Wayne Bennett Interview

[Bring back choc]

Very good, in depth interview by 2SM. Check it out while it's still online.

http://www.2sm.com.au/ts.html

 

[captain]

Excellent interview! Very insightful - especially the comment about what the fans want to see...i.e. the local product.....are you listening Gallop - you wanker!

 

[Bring back choc]

There's 2 parts to the interview... make sure you get em both!

Great stuff. Dont get to here him talk this much...EVER!

 

[captain]

Yeah - I listened to both of them...great stuff!

 

[Dragons08]

This is my first post since we moved over from the old MSN forum and I enjoyed the interview but it has not left me with any major positives for next season.

It's been stated on other threads that we have no X factor and this is very true. We have learnt how to be consistent, we have learnt to play for 80 mins and grind out a win, but is that enough come finals time.

Bennett said we are done signing anyone else, I am not confident that we have any young superstars ready to make the grade. So can we win it next year. I have no doubt we will feature in the playoffs but we really lack in attack.

Hornby is a great player but he is not the halfback we need, I don't feel that Henry is ready. Without a great halfback we really need an player like Inglis or Hayne. Someone who can score from nothing. I guess all I can do is hope that someone like Tagive can become that sort of player. Alot of people have big wraps on him, but he is very injury prone and really has not proven himself in first grade.

I am also surprised that Boyd failed to really offer anything in attack, I guess he is better suited to a wing position.

It will be interesting to see what happens next year, either Bennett is hoping to play very similar next year and hopefully we learn from this year or Bennett has something up his sleeve, but is keeping it close to his chest at the moment.

I do believe we really need to work on our attack more. I think our defense was great for the majority of the season with the exception of a few periods here and there. But I still feel we really do not have the team to win the competition. I hope that I am proven wrong.

 

[Bring back choc]

look, a lot of what you have said has been covered in other threads....but you make some very good points. I do agree there are issues and IMO they stem from poor retention policies. I think we have tended to look too favourably on certain players in recent times which has cost us dearly. We did however recruit well last year... Smith, Boyd, Costigan and Fien. All handy buys. The problem is we ignored the major problem areas for too long which has meant we have been forced to purchase stop gap players and not top quality players in key positions. You say henry is not ready... well Mortimer got a chance, Pearce got a chance.... i think henry will not play first grade next year, but i think he deserves his chance. Boyd is a quality player and could be better utilised. I think he will be next year. Dummy half remains an issue, centre remains a big issue as does our bench.... very little impact IMO.
But we will learn from this year. I just wish we had some punch. Soward and morris can't do it all alone.

 

[Godz Illa]

What a difference a year makes. This time last year we were full of optimism after limping into 7th place, being hammered by Manly, losing two of our most experience and accomplished players, and pinning virtually all our hopes on Soward, who was still a fringe first grader. 12 months later, with a minor premiership under our belt, a few more Origin forwards, the league's top tryscorer, and Soward a Dally M/Provan-Summons medallist, we're full of negativity. Funny sh*t

 

[Bring back choc]

Godz, it's our inability to go to the next level. We have 30 years to prove it. All those things you mentioned are fantastic. Thoroughly deserved. But there have to be questions asked, and questions answered if we are to win a bloody comp. We won the premiership. We have the best coach in the land. But yet we bombed out of the finals in "straight sets". Why? What are your reasons...thoughts... were we simply not good enough? Outplayed? Our coached? I think most people are optimistic on here. You are confusing negativity for passion and the will to want to do better. Thats all.
I would love to hear your thoughts on our demise though... please share.

 

[Godz Illa]

There's no great science to it, as much as we might enjoy scouring for scapegoats, postulating theorems and formulating equations. We were 5-10% below our best and the teams we met were at their best.

Perspective is all that's needed. Consider the rate of improvement of the side within 12 months. Consider the scope for further improvement over the next 12 months - if you think there is none then, I guess we have no hope. If you think there is, say 5-10%, jump on the bandwagon nice and early

 

[saintpaddy19]

In the first part of the interview I heard "with what I had to work with"
Bennett is a legend coach BUT "with what I had to work with" worries me
He picked his buys and they did not deliver when it counted.
So what next. I'll be watching, And I'm not knocking, this year it did not quite happen, bring on 2010 and plan B
" In Wayne We Trust "

​

​

 

[Bring back choc]

There's no great science to it, as much as we might enjoy scouring for scapegoats, postulating theorems and formulating equations. We were 5-10% below our best and the teams we met were at their best.

