Wayne Bennett defends the ageing roster he's assembled at Newcastle Knights
By Phil Rothfield
The Daily Telegraph
June 12, 2013
Wayne Bennett promised to build a premiership-winning outfit at Newcastle Knights.
Instead he's come up with a retirement village, spending a large portion of the club salary cap on players almost closer to getting a pension than their peak footy years.
This week's signing of 35-year-old Craig Gower - plus the revelation the club is talking to 32-year-old Clint Newton for next year - leaves them with one of the oldest rosters in history.
Gower will become the ninth player over the age of 30 that Bennett has used this season.This compares to the more successful clubs like Sydney Roosters (two), Melbourne Storm (two) and South Sydney Rabbitohs (four). Even Manly, with their ageing roster, have used only five.
The average of the Knights side with all the oldest players in the team has reached 30. That compares to the average age of premiership-winning sides over the last 10 years ranging between 24 and 26.
Newton has become the latest player at Penrith to be told his services are not required for next season and has been linked to a return to the Knights.
Bennett admits age has little or no bearing on his recruitment strategy.
"At the end of the day we're judged on results and we'll see how we're placed at the end of the year," he said.
"The age part doesn't worry me - it's not a factor."
However Roosters medico Dr John Orchard says there is clear evidence in many sports of increased injuries for athletes over 30.
"It's certainly the case from statistical evidence in cricket, AFL and Olympic sports," Dr Orchard said.
That evidence is backed up by the fact the Knights have had serious injury problems with both Kurt Gidley and Danny Buderus, since his return to the club. Other oldies Timana Tahu, Anthony Quinn and Matt Hilder have also spent time on the sidelines this year.
Compare their injury record to the Sydney Roosters, who have the youngest squad in the competition with an average age of 23.9.
"We've had our best run with injuries for years," Dr Orchard said of the Roosters.
Still, Bennett was quick to defend the signing of Gower, who had his first training run with the Knights yesterday.
"It's a short-term deal because I've got Kurt Gidley out for six to eight weeks," he told me last week.
"And I haven't had Danny Buderus all year. If I lose one of my halves at the moment, I've got no back-up. I'm taking out an insurance policy.
"Outside of Kurt, we don't have anyone else to play half or five-eighth. I looked at the risk factor and thought it would be a bigger risk if we didn't have a half-back."
Gower wasn't named yesterday in Bennett's 18-man squad to take on the Storm at AAMI Park on Sunday, but says he's ready to play if called upon. But he was blunt in where he wanted to play in Bennett's team.
"My hooker days are over. I'd rather play halfback but we'll wait and see," Gower said.
In fairness, not all the old boys are struggling. Willie Mason, in fact, is playing so well he almost made the NSW State of Origin team.
The Knights have been arguably the premiership's most inconsistent team since the start of the season.
They could struggle to make the finals with only five home games left and having to play Melbourne Storm twice.
They started the season as $13 premiership chances with the TAB, but have drifted to $26 at the halfway point.
Last week against St George Illawarra he coached his 670th first-grade game, breaking Tim Sheens' all-time record.
