England coach admits he hasn’t watched Kangaroos!
AUSTRALIA might be strong favourites to win Saturday’s World Cup final, but England coach Wayne Bennett insists he has no special plans for the reigning champions. The Kangaroos have not been beaten for two years but Bennett, who is from Queensland, said: ‘I haven’t really seen Australia play at all. I know more about them than they probably think.’ However, he knows the Kangaroos provide the toughest possible test for his England side. ‘Australia have not been beaten for two years,’ he said. ‘They’re pretty formidable but we’re here and we’ve got the right to be here.’ When asked if his side, who will wait on the fitness of captain Sean O’Loughlin, could pull off one of the great upsets, the 67-year-old was his usual forthright self. ‘We’ll have to be very good. It’s a challenge,’ he said. Bennett went on to hail his players, adding: ‘You don’t know how good they are as people. They are the best I’ve been with, a really good group of blokes.’ And while he may have started talking like an Englishman, Bennett will not be singing the national anthem when his side take on his native Australia. Bennett admitted that he has begun to sound more Bradford than Brisbane. However, it is a step too far to expect him to belt out God Save the Queen in his home state. ‘I’m starting to talk like a couple of them,’ he said, when asked how English he felt. ‘I do struggle,’ he added. ‘They created the English language but it’s hard to understand them. ‘They’ve probably got the same problem with me, but they keep nodding and that’s the main thing. I’m not up to singing the anthem.’