England rugby league coach Wayne Bennett open to picking eligible NRL players for the Lions

Wayne Bennett has left the door ajar to pick Australian-born players for England's World Cup campaign.

Speaking at a media opportunity in Manchester, Bennett also shouldered responsibility for a controversial training camp in Dubai last month being cancelled, saying he did not communicate properly with Super League clubs.

He also said he would not extend his contract with the Rugby Football League before the World Cup, to be