Australia coach Mal Meninga has accused England boss Wayne Bennett of trying to undermine him in a remarkable Brisbane newspaper column.
A week after saying upon his arrival in England for the Four Nations that Bennett "wants my job", Meninga has written in the Courier-Mail a detailed account of their fractured relationship.
"It does annoy me that he is in the background chipping away, trying to undermine my authority and my position with the Australian Rugby League," Meninga wrote.
"Maybe it is just a tactical ploy, hoping if he gets under my skin then I will take my focus off the job at hand. It's not working.
"When Wayne says he doesn't want my job, or that we are friends who will embrace after a game, it is just not true.
"I'm a man of my own convictions. I'm not looking for approval from Wayne, nor am I trying to impress him. He's not my mentor. I don't care what he thinks about the job that I do or the results I achieve.
"I don't think he rates me as a coach, but that's OK."
