Sean O'Sullivan reveals what Wayne Bennett is really like behind closed doors

Sean O'Sullivan has shed some light on what it's like working with rugby league royalty Wayne Bennett.

In their very first game as an NRL franchise, the Dolphins upset the odds and defeated the Sydney Roosters 28-18 in what'll be remembered as a historic victory.

For many, including us, it came as a surprise.

But who are we kidding, when you've got arguably one of the greatest of all-time calling the shots from the coaches box, surely it was written in the stars that the Dolphins were going to win.

In the wake of their Round 1 victory, halfback O'Sullivan has opened up on what Bennett is really like behind closed doors.

"It's unbelievable working with him," O'Sullivan told SPORTbible Australia.

"Every time I talk about him I just get a big smile on my face.

"He cares so, so much about his players. He's really hands-on and wants you to get better with every single training session or game – there's no better mentor.

"Everyone at the Dolphins is extremely lucky and grateful to call him our coach."

Supplied/NRL

During his time with the Penrith Panthers, O'Sullivan watched the team win an NRL premiership under the watchful eye of Ivan Cleary.

With Bennett being 73 years of age and Cleary being 52, it's safe to say they're from different coaching generations – but that doesn't necesarrily mean they're totally different in their methods.

"Wayne and Ivan have a lot of similar traits," O'Sullivan added.

"They both have a really relaxing environment where you enjoy coming to training. They build a culture where you work hard but you also enjoy each other's company.

"Obviously with football there's going to be differences because not everyone plays the same way, but a lot of the main things they implement are very similar. You can see that by the fact they're both very successful and players love playing for them."

Supplied/NRL

With the Roosters being red hot favourites to win a premiership this year, not many expected the Dolphins to come out on top in the club's very first NRL game.

Incredibly, though, they stormed to an emphatic victory which O'Sullivan hopes the team can build momentum from.

"The moments after that victory was one of the happiest I've ever been," he said.

"It was unbelievable. When you signed that contract to join the Dolphins, you kind of envisioned what that first game would look like – you imagine 35,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium coming alive. So to get a win was amazing, I think a lot of boys got a boost in confidence from that.

"Good teams back it up, so now the key for us is to continue trying to get better every single day at training before bringing it out on the weekends."

You can watch all of the Queensland games live & exclusive on Kayo Sports.

Topics: NRL, Rugby League

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry