By STEVE MASCORD
ENGLAND assistant coach Denis Betts says Wayne Bennett will not quit over the cancellation of a pre-season training camp in Dubai.
The English preparation for next year’s World Cup in the southern hemisphere was buffeted last week when the Rugby Football League announced it was canning a planned two week gathering of players in the UAE.
The concerns of Super League clubs were given as a reason. Former Great Britain prop Andy Platt predicted Bennett may quit over the decision.
“I don’t think so,” Widnes coach Betts told rugbyleaguehub.com.
“I don’t think he will. I think wants to do the World Cup, I think he’s excited by the potential. He’s fully committed.
“Whether that changes … I’ve spent six or seven weeks with him. I’d have a feeling for it. He’s a bloke that wants to win and wants to be competitive. If somebody puts and obstacle in his way, he’s going to climb over it.
“I think he was excited by what he saw. There’s a number of things we need to do better.
“I think he’s seen enough in the group to think we are going to have realistic chance.”
Betts believes the camp was a good idea despite the disruption to the pre-season, the absence of NRL players and the fact the sport of rugby league is illegal in Dubai.
“I think it’s a bit of a shame, really,” he said. “Wayne just wanted to do something different. He wanted to get that top group back together again … soon after.(continued below)
“It was always going to be a tough ask logistically. It’s hard work because there are a number of players who would come from a small number of clubs. It could have been a tough month for those lads.
“It takes a lot of work and a lot of understanding to put these things in place.”
Despite winning only one game in the Four Nations, Betts agrees the portents are good for the tournament in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea next southern spring.
“We were one point out in the first game with a couple of errors with the ball, which we need to tidy up. The difference again was that (Shaun) Johnson was just a little bit special that day. He’s one of the best players in the world.
“We lose to Australia. For 25 or 30 minutes, it was a Test match. It was pretty tough. It was backwards and forwards. Again, a couple of errors from some fellas who are early in their international careers….
“The spine of our team, through our halves to our fullback have maybe got 12 Tests compared to maybe 100 Tests with Australia.”
