Wayne Bennett nearly walked away from New Zealand's 2008 World Cup campaign before serving as assistant to head coach Stephen Kearney.
The tournament ended with a major upset: Nathan Cayless' side defeated Australia in the final, despite being $6.25 outsiders.
New Zealand had lost its eight previous Tests against Australia and suffered a heavy defeat to the Kangaroos in the tournament opener.
Cayless linked the team's defiant outlook to the 24-0 Tri-Nations final win over Australia in 2005, when Bennett was coaching the Kangaroos.
"When we won the Tri-Nations in 2005 under Brian McClennan, he brought in the theme of 'Bully the Bully'. So it was back then where we actually had to make a stand and say 'we're not going to be the little brother anymore'," Cayless recalled.