For Gareth Widdop and Dragons fans, new recruit Mike Martin may be best signing of 2017
DAVID RICCIO, CHIEF SPORTS WRITER, The Daily Telegraph
February 26, 2017 5:00am
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HE’S spent the past decade tapping into the toughest minds in Australian sport.
The Australian cricket team, Wallabies, Carlton FC, Melbourne Storm and the all-conquering Queensland State of Origin team.
Now Victorian-based leadership expert and mind guru, Mike Martin, has accepted perhaps his toughest assignment of all, instilling a new culture of confidence and belief into St George Illawarra’s 2017 leadership group.
Dragons captain Gareth Widdop has revealed how his relationship with Martin extending back to 2010 while playing with the Storm, was a catalyst in his arrival at the Dragons before the upcoming season.
“Because I had worked with him at Melbourne, I gave my opinion (to Dragons management) on my previous dealings with him,’’ Widdop said.
“I said he was good for me when I was younger and how he was really good for the group.
“I was overseas (2016 Four Nations) last year when he was brought in and it all happened, so it was great to come back and find out that he was coming up to help the club.’’
Gareth Widdop knows full well the benefits Mike Martin brings to Dragons. Picture: Brett Costello
Widdop, 27, described Martin as an imperative member of the squad.
The English international, who was appointed team skipper last year, with Ben Creagh acting as club captain, felt the Dragons needed help in designing a leadership structure, but also cultivating new leaders within the squad.
“We didn’t have much of a leadership group last year,’’ Widdop said.
“We had Benny Creagh, who didn’t play any time and then Benji was unlucky with injury. They were our most experienced players and they weren’t playing and now they’re no longer playing with us.
“So at times through the year, you end up worrying about everyone else before yourself and I was guilty of that.
“That’s probably a learning curve. He’s (Martin) been great because like I said, last year we didn’t have a leadership structure in place.
“Whereas this year, Mick Martin has come on board, he’s come in and put together a leadership group and worked with us on becoming better leaders and better men each and every day.’’
Billy Slater and Melbourne Storm benefited from Mike Martin’s work.
Despite being based in Geelong, Martin is in continual contact with Widdop and leadership group members Josh Dugan, Russell Packer, Jack De Belin, Tyson Frizell, Tariq Sims and Tyrone McCarthy.
“We try and catch up as often as we can, just to stay on top of things and making sure we’re improving,’’ Widdop said.
“It’s quite frequent and every few weeks he’s up and sometimes it’s five minutes and sometimes it’s half an hour.
“We’ll certainly be better for it and that’s just another work in progress. The more we do, the better we’ll become.’’
Martin, who once described Craig Bellamy as the best coach he’s ever worked with, has an extensive knowledge of the NRL having worked with the Storm and more recently the Queensland State of Origin team and coaching staff, as well as with the Emerging Maroons.
Mike Martin has also worked with the Queensland State of Origin team.
Dragons coach Paul McGregor said Martin’s influence was also about creating a system that is sustainable.
“It’s not just about this current leadership group, but its also the education of our future leaders beneath,” McGregor said.
“With his experience he’s working hard to improve the ‘now’ and for the future of the Dragons and what we want to be and where we want to get to.
“It’s not going to happen quickly, nothing of quality does happen quickly.
“One thing we learnt from last year is that we needed to put more support around our captain and that’s why I’m so focused on making a change in the space.’’
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/for-gareth-widdop-and-dragons-fans-new-recruit-mike-martin-may-be-best-signing-of-2017/news-story/6cd51e4d9bd2c1f3ec13245079480dbf
