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Wayne Bennett's message to new followers
By Steve Mascord | November 08, 2008
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,24619646-5006066,00.html
WAYNE Bennett last night introduced himself to the St George Illawarra faithful by saying: "I'm not leaving until we get the job done." Speaking at a fundraiser for St George Cricket Club, the new Dragons coach told 320 guests "second-best is not good enough" and "we can't live in the past".
Interviewed on stage, Bennett also reckoned rugby league had become predictable and "choreographed" as he continued his attack on wrestling in the game.
"I've got a three-year deal but I won't leave after three years if we're getting close to where we want to go," he said as he concluded a 20-minute interview at Hurstville Entertainment Centre.
"If I'm making a contribution, I'm not leaving until we get the job done."
Bennett said he was excited about coaching one of the game's famous clubs but cautioned: "We can't live in the past and that is really important for me to remember - and everybody else who is involved in the club.
"It's 2009 about to roll around."
St George Illawarra have never won a premiership and Saints' last stand-alone title was in 1979.
But Bennett deadpanned: "I haven't been here since '79. I'm just starting now. What happened in the past has happened and I have no control over that.
"At the end of the day if (my effort) is not good enough, I'm not going to walk away with a lot of regrets because I've done as good as I can do."
But he added: "Second best is not good enough any more . . . my other job is to recognise those guys who haven't got that commitment and make sure they don't stay there any more than they have to."
The former Queensland and Australia coach said he expected less media attention than during his 21-year reign in Brisbane.
"It's a nine-team town - not just one," he said. "They won't want a quote from me every day. I'm looking forward to it."
And when asked which rule in the game he would change, he commented: "You get into a scoring position and you see the same patterns, the same formations, regardless if Melbourne are playing, regardless if the Broncos are playing . . . the thing I always liked about the sport . . . is the unpredictability. It wasn't stereotyped, it wasn't choreographed.
"If someone had said five years ago that we are going to choreograph a game of rugby league, I would have laughed at you. But five years on, that's what's happened.
"Players today are very highly skilled - what happens today is they're not allowed to show that skill."
Bennett started off by saying "the most important thing to me is being true to myself."
He joked: "People have been real warm about me coming here as a coach - I just hope they're as warm next year when we're not playing so well!"
And he was careful on most occasions to add the ". . .Illawarra" suffix to the joint-venture's name after rarely uttering it until now.
By Steve Mascord | November 08, 2008
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,24619646-5006066,00.html
WAYNE Bennett last night introduced himself to the St George Illawarra faithful by saying: "I'm not leaving until we get the job done." Speaking at a fundraiser for St George Cricket Club, the new Dragons coach told 320 guests "second-best is not good enough" and "we can't live in the past".
Interviewed on stage, Bennett also reckoned rugby league had become predictable and "choreographed" as he continued his attack on wrestling in the game.
"I've got a three-year deal but I won't leave after three years if we're getting close to where we want to go," he said as he concluded a 20-minute interview at Hurstville Entertainment Centre.
"If I'm making a contribution, I'm not leaving until we get the job done."
Bennett said he was excited about coaching one of the game's famous clubs but cautioned: "We can't live in the past and that is really important for me to remember - and everybody else who is involved in the club.
"It's 2009 about to roll around."
St George Illawarra have never won a premiership and Saints' last stand-alone title was in 1979.
But Bennett deadpanned: "I haven't been here since '79. I'm just starting now. What happened in the past has happened and I have no control over that.
"At the end of the day if (my effort) is not good enough, I'm not going to walk away with a lot of regrets because I've done as good as I can do."
But he added: "Second best is not good enough any more . . . my other job is to recognise those guys who haven't got that commitment and make sure they don't stay there any more than they have to."
The former Queensland and Australia coach said he expected less media attention than during his 21-year reign in Brisbane.
"It's a nine-team town - not just one," he said. "They won't want a quote from me every day. I'm looking forward to it."
And when asked which rule in the game he would change, he commented: "You get into a scoring position and you see the same patterns, the same formations, regardless if Melbourne are playing, regardless if the Broncos are playing . . . the thing I always liked about the sport . . . is the unpredictability. It wasn't stereotyped, it wasn't choreographed.
"If someone had said five years ago that we are going to choreograph a game of rugby league, I would have laughed at you. But five years on, that's what's happened.
"Players today are very highly skilled - what happens today is they're not allowed to show that skill."
Bennett started off by saying "the most important thing to me is being true to myself."
He joked: "People have been real warm about me coming here as a coach - I just hope they're as warm next year when we're not playing so well!"
And he was careful on most occasions to add the ". . .Illawarra" suffix to the joint-venture's name after rarely uttering it until now.
