Wayne Bennett joins Mate Ma’a Tonga’s coaching staff for the upcoming Test against New Zealand at Mt Smart Stadium on June 25th.
Bennett, who will return to the NRL’s training ranks next year with the new Dolphins franchise, will act as training advisor to Dean Young, who will replace Tonga’s mentor Kristian Woolf.
With Woolf unable to travel to Auckland for the test due to his commitments to St Helens in the Super League, Young will take over the single test.
Bennett and England captain Sean O’Loughlin at the start of the 2017 World Cup © NRL Photos
Rugby league team Mate Ma’a Tonga will gain an injection of experience and youth into their coaching ranks for the upcoming New Zealand Kiwi Test.
As head coach Kristian Woolf is unable to travel to Auckland due to English Super League obligations, Dean Young will take over as head coach of the only event.
Young, who has helped North Queensland coach Todd Payten reverse the Cowboys’ fortune this season, was a member of Woolf’s coaching staff in 2019 when Tonga defeated the Kangaroos at Eden Park.
Young has helped turn the Cowboys into candidates for the final © Shane Meyers / NRL Photos
He played under Bennett on the winning team in the 2011 St George Illawarra Grand Final and has a close relationship with the top seven mentor, who helped plan New Zealand’s World Cup victory. of 2008 and has also coached Australia and England.
Mate Ma’a Tonga’s former captain, Sika Manu, will also be part of the coaching staff.
Woolf, who has won the last two Super League finals with St Helens, will continue as head coach of the World Cup which will start in England in October.
Woolf has been at the helm of Mate Ma’a Tonga since his 2017 World Cup giant-killing campaign, in which the Pacific nation defeated the Kiwis and suffered a controversial defeat in the semifinals against the Kiwis. Bennett’s England team.
Under Woolf, Tonga also defeated both Australia and Britain in 2019 to move up to third place in the IRL rankings ahead of the Kangaroos.
Woolf celebrates Tonga’s historic loss to Australia in 2019 © NRL Photos
Woolf will be involved in the team selection process and will have a close conversation with the squad that will replace him in the June 25 game against the Kiwis.
“My commitment to St Helens and the inability of the representative and international weeks to line up in both hemispheres make it impossible for me to be in New Zealand for a week during the Super League season,” Woolf said.
“But we were able to put together an amazing coaching staff with Dean, Wayne and Sika.
“Dean has been an assistant for the Tonga team before and is one of the NRL’s brightest young coaching prospects.
“Sika was the captain of this team for a golden period, and he understands the passion of Mate Ma’a Tonga.
“And no one has been more successful as a rugby league coach than Wayne Bennett – having him will be a great experience for both the players and the staff.
“This is a strong coaching staff for what will ultimately be a new-looking Tongan team that some English Superliga players are missing, who will play a major international test while competing for places in the World Cup squad.” .