"There is NRL standard, and then there is Wayne's standard."

The expectation Wayne Bennett sets for his players on and off the field is the reason Petero Civoniceva​ believes the master coach has been so successful over such a long period of time.

Speak to anyone who has played under Bennett or worked alongside him during his 28-year career in charge of Brisbane, St George Illawarra, Newcastle and the Broncos again, and they say the same thing.

"Wayne is big on man-management, standards and accountability," Knights assistant coach Danny Buderus said. "I am pretty sure he has driven those pretty hard wherever he has gone. I don't think too much changes for Wayne."

Darren Lockyer, Bennett's captain the last time Brisbane were in a grand final nine years ago, said he had similar traits to Sir Alex Ferguson, while Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold has met Bennett and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho in a bid to learn more about managing players.

"I guess Wayne is the equivalent in our game, isn't he," Lockyer said. "He is consistently successful. When he got to the Dragons he had almost instant success and he has done it again at the Broncos. I suppose Newcastle was a little bit different but his record over a long period of time speaks for itself."

That record comprises of seven premierships so far in an illustrious coaching career stretching back to Brisbane's first year in the premiership in 1988 – and earlier.

Sydney Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan worked beside Bennett in 1985 when he was the Queensland Rugby League's state coaching director, in charge of development, and the pair were the first two full-time football staff employees at a club which now boasts 25 people directly under his charge.

"Even in those very early days he was a tremendous man-manager," said Canavan, who was the Broncos' inaugural strength and conditioning coach. "He was able to present programs in very simple terms that gave players uncomplicated direction and that allowed players freedom to a certain extent, but his expectations are there.

"He is also close to the most disciplined person I have ever seen. That includes his own time and energy management and that is why he has been able to stay functioning in such a pressure-cooker environment for so long."

Bennett is 65 and after a three-year stint at Newcastle widely considered a failure by his lofty standards, some were beginning to question whether the game had gone past him. The fact the Knights finished last this season and sacked his successor Rick Stone suggest the reason Bennett was unable to replicate the success he achieved at the Broncos and Dragons may have had more to do with the club than the coach.

"That's the million dollar question," Buderus said. "You go through personnel, you go through all sorts of different things ... he probably thinks about it all the time as well.

"I am sure success would have come if he had stayed, he is too good a coach and too good a recruiter. He attracts players to your club who are going to perform."

But what Bennett does best is getting players to perform to the peak of their ability. Under his guidance, Justin Poore became a State of Origin player at St George Illawarra, while he has revived the career of Adam Blair this season after joining Brisbane from Wests Tigers.

Multi-club coach: Wayne Bennett has spent time with the Broncos, St George Illawarra and Newcastle. Photo: Getty Images

​"There is no bullshit with Wayne," Lockyer says. "He is just all about guys being disciplined on the field and being disciplined off the field. He is a man manager and you only have to look at Adam Blair to see that. Everyone talks about Adam Blair's form at the moment and he can take a lot of credit himself but obviously Wayne has played a big part in that. There are only a select few coaches who can find a way to get the best out of every individual in the group."

Civoniceva said Bennett's approach ensured the players knew what was expected of them and took responsibility for their performances. "He is big on culture and making sure players identify and take ownership of what the club stands for," the former Test prop said.

"When you get a whole squad of players believing in that it is pretty powerful because you push one another to get the very best out of each other every time you step on the football field.

"That is a Wayne trait that he just brings to all sides and it is something I always remember as a player. Every time you stepped over that white line there was a standard and when the players take ownership of that they can push each other and get themselves through some really tough moments, which this team has been able to do on many occasions throughout the season.

"I guess when he wasn't at the club you probably lost that identity and a bit of that culture but it just like old days now. He has just walked back in and created it all over it again."

Bennett has a perfect record in grand finals and Buderus said he understood why after witnessing the way he was able to lift teams in big matches when Newcastle beat Melbourne in the 2013 play-offs.

"I really enjoyed his sense of September. He just came alive and started glowing," Buderus said. "He has been in the position plenty of times and he knows how to take the pressure off the players so they just have to perform.

"He values what a person is about and he shows belief in them. I am sure that gives everyone confidence and there is no doubt the squad he has got at the moment has a lot of belief."