MARK ‘SPUDD’ CARROLL: The day I rejected rugby league’s super coach Wayne Bennett and I still think about it

After more than three decades on the sidelines, the draft is back on the agenda in rugby league.

A committee is looking at whether it’s a good idea for the NRL to introduce a rookie draft or senior player draft.

I don’t like this one bit.

I’m assuming the NRL is thinking a draft will help share the talent around because we’ve only had three different premiers – the Panthers, Storm and Roosters – in the last eight years and no one wants a predictable competition.

They had the same idea when they introduced the draft back in 1991.

It lasted one year before it was thrown out by the High Court.

An old teammate of mine, the late Terry Hill, successfully challenged the system based on restraint of trade because he didn’t want to play for the Roosters, who had drafted him from Souths.

Even though the draft seems to work well in the AFL, the NRL hasn’t gone back down that path and I hope it stays that way.

I reckon the player trading system is working fine, thanks to the salary cap.

Look at the Panthers, the four-time premiership winners.

Since their winning run started in 2021, they’ve been forced to shed a stack of players.

Villiame Kikau, Matt Burton and Stephen Crichton went to the Bulldogs, who were near the bottom of the table at the time.

James Fisher-Harris is joining the Warriors who missed the finals.

Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva have also quit the premiers to play for the Tigers and they’ve won three wooden spoons in a row.

So, why do we even need a draft?

The other thing that worries me is the issue of tanking.

Teams in the AFL have been accused of intentionally losing games, so they finish last and get the best draft picks.

I reckon that’s shocking.

What about the poor fans who are forced to sit through those defeats?

In any sport, there should never be an incentive to lose.

This whole draft issue takes me back to a moment in my career I’ve played over in my head thousands of times.

At the end of 1990 the then NSWRL announced the draft was coming in.

I was playing for the Rabbitohs, who had a stinker of a year, running dead last, and things weren’t looking much better at the start of the ’91 season.

I was at home with my parents when Dad answered the phone.

He turned to me and said, “Mark, get over here – it’s Wayne Bennett!”

“Yeah, right.”

I was still a young bloke, and Bennett was already a huge name in the game. Why would the Brisbane Broncos coach be calling me at home.

Anyway, I eventually took the call and, yes, it was Bennett.

“I want to make you the Broncos’ No.1 choice in the draft,” he said.

I was blown away.

But after a brief chat, I politely told him thanks but no thanks.

I was happy living in Sydney, being around family and friends, and didn’t want to pack up and move to Queensland.

Bennett respected my wishes and then went and made the same offer to Glenn Lazarus.

Big Lazzo went up there and helped them win their maiden premiership in ’92 and become the team of the decade.

That could have been me.

All these years later I still think about that phone call and what might have been.

But as Wayne reminded me when I bumped into him later, I still ended up having a very successful career.

No regrets.

AND ANOTHER THING…

Beware the ambush.

The Kangaroos will feel like they’re in Nuku’alofa (that’s the capital of Tonga) on Sunday when they run on to Commbank Stadium for the Pacific Championships final.

I reckon there will be an absolute sea of Tongan red there to greet the Australian team.

That’s exactly what happened in Auckland last weekend, when Tonga upset the Kiwis 25-24 in an epic clash.

What a brilliant advertisement for international rugby league.

The pre-game challenges and national anthems gave me chills.

James Fisher-Harris led New Zealand’s haka, which included him rolling his eyes back so you couldn’t even see his pupils.

I thought I was watching WWE!

The legendary The Undertaker used to pull the same expression, exposing just the whites of his eyes, when he competed.

The Tongan supporters are so good for the game – where else do you hear footy fans break out into hymns?

It’s bloody beautiful!

Fans aside, Tonga also has a very handy team that could upset the Aussies, like they did five years ago.

In 2019 they beat the Kangaroos in front of an adoring ‘home’ crowd in Auckland.

The atmosphere will be very similar on Sunday afternoon.

Since pulling on the Tongan jersey, Jason Taumololo has found his best form for a few years. Addin Fonua-Blake was sensational up front as well.

Every member of their forward pack tops 100kg so they’ll be a real handful for the Kangaroos.

But I just think Australia will have too much class out wide and will exploit a few weaknesses the Kiwis exposed when they stormed back from 24-nil down.

The Kangaroos will be fresh from a week off and they’re still trying to redeem themselves from losing last year’s final by a record margin.

Australia in a tight one.