrl getting a look at the coach and players and things that are done on the inside regarding training, and player contracts.

[David Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this on audiobook, but I was hoping for some deeper insight. The 'wolf you feed' metaphor is the most insightful, but that's already in the title. He's an entertaining character and the hero's understated gruffness carries the rest.

[Geordie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Webster has researched this book very well and provides a balanced insight into the life of Wayne Bennett. This book will appeal to rugby league enthusiasts and any person involved in getting the best out of men in their youth often from backgrounds where parenting has been absent or troubled.
Wayne Bennett had a passion for working with people and teams who were not given a break in life. He identifies potential, and through friendship and support, helps people be better humans and therefore contribute positively to team success. His own upbringing and experience of contrasting role models in his childhood years seemed to give him great perspective around what worked and what did not when looking to inspire and motivate people.
Most of all what I loved about this book is Bennet’s philosophy regarding the equality of humans. That the judgement of a person without considering first their background, upbringing and trauma carried from events in their life is unfair and undue. With empathy and acceptance we can allow others to breathe, relax and let their own consciousness guide their behaviour knowing that they are loved. With discipline, people learn the value of hard work, and just rewards for effort.

[Cleve Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly wasn’t going to read this cause the previous Wayne Bennett book (ghost)written by him was one of the worst autobiographies I’d ever read (only Corey Taylor’s and Andrew Roy Symonds (RIP) were more self pleasing, wanky & arrogant) but this one was different, with Wayne’s complete cooperation it was written in third person and Wayne somehow allowed Andrew Webster the author to add his own corrections to Wayne’s fibs or mistruths with facts & anecdotes contracting Mr Bennett

Which this isn’t a Wayne bashing, I only read them cause he’s fascinating his surly Clint Eastwood genius, one of the great rugby league books, especially if a fan of any of the teams he coached.

Extremely well researched and work done accessing the people in and formally in his life (can find a bitchy friendship fallout, but that’s footy, it’s Days of Our Lives for thugs)

(The audiobook reader got about 20 last names pronunciations wrong, especially some easy ones that aren’t even Polynesian)

[Zedaiah Kanau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this book a few minutes ago and I can say it's the best Biography of the legend that is Bennett detailing his ordeals growing up, the trauma of an abusive and mostly absentee Dad.

Bennett I'd say has carried this scar from childhood brought by his Dad throughout his life when he goes into mentoring young players and guiding them through the tightrope of life.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to delve into the mind of this Super coach. There are nuggets of historical stuff in here like how Bennett approached players like Meninga and Lewis, navigating the Broncos through the Super League war, having to put up with arguments of which GF was the better, and his close relations with Bronco co founder Paul Porky Morgan and Mining Magnate Ken Talbot which caught the attention of the NRL over salary cap breach claims.

Good book, enjoyed it thoroughly but won't dive into much. It's an update bio on Bennetts personal and professional life

[Scott Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best Rugby League biography I've read. Andrew has written a dep balanced narrative of the complex life of the often misunderstood Wayne Bennett, showing Coming from very humble beginnings to become the leader of young man, and the beautiful relationship with his son Justin, to be the father to them he never had. Andrew also addresses the media manipulation he is a master of, and parts of the book do not paint him in a great light, but like the rest of us, also that he is above all an imperfect human being. Whilst I have never particularly liked Wayne Bennett, I have always respected him, and reading this book has reinforced that respect.

[Clare Staines · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up the book as I had nothing else to read, and it was sitting on the kitchen table. As ‘an adjacent’ to a football mad Queensland family, I was familiar with the characters and places which helped - not sure it would resonate with a wider audience. But whilst there was enough to keep me reading I was disappointed that there was no real analysis or insight. Mostly it was long stretches of ‘he said, she said’ (actually mostly ‘he said, he said’) with summaries of games played so I ended up skipping lots just to get through it. I’m clearly not the target audience.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good biography with the main reason being you saw Bennett as a human being instead of some type of mythical coach figure. He is obviously very good at what he does but that comes with a cost, and this book revealed that cost. It would be tempting for the author to take the easy path and paint him as a messiah but he went to lengths to not do that and as a result it was a very good book. A must read for anyone who follows Rugby League in Australia.

[Jay Dwight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some biographies can be a bit bland and read more like a Wikipedia entry, but Andrew Wester gives this one colour, character and life.

It provides a good picture of the enigma that is Wayne Bennett. It's not a homage to Bennett, instead showing both the positives and negatives of the master coach.

[Sue Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this bought to get more of an insight into what makes Wayne Bennett the icon he is. Unfortunately, for me, I had little respect for the man before reading the book, and I definitely have no respect for him now that I have read the book.
I lost interest in the book halfway through, as it touches on far too many football games that only a true league fan would understand.

[Jacob Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't what I was expecting, in a good way.
Obviously Wayne Bennett, like us all, has done much good and bad in his life, but it was refreshing to see a biography of sorts that showed a seemingly impartial view of the ups and downs, rather than try to turn everything to roses and paint someone as a saint.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

An "Unauthorized" biography on the enigma that is Wayne Bennett. Although it is unauthorized, Wayne Bennett is interviewed extensively and his family also provide many interviews and information.
It follows him growing up poor in country Queensland and raising up to be the most sort after coach in Rugby League.

[Dr Tim Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Builder of Young Men

Webster gives a thorough and fair account of Wayne Bennett here. He claims his greatest legacy isn’t the trophy’s and premierships; it’s the building of young men.

[Ben Mawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A slow start but grows into one of the most incite full accounts of rugby leagues most talismanic figures. Growing up in Brisbane during the glory days of Bennet's broncos I idolised Bennet and everything he touched. The insights into what happened during both Brisbane departures are incredible.

[Benjamin Holzwart · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good read. It shows you more of who Wayne Bennett really is. It shows his good moments, the hypocrisy in what he says and what he does. but also the power of his words and his influence. Its a gripping book that you can easily spend hours non stop.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insightful. Never let a sports journalist loose on a metaphor or simile though...

[Chris Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK book about an exceptional human.

[Mark Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent no holds barred biography. Warts and all...

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Master coach indeed

[Jason Orthman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched book on incredibly successful and driven career coach. Interesting how his key skill seems to relate to and drive young often complicated men. Really enjoyed the (audio) book.

[Glenn Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight into a successful and complicated man

[Allison Farr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting story into the life both personally and professionally.

[Robnrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely well written portrait of a fascinating man. How boring would the world be if we were all the same?

[Douglas Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book about an incredibly complex subject. Whilst this is a book about a great figure in contemporary Australian sport, it is the handling of the subject, the honesty of the writing and the preparedness to really get to know the subject that makes this a great book. Well done and an absolute pleasure to read.

[Jordan-Glen Bradbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book and insight into the life of one of rugby leagues greatest icons.

A great man without faults, I loved the close and in depth following of his career from the very beginning.

You understand and can see how and why young men in the nrl react positively to his coaching.