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FOR a man who goes to great lengths to hide the weaknesses of his players, Wayne Bennett has a poor record of exposing them when he's in the opposite colours. St George Illawarra will be buoyed by the fact the seven-time premiership winning coach hasn't enjoyed a lot of success against his former clubs, which dates back to 1989 when he left Canberra for Brisbane.
If there is a weapon missing from Bennett's coaching artillery it is the ability to overcome the players and teams he once led to premiership deciders. During his three-years at St George Illawarra, the Broncos proved to be his Achilles' heel, knocking his Dragons out of the semi finals in 2009 and last year.
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But it wasn't the only success Brisbane had against their former mentor, winning five of their seven clashes in total against Bennett's Dragons in the past three years.
He also suffered a similar hangover when he joined the Broncos from the Raiders more than two decades ago, losing both contests against Canberra in the first two years following his departure from the nation's capital.
Dragons centre Matt Cooper described the opening round showdown as having a Origin-like anticipation around it, but insisted it wouldn't be in the players' minds once the whistle blew.
''For the fans, for everyone else in the game, it's pretty exciting knowing that we're going up against our old coach but us as players, we won't think about it until after the match,'' Cooper said.
Poll: Who will win Thursday's NRL opener?
Knights50%
Dragons50%
Total votes: 2430.
Poll closed 28 Feb, 2012
Disclaimer:
These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.
If there is a weapon missing from Bennett's coaching artillery it is the ability to overcome the players and teams he once led to premiership deciders. During his three-years at St George Illawarra, the Broncos proved to be his Achilles' heel, knocking his Dragons out of the semi finals in 2009 and last year.
Advertisement: Story continues below
But it wasn't the only success Brisbane had against their former mentor, winning five of their seven clashes in total against Bennett's Dragons in the past three years.
He also suffered a similar hangover when he joined the Broncos from the Raiders more than two decades ago, losing both contests against Canberra in the first two years following his departure from the nation's capital.
Dragons centre Matt Cooper described the opening round showdown as having a Origin-like anticipation around it, but insisted it wouldn't be in the players' minds once the whistle blew.
''For the fans, for everyone else in the game, it's pretty exciting knowing that we're going up against our old coach but us as players, we won't think about it until after the match,'' Cooper said.
Poll: Who will win Thursday's NRL opener?
Knights50%
Dragons50%
Total votes: 2430.
Poll closed 28 Feb, 2012
Disclaimer:
These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.
