Chosen One brought home the holy grail
Illawarra Mercury
Wednesday March 30, 2011
MISGUIDED and confused in mid-2008, St George Illawarra went in search of a saviour.A man capable of washing away the pain of yesterday and building the foundation for a brighter tomorrow.It's no surprise the search for the Chosen One ended at Wayne James Bennett, the man with all the right qualities to lead the Dragons to the Promised Land.Dragons chief Peter Doust was determined to take the club to uncharted waters, a place Bennett had no trouble getting to in the past.The modern-day supercoach left the Broncos after two decades, six premierships and a legacy that is sure to live on long after he departs this earth.But his impeccable reputation went on the line when he decided to link up with perennial underachievers St George Illawarra in 2009.It wasn't a marriage destined to last very long, three years to be exact, but it promised to provide plenty of highlights along the way.Like all good leaders Bennett had his posse of trusting followers, many of whom were brought to Wollongong.There was a young man by the name of Darius Boyd, who had plenty of talent but was a gamble signing at such an early stage in his career.Bennett also called on an unfulfilled talent in Michael Weyman to replace long-serving Jason Ryles.He reunited with Neville Costigan, a player he dumped from the Broncos for a drink-driving misdemeanour.And then there was the recruitment of natural-born leader Jeremy Smith.Combined with a sprinkle of unrealised potential in the form of Jamie Soward and the emergence of Brett Morris, Bennett had all the ingredients to guide the Dragons to a long-awaited premiership.It didn't take long for him to leave his mark on the club, guiding the red-and-whites to the minor premiership in 2009 on the back of a simple yet effective game plan.But old habits die hard and the "chokers" tag, which has lived with the Dragons throughout a decade of disappointment, was back.A tired-looking St George Illawarra were bundled out of the competition in straight sets, going down to Parramatta and Brisbane in the semi-finals.The critics' voices became even louder in 2010, but Bennett silenced the doubters by guiding the Dragons to the minor premiership, premiership and World Club Challenge crown, fulfilling his role as the Chosen One.
© 2011 Illawarra Mercury