Perspective is all that's needed. Consider the rate of improvement of the side within 12 months. Consider the scope for further improvement over the next 12 months - if you think there is none then, I guess we have no hope. If you think there is, say 5-10%, jump on the bandwagon nice and early

I agree perspective is important... its also important to be a realist. I think there is improvement in us. I think we probably over achieved this year which could have fooled a few people. I think we should have beaten Parra, but brisbane taught us a lesson and i think melb would have as well. Why? because they have better players than us. Simple. This is why i think we could have thought a bit more before re-signing certain players that have been with is for a while. I will be interested to see what we can do better to further. Our squad is weaker than 09 as well.

 

[rasaint]

After years of reading this forum here is my 1st reply. I am a life long dragon supporter, born and breed in Sans Souci. Marist Kogarah boy. This season was a fantastic effort by the club, coach and players. My concern is similar to others for next year. We need that out of the box Inglis / Slater type and a power forward. I reckon we had one in Mick Paea. I was extra suprised that he was let go to the dogs. Ar well we just have to trust the coach and staff, but I am concerned for next year.

 

[Godz Illa]

brisbane taught us a lesson and i think melb would have as well. Why? because they have better players than us. Simple.

Not so simple. We beat both of those teams in 09 (and both 13+).
You'll reply something like... "meaningless games, they were nowhere near their best" etc etc...
It's in the eye of the beholder, but imo they were both pretty close. Brisbane rd 4 were red hot - comp favourites, undefeated and at home. Melbourne rd 21 were close to full strength and played damn well, the best they had played up to that point - we were coming off a short turnaround, the trip from NZ and we had players out.

Our squad is weaker than 09 as well.

Is it? Because we lost your man crush Mickey Paea? lol. Justin Poore, good player, but not irreplaceable, especially with the crop of frontrowers we have on board. He was our number 2 prop anyway. Hunt, Saffy, Green did an admirable temp job filling in for him in 09, next year they'll have Greenfield, Merrin and maybe Prior, Wakeman and Hancock to tussle with for the permanent gig.
Chase Stanley, is definitely a major loss and we will miss him - but yet again you'll find many people that disagree with that assumption and suggest he's lazy, slow and overrated . Worth noting he was a second stringer for us and only played a handful of games in 09. Tagive is a talented player, big and fast, and Bennett obviously is taken with him. Worth being, at the very least, optimistic about.

From an individual point of view, a large number of players in the squad will start 2010 as better players than at the start of 09, and from a holistic point of view, the squad itself will be a tighter, seasoned outfit.

 

[STG-Dragon]

This is my first post since we moved over from the old MSN forum and I enjoyed the interview but it has not left me with any major positives for next season.

It's been stated on other threads that we have no X factor and this is very true. We have learnt how to be consistent, we have learnt to play for 80 mins and grind out a win, but is that enough come finals time.

Bennett said we are done signing anyone else, I am not confident that we have any young superstars ready to make the grade. So can we win it next year. I have no doubt we will feature in the playoffs but we really lack in attack.

Hornby is a great player but he is not the halfback we need, I don't feel that Henry is ready. Without a great halfback we really need an player like Inglis or Hayne. Someone who can score from nothing. I guess all I can do is hope that someone like Tagive can become that sort of player. Alot of people have big wraps on him, but he is very injury prone and really has not proven himself in first grade.

I am also surprised that Boyd failed to really offer anything in attack, I guess he is better suited to a wing position.

It will be interesting to see what happens next year, either Bennett is hoping to play very similar next year and hopefully we learn from this year or Bennett has something up his sleeve, but is keeping it close to his chest at the moment.

I do believe we really need to work on our attack more. I think our defense was great for the majority of the season with the exception of a few periods here and there. But I still feel we really do not have the team to win the competition. I hope that I am proven wrong.

look, a lot of what you have said has been covered in other threads....but you make some very good points. I do agree there are issues and IMO they stem from poor retention policies. I think we have tended to look too favourably on certain players in recent times which has cost us dearly. We did however recruit well last year... Smith, Boyd, Costigan and Fien. All handy buys. The problem is we ignored the major problem areas for too long which has meant we have been forced to purchase stop gap players and not top quality players in key positions. You say henry is not ready... well Mortimer got a chance, Pearce got a chance.... i think henry will not play first grade next year, but i think he deserves his chance. Boyd is a quality player and could be better utilised. I think he will be next year. Dummy half remains an issue, centre remains a big issue as does our bench.... very little impact IMO.
But we will learn from this year. I just wish we had some punch. Soward and morris can't do it all alone.

