Wayne Bennett says there are no hard feelings with Paul White despite revealing the Brisbane CEO spoke to Craig Bellamy about coaching the Broncos without telling him.
Bennett said he encouraged White to talk with the off contract Melbourne mentor about taking over the NRL club's reins.
However the seven-time premiership coach said White was supposed to tell him when he had conducted talks with Bellamy but only found out later through a third party.
White confirmed on Wednesday Bennett would coach Brisbane in 2019 but gave no other guarantees amid speculation the Broncos would offer Bellamy a four year, $5 million-plus deal from 2020.
"I didn't know Craig had been approached. I asked Paul to tell me that," Bennett said.
"But I didn't know that it had happened until someone gave me the tip about seven days ago.
"I was aware he was going to talk to him but I wasn't aware that he had talked to him.
"Someone has obviously spoken. There were three of us at the meeting (about approaching Bellamy) and no one close to me I have talked to."
While annoyed at Brisbane's loose lips, Bennett said he didn't have a problem with White's approach to Bellamy.
"I would have liked to have known but we are all busy people. It would have been nice but it is no big deal," Bennett said.
"When I heard through a third party I went to talk to Paul about it but we are busy and my priority is the team not me.
"That happens in life sometimes. I don't think he did it deliberately."
White said he did not have to defend his approach to Bellamy despite Bennett not knowing.
"I am not going to apologise for doing my job," he said.
"If Craig is off contract and available I am duty bound as a CEO to have a conversation and Wayne encouraged me to do that.
"I have the utmost respect for Wayne. I have known him since I was 18.
"My communication with Wayne is always very open and candid."
White said he "wouldn't rule anything out" on Brisbane's coaching future.
"Craig currently has an offer at Melbourne ... we have to let that process takes its course - at the moment we are not in negotiations," he said.
"I am not ruling anything in or out. Things can change quite quickly but at the moment there are no negotiations taking place (with Bellamy)."
The 68-year-old Bennett - off contract in 2019 - hinted at deciding his long term future early next year.
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