THEY DON’T BUILD MONUMENTS FOR CRITICS
Bennett sets his sights on all the pundits who have blasted his GB reign and called for him to be sacked
WAYNE BENNETT has turned on the critics who claim he has ruined the Great Britain badge and should be sacked.
The Lions coach has caused uproar with some of his selections on the current losing tour Down Under.
But the 69-year-old has hit back, saying: “They don’t build monuments to critics. Criticism is like water off a duck’s back – I don’t listen to it.
“I am at the coal face and I know what is going on. I know what we have got to fix and believe we can do that.
“I have never disrespected anyone in my life, it is not in my nature. There is no disrespect from me towards Great Britain.”
The Lions have lost all three tour games – to Tonga and twice to New Zealand – and need to beat Papua New Guinea on Saturday to avoid a total disaster.
But his team selection will once again send his critics into overdrive – with half-back Blake Austin again on the wing and emergency call-up Ash Handley not playing. However, Bennett says the doubters can moan all they want, but nothing will stop him from controversially planning towards England’s World Cup campaign in two years.
He said: “We are working on a plan to get our game right because next year against Australia is vital and then, hopefully, we can be a real contender at the World Cup.”
And that is partly why he is likely to start Gareth Widdop and Jackson Hastings in the halves for the fourth game running – even though they have failed to inspire so far.
He said: “One of the things we have to get our heads around is we have to stabilise our halves and we cannot just keep swapping and changing.
“We are not getting it right at the moment, the decisionmaking or the pressure that comes in games.
“I have to give Jackson time. If I react and take him out, we are not going to get him to the place we need him to go or for us to realise he can’t get there.
“That’s the dilemma we are in and the same with Gareth Widdop. That is what is going on right now.”
Half-back George Williams will make his tour bow off the bench, but Jake Trueman will not be given a debut.
Bennett said: “I don’t like going back on my word when I said everyone would play, but I cannot give Jake an opportunity because we need to fix things up with the right players in.
“It is not the time to be trialling anyone. We need to get a victory and I need to have the best players on the field.”
Leeds winger Handley was expected to play after being called up, but Bennett insists he was only ever intended as cover.
Instead, Austin, who had a horrific start against the Kiwis last week before recovering well, will again play on the wing.
The Kumuls lost narrowly to Fiji last weekend and are expected to give the Lions a battle on Saturday.
But Bennett insists he is confident and added: “We are not a basket case, that is the bottom line. If we had taken our opportunities, we would have scored more tries.
“If we were miles behind, I would be talking in a different vein, but that is not where we are.”
Lomax, Austin, Connor, Hughes, McGillvary, Widdop, Hastings, Hill, Hodgson, Burgess, Whitehead, Bateman, Graham. Subs: Philbin, Walmsley, Thompson, Williams