Godz, it's our inability to go to the next level. We have 30 years to prove it. All those things you mentioned are fantastic. Thoroughly deserved. But there have to be questions asked, and questions answered if we are to win a bloody comp. We won the premiership. We have the best coach in the land. But yet we bombed out of the finals in "straight sets". Why? What are your reasons...thoughts... were we simply not good enough? Outplayed? Our coached? I think most people are optimistic on here. You are confusing negativity for passion and the will to want to do better. Thats all.
I would love to hear your thoughts on our demise though... please share.

I agree perspective is important... its also important to be a realist. I think there is improvement in us. I think we probably over achieved this year which could have fooled a few people. I think we should have beaten Parra, but brisbane taught us a lesson and i think melb would have as well. Why? because they have better players than us. Simple. This is why i think we could have thought a bit more before re-signing certain players that have been with is for a while. I will be interested to see what we can do better to further. Our squad is weaker than 09 as well.

I AGREE 100% with the above we are missing that x factor and I believe we made some mistakes in our re signings. I have always believed you need a good mix of local talent and talent brought in from other clubs. We did this, this season and look at our improvement why stop there? We still have holes, our team needs to fix our No9 and prob No7 and our fullback and centre's need to change, the amount of points coming from those 2 main attacking positions was PATHETIC and was prob the main reason for our finals demise.

On that interview, it was great! Wayne is a very intelligent man we are in the best hands possible. However I am concerned with his believe in our players abilities, he comes across as though they are limited in what they are capable of and that bothers me immensely, maybe he has some big names in line for 2011.

I believe we have a bit of talent at our disposal but they are playing in the wrong positions if we make some changes we can improve quite a bit on this season but a big buy in a crucial position would be great also.

 

[Godz Illa]

I have always believed you need a good mix of local talent and talent brought in from other clubs. We did this, this season and look at our improvement why stop there?

Have I missed something? When has it stopped? If anything we've gone further away from relying on local talent - we've released 2 local juniors and brought in outsiders to replace them.

 

[LOYAL DRAGON]

the Penny has Droped

 

[MattYg1]

Great interview and honestly guys this is a great thread...

Wayne answered a lot of the questions and concerns that we put forth on this forum everyday in that interview...

He has a very specific plan with what he wanted to do with the Dragons and if that includes not buying to many people on the market then so be it... I am willing to go with the man not based on his past victories and successes BUT because he is a great man irrespective of Rugby League.

Personally part 2 of that interview gave me the impression that the reason he came to the Dragons was to turn the club back into a GREAT SYDNEY club...

He gives a sh!t about this great game of ours and knows that something needs to be done...

2009 was a great season for us and the NRL and 2010 will be even better for the game... and for us... I have no doubts about that at all...

 

[Slippery Morris]

Wayne is a great man to listen. I totally agree with the part about the finalising of the roster business. He states that this should be the time (end of the season) when you finalise your roster and go to the player market for next season not midway through the current season. It gives us fans something to look forward to in the off season. Now the offseason is more boring that it ever se to be.

I hate this time of year........

I hope Benny makes a play for Thurston next season. If the Saints can get him to play on the back of our good forwards then a Premiership will be theirs for the taking imo. Relying on teams to make mistakes as their only form of attack didn't get them far in the finals.

1 question I have for Benny was after the Eels game when the Dragons won 37-0, in the post match interview he said "You have seen nothing yet", which had me salivating. I expected these freakish attacking plays to come out in the Finals series yet what we saw was no different to what they showed in weeks 1-26? Did he have something up his sleeve for the finals yet the players could not execute it during the finals? Or was it just a load of BS to get the opposition scared? I would say the latter. I hope he doesn't pull that trick off again. If so I won't expect much.

 

[Dragon_psa]

There's no great science to it, as much as we might enjoy scouring for scapegoats, postulating theorems and formulating equations. We were 5-10% below our best and the teams we met were at their best.

Perspective is all that's needed. Consider the rate of improvement of the side within 12 months. Consider the scope for further improvement over the next 12 months - if you think there is none then, I guess we have no hope. If you think there is, say 5-10%, jump on the bandwagon nice and early

As per usual, perfect common sense. I really could give you a big man hug right now, Godz.

 

[Godz Illa]

Sneak hug!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9ukBfS2XUU