Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett says he still hates Golden Point, despite winning a thrilling overtime match against the Warriors that put his team back in the top eight on Sunday.
Bennett has long been critical of the NRL’s decision to introduce golden point in 2003 rather than having teams share competition points.
The Dolphins have played three golden point games this season, losing the first two – to the Raiders and Panthers – and Bennett was furious after both losses, especially the last one.
The 74-year-old was asked after Sunday’s win if he still hated Golden Point and the seven-time championship-winning coach did not hesitate.
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“Yes, I do,” Bennett said.
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“If you got a point for a draw, we would be one point ahead of where we are now.
“For me, it’s disappointing that both teams tried very hard today. And when you get to this point, both teams played with great effort and there was no reward (for either team). And this is all based on a dropout, because 90 percent of overtime results are due to dropouts.
“I know the fans are excited, but I also know the losing teams are not excited.”
The Dolphins’ much-maligned halfback, O’Sullivan, was only allowed to play six games in 2024, but proved to be a hero despite his move.
Bennett was asked about the game-winning field goal in the 82nd minute and the veteran coach said he just knew he had to bring his versatility into the game.
“He had a lot of time on the bench to think about it, didn’t he? No, it was a great moment and I’m just glad I brought him in. I just knew he would bring something,” Bennett said.
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“In that situation where both teams are trying to score in a six-man set, and I just thought he was a halfback, a connector, even though I had him as a hooker when he went out on the field … I just knew I had to get him out on the field.
“We had a bit of luck today that we probably lack in situations like this. This was our third golden point game this year and we lost the other two, but we got this win.”
The win puts the Dolphins back in the top eight and means they have their fate in their own hands in the final round before facing the Bulldogs, Storm, Broncos and Knights to conclude the regular season.
“Yeah, that’s a reason to celebrate, isn’t it,” Bennett said.
“We have a tough month ahead of us, but we are in a good situation and that’s why we’re playing (the final).”
“We’ve played every team now and held our own against every team. So if we can just pull ourselves together a little bit and make sure we get better and not worse, everything will be fine.”
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