Bennett can deliver a Saints premiership, Lockyer says
Paul Malone | April 03, 2008 12:00am
WAYNE Bennett has a credible chance to win a premiership with St George Illawarra within three years, Darren Lockyer says.
His Broncos skipper Lockyer yesterday ran an eye over the Dragons' playing list, winners once in three rounds under outgoing coach Nathan Brown, and could see how the Bennett stamp would turn the Dragons into a premiership team.
"Guys like Dean Young, Rangi Chase and Jamie Soward are quite young and they will get a lot out of being coached by Wayne," Lockyer said. "He can win in three years and if they do the team might look different than the one that's there at the moment.
"There are four Test players there (Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Ben Hornby and Jason Ryles). Wayne's strength is not only does he get the best out of those players, he brings along these fringe players.
"They have two young halves, who will only get better (Soward and Chase).
"If the halves can improve, it will flow through the team."
The appointment of Bennett three weeks into the season gives the Dragons every chance of recruiting superior off-contract players for his 2009 debut season in Sydney.
"Wayne would look at that team and have in mind a couple of players he can bring in," Lockyer said. "Wayne will get the most out of his players.
"They have a good No. 13 (Young), No. 9 (Simon Woolford) and No. 1 (Hornby). Simon Woolford was a good player at Canberra, but hasn't been as effective at St George.
"That's what Wayne does bring the best out of his players. In the pre-season, how many people looked at the five who have come to the Broncos and thought they'd be playing like they have been?
"Ashton Sims admits he probably was not reaching his potential at the Dragons."
This week's announcements that Bennett and Neil Henry would coach the Dragons and Cowboys in 2009 increased scrutiny of the options for former Warriors coach Daniel Anderson.
Anderson was widely regarded earlier this year as a frontline candidate to coach the Dragons at the end of his current English coaching stint. He has also been reported as one of the coaches Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen was interested in interviewing.
"They (football clubs) generally appoint their No. 1 priority," Anderson's manager Jim Banaghan said last night.
Lockyer said he expected he would be able to play against Melbourne in tomorrow night's clash.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/nrl/story/0,26746,23474595-5003409,00.html
