The Rock said:
90%? Not quite. Another one of your great exaggerators. Maybe around 70% is more like it. So in fact, out of their current roster, around 30% of them were recruited under the coaching of Wayne Bennett. That's quite a lot.
Darius Boyd. Michael Weyman. Mark Gasnier. Neville Costigan. Jeremy Smith. Some big names there. Then throw in Luke Priddis who's done an outstanding job while Nathan Fien has been injured. You can also throw Nathan Fien into that list as well.
In fact, 35% of the current squad of 17 that is going to be playing out there on Sunday was recruited under Bennett.
Huge is right. We have lot a bit of aura.
can you confirm that those players wouldnt have gone to St George without Bennett being there?
Boyd? wouldnt have, ill give you that.
Gasnier? he wouldve gone back regardless.
Costigan? im sure he
really wanted to be coached by Bennett again :roll: . he went where the money was. remember, bennetts the guy who kicked him out of a club. wont give you that one.
smith? melbourne couldnt afford to keep him "under the salary cap" ( [icon_lol1. ). he even specifically said that Bennett wasnt a significant factor - "Smith yesterday said Wayne Bennett's arrival as Dragons coach from next season was not a significant factor for him, even though they had struck up a good relationship when Bennett acted as an adviser to the New Zealand team earlier this year." (
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news ... 94450.aspx ). wont give you that.
Priddis? 100% Bennett, ill give that.
Fien? nope, moved to saints for family reasons - "Fien says moving to Wollongong rather than to the bright lights of Sydney appealed as more of a family friendly option." (
http://www.radiosport.co.nz/SportsNews/ ... ?id=157784 )
Weyman? well i havent seen anywhere where bennetts name even came up, only that St Georges offer was and i quote "considerably higher than the Raiders" (
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/lo ... 82961.aspx ). wont give that either.
just because they joined after bennett came doesnt mean they went there because of him. its generally all about the money, or their family. yes we have lost a bit of our aura - noones denying that. but to say that we're not a club that people want to come to anymore is just stupid.
and yes Huge, i was pretty much the only one who backed your call on nutley. it seems you dont remember who i actually am lol.