Bennett still has passion to win

Wayne Bennett ... still retains hunger for coaching despite long tenure at the top. Source:AAP

Sir Alex Ferguson may be pulling the pin at Manchester United, but his NRL equivalent Wayne Bennett is not ready to walk away from coaching anytime soon.

Two great coaching minds met in 2005 when Ferguson and Bennett caught up briefly at Old Trafford during Australia's Four Nations tour.

		W	L	D	B	PD	Pts
1	Storm	7	1	0	0	79	14
2	Rabbitohs	7	1	0	0	54	14
3	Roosters	6	2	0	0	126	12
4	Sea Eagles	6	2	0	0	83	12
5	Knights	5	3	0	0	66	10
6	Titans	4	4	0	0	15	8
7	Broncos	4	4	0	0	12	8
8	Cowboys	4	4	0	0	10	8
9	Raiders	4	4	0	0	-69	8
10	Bulldogs	3	5	0	0	-17	6
11	Sharks	3	5	0	0	-18	6
12	Dragons	3	5	0	0	-62	6
13	Panthers	2	6	0	0	-42	4
14	Warriors	2	6	0	0	-69	4
15	Eels	2	6	0	0	-72	4
16	Tigers	2	6	0	0	-96	4

Ferguson, who announced his impending retirement on Wednesday at age 71, is the most successful manager in English football, steering United to 13 Barclays Premier League titles during a remarkable 26-year reign.

In NRL circles only Bennett can match Sir Alex's gravitas, presiding over six premierships in 21 seasons at the Broncos before clinching a seventh at St George Illawarra in 2010.

Now rebuilding Newcastle, Bennett, 63, is eight years Ferguson's junior and his son-in-law, former Queensland Origin utility Ben Ikin, insists the master coach has more to give.

"He still has the desire. He loves coaching," Ikin said.

"I drove him home to Brisbane after Newcastle's game against the Titans (two weeks ago) and he blurted out at one point, 'Geez, I love coaching'."

Ikin said Bennett's home library, packed with sporting biographies, was a window to his soul.

"I know Wayne has a few soccer books but there's one in particular, Alex Ferguson did a book with Bill Shankly (Liverpool coaching legend)," Ikin said.

"I heard Wayne talk about Sir Alex and (Shankly) and said he saw a bit of himself in both coaches."

Former Broncos and Test skipper Darren Lockyer recalls travelling with Bennett to meet Ferguson.

"They are very similar personalities, they are both people who like to listen more than talk," Lockyer said.

"Sir Alex was a nice enough person to interact with him.

"When I was a bit younger you don't appreciate the standing Sir Alex has, to have success in one of the most high-profile competitions in the world shows he is just driven."

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