Dolphins utility Kodi Nikorima played his best football under Wayne Bennett at the Broncos, and credits a harsh lesson from the coach back in 2015 with kickstarting his rugby league career.
The 28-year-old utility has reunited with Bennett at the Dolphins, eight years after being given his NRL debut at Brisbane.
"One thing about Wayne has always stuck with me. At the end of every training session before the 2015 season he would get all the forwards to run straight at me," Nikorima told AAP.
"That's guys like Sammy Thaiday, Adam Blair ... all of them except for Corey Parker.
"It was a mental lesson he was teaching me. I was going to have to do it in a game, so why not start now at training?
"I'd played OK in the trials and he said 'If you are not afraid of getting your body in front of these big boys, you are a chance of being in my 17 every week'."
For the next four seasons Bennett was true to his word and the 174cm Nikorima was one of the first picked either on the bench or at halfback.
Small in size but with a big heart and plenty of skill, Nikorima played 15 Tests for New Zealand on the back of the football he showcased at Brisbane.
In 2022, Nikorima moved from the Warriors to South Sydney mid-year, but then came the seemingly inevitable call.
"The Dolphins had been able to talk to players since November of 2021, but the first phone call I got from Wayne was just after I signed with Souths in mid-year," Nikorima said with a grin.
"Wayne rings and he says, 'Look, the reason I haven't called you until now is that I just assumed you'd come and play for me'. He wasn't wrong. Here I am.
"This is like a homecoming for me at the Dolphins. I grew up 10 minutes from here at Bracken Ridge after we moved over (from New Zealand) when I was 10 years old."
Nikorima is looking forward to another reunion, with former Broncos teammate Anthony Milford also on deck at the Dolphins. The duo forged a fruitful combination in the halves under Bennett at Brisbane.
"We reconnect in January and I am really excited about it," Nikorima said.
"We will have to see how Wayne goes with combinations, but I grew up playing against Milf since I was 14. We played Queensland reps together and then we spent four full seasons together at the Broncos. I can't wait."
