The NRL Hall of Fame evening at the SCG has been tainted by more controversy ahead of the event, with master coach Wayne Bennett joining Darryl Brohman in a wild double snub.
Just hours before the dinner, it has come to light that Bennett — who was set to be acknowledged after becoming the first coach (along with Jack Gibson) to be inducted — will not be there.
NRL great Sam Burgess will reportedly accept Bennett’s award on his behalf.
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Brohman is also not attending due to the induction of his bitter rival Les Boyd.
Boyd was banned for nine months in 1983 when he broke Brohman’s jaw with a swinging arm, spoiling the Queenslander’s State of Origin debut.
He also copped a 15-month ban for eye gouging, which came just three games after returning from the Brohman ban.
Brohman later attempted to sue the NSW forward, with the pair reaching an out-of-court settlement.
Brohman said he wanted to go because his mate and legendary commentator Dave Morrow was going to be inducted at the Wednesday night dinner.
“But I’ve thought about it and I just don’t want to make a scene,” he told News Corp.
He also stressed that elevating Boyd was just “blatantly wrong”.
“I don’t care if I never hear from him or see him again and he probably feels the same way,” Brohman told 2GB radio station.
“I’m 68 and I think I know what is right and wrong and this is wrong.
“I don’t think he should be put on a pedestal.”
Les Boyd’s daughter, Alicia, told Brohman to stop “carrying on”.
“The way in which Daryl Brohman feels the need to make everything ever mentioned about my dad (Les Boyd) about him is nothing short of sad really,” Boyd-Willoughby wrote in a lengthy post on social media.
“Over the last forty years, every time Dad’s name is mentioned he manages to bully and harass Dad over an incident that not only occurred forty years ago but that he also got well compensated for and in my opinion is one of the reasons he is so widely known today.
“It was an incident that we as a family are very well aware happened and probably changed the course of our lives if we’re honest, but one incident does not define nor make a person.”
Boyd was one of 11 men’s players appointed to the Hall of Fame last week, alongside modern-day greats Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk, Benji Marshall, Johnathan Thurston, Sam Burgess and Greg Inglis.
In a media release confirming his appointment, the NRL labelled Boyd as one of the game’s hard men.
“Boyd was one of the game’s hard men during one of the toughest eras, in the 1970s and 1980s, representing Australia in 17 Test matches,” the league said.
According to the NRL’s official website, players are considered for the Hall of Fame based on their “outstanding feats on and off the field” through their careers.
The NRL will also name the 14th Immortal on Wednesday night.
Smith, Ron Coote, Darren Lockyer, Brad Fittler and Allan Langer are the names in the mix for that prestigious honour, with Smith considered the hot favourite.
The NRL has not had an Immortal since 2018.