Dolphins stand-in captain Mark Nicholls has opened up about the influence Wayne Bennett has had on his career.

Nicholls cemented his career at NRL level with the South Sydney Rabbitohs under Bennett, and now his career is blossoming at the Dolphins.

“Wayne gets to know you outside of footy, understands what makes you tick and then tries to make it as easy as possible for you,” Nicholls said.

“The less footy you talk with him outside of training, the better.

“Before I was coached by Wayne, I was probably a reserve grader to be fair, but Wayne put a bit of belief in me early, that gave me some confidence and from there, I didn’t want to let him down.”

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