It was as if the planets had aligned. The NRL One Community Program, the Warwick flood recovery, and the desire of a man who has never and will never forget his roots combined last Saturday when Wayne Bennett and the St George Illawarra Dragons renewed an association between that club and Warwick rugby league and the community that dates back to 1948.
Wayne Bennett proudly wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to his association with the Allora and Warwick communities and he said, while his life circumstances may have changed over the years, his “love of the community spirit remains unchanged”.
Speaking after the Warwick/Oakey game, Bennett said:, “I am proud to be able to bring the St George players here today, given the allegiance the club (Warwick) had with St George in the early days. This is a great opportunity for the club and players to put something back into the community. There is, after all, a lot of history between St George and Warwick.”
Bennett, his players and the mercurial Wendell Sailor, were besieged by children and the not so young admirers chasing autographs and a chat.
The Dragons players mingled with the large crowd before heading out to conduct skills training sessions with the juniors.
Watching on from the sidelines as the juniors completed drills, it was difficult to pick who was having the most fun; those tough NRL A-graders or the children.
Bennett and Wendell Sailor returned later in the evening, lending a hand with an auction of Dragons memorabilia.
The pair then took over the microphone for an informal Q & A session, with Sailor leading Bennett through a snapshot of his career; from playing Under 18 for Warwick and District at the tender age of 14, through to the present and his time at the Dragons.
Bennett paid tribute to Sailor who played both league and union at the highest levels. He said Sailor’s commitment to rugby league when he returned to the game as a 34-year-old was tremendous.
Bennett also acknowledged that Sailor made his arrival at the Dragons an easy one.
He also told how he initially rejected the brash and cocky youngster determined to become a Bronco, suggesting he should probably try out for, ironically, Illawarra. History shows that he (Sailor) was unsuccessful there but caught the eye of Broncos master recruiter Cyril Connell (another with a Warwick connection) who convinced a tentative Bennett to sign Sailor and give him “a go” and the rest, as they say, is history.
There’s an easy banter between the pair that is born out of mutual respect. When Sailor quizzed his former mentor on why he had never been invited to help out at Bennett’s property, given he is, after all, a country boy at heart, Bennett was quick to respond and, with a wry smile said, “Wendell you wouldn’t know the difference between a cow and a horse.”
Bennett had a strong message for any young people in the audience saying you don’t necessarily need special qualities to be successful.
“I wanted to find out what I could be in rugby league and as a police officer. Success is not about being better than someone else. Be the best ‘you’ can be. Make a commitment and have the courage to follow your dreams,” he said.
Wrapping up what was a most successful day, Bennett said that there were plans in the pipeline for follow-up visits from the Dragons and talk of a Legends game sometime in the near future.
He said his players had got a lot out of their visit.
On a more personal note, Bennett said, “My grassroots are in Warwick. I hope I have made Warwick proud.”
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