Read the devastating Wayne Bennett spray that caused Dolphins enforcer Jarrod Wallace to change his career
- Jarrod Wallace Reveals Brutal Wayne Bennett Spray
- Prop says Bennett castigated him a thousand times
- Wallace will play his 200th game on Saturday
Dolphins prop Jarrod Wallace reckons he received “thousands of sprays” from coach Wayne Bennett that saw him play his 200th NRL game against Melbourne on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium.
Wallace said he “certainly never thought this day would come” after a rocky start to his career.
After his NRL debut in 2012, the young forward rower was in and out of the Broncos squad when Anthony Griffin was coach.
Then Bennett arrived in 2015 and Wallace’s career changed for the better in a season where he played 25 games.
Wallace, 31, smiled when asked if he remembered a “spray” Bennett gave him at the Broncos for not working hard enough.
Jarrod Wallace says he received ‘thousands of sprays’ from manager Wayne Bennett which saw him play his 200th NRL game against Melbourne on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium
Wayne Bennett arrived at the Broncos in 2015 and Wallace’s career changed for the better
“There were thousands of sprays throughout this trip,” he said.
“I can tell you about one, the one I will always remember. I was brought into the team for the first time and Wayne said to me: “You have a game to prove yourself or you can find another club”.
“He’s the one who will stay with me forever and that’s why I respect Wayne so much. He told me exactly what I needed to do and I did it. I continued to play every game this year -there.
“He gave me the opportunity in 2015 to relaunch my career when I didn’t have a lot of playing time with the Broncos. Coming here and playing with him again is exactly what I wanted to do.
Wallace, who spent six seasons at the Gold Coast before joining the Dolphins, rediscovered the kind of form that saw him play six State of Origin games for Queensland from 2017 to 2019.
“I feel fantastic right now,” he said, adding that his 200th game would be “a very special occasion” for him and his family.
“They’ve been through ups and downs, and I’m so happy to be celebrating such a great occasion for me with such a great group of guys.”
The goodbye last week came at the right time for the sixth-placed Dolphins after an emotional run of games that included their loss to the Sydney Roosters in the club’s inaugural match, a titanic clash with Brisbane, a record tying 28-26 comeback victory over Gold Coast and a win over Cronulla in Bennett’s 900th premiership game as manager.
Wallace says Bennet told him ‘You have a game to prove yourself or you can find another club’ – and that was exactly what Wallace needed to hear
Wallace rediscovered the kind of form that saw him play six State of Origin games for Queensland from 2017 to 2019
“All the boys put in great performances. They all felt like mini-semifinals,” Wallace said.
Wallace expects former Storm Premiership winners Felise Kaufusi, Brenko Lee and Jesse and Kenny Bromwich to want solid games against their former club on Saturday night.
