Without question. 

Of course he would consult with Peter Doust, or Craig Young, or Ben Hornby. 

But it was Wayne’s world – and he delivered St George Illawarra a premiership.

The room sat in silence and awe the night he made a speech at the 2010 presentation, in the satisfied afterglow of NRL glory.

So given Bennett’s career habit of dictating terms, it’s extraordinary that Brisbane are now facing a likely decision on his future at the end of the year, if Craig Bellamy is to be his successor. 

Bennett this week claimed he would see out his contract until the end of next year, but Bellamy is yet to re-commit to Melbourne and would otherwise face a season on the sidelines waiting to replace him. Unless Bellamy decides to stay at the Storm, something has to give. 

Of course, a coach of 800-plus elite games and seven premierships (including Super League) deserves to go out on his own terms. 

With fanfare and a lap of honour, maybe a street parade, though it hardly seems Wayne’s style. 

Bellamy has for sometime questioned his future, after seeing Melbourne through the darkest of salary cap scandals and all the emotional turmoil and baggage which comes with it. 

Anything other than an amicable handover could cause the kind of shockwaves Bennett did a decade ago when he left Brisbane.

Remember, he was supposed to be going to the Roosters, until the deal was revealed and Bennett called it all off. Dragons fans will be eternally grateful to Bennett for ending their premiership heartbreak.

After three years he walked, in the hope of repeating the process at the Knights, only for it to all unravel. Ivan Henjak, Anthony Griffin and Rick Stone have all felt the ripple effect.

In Griffin’s case, he eventually landed on his feet and despite murmurs about problems with the playing group at Penrith early this season, they’re now the closest challengers to the Dragons’ hold on top spot on the NRL ladder. 

When Bennett indicated he wanted a return to St George Illawarra in 2014, it showed the Kogarah and Illawarra faultlines that still remain at the club. 

Illawarra types were keen to back then reluctant caretaker Paul McGregor, as director Sean O’Connor publicly stated to colleague Mitch Jennings at the time. 

McGregor is justifying the faith, now recruitment man Ian Millward has sorted out the salary cap mess and landed one of Bennett’s former troops in Ben Hunt. 

Can you imagine if the Dragons were struggling, after their spectacular flame-out last year?

The frenzy of a Bennett final fling would have begun in earnest. 

Surely even with Bennett’s record, any NRL club would baulk at signing him as a coach close to 70, when so many of his prodigies and the prodigies of his prodigies, are proving themselves.

Bennett’s ability to dictate his own terms will be tested like never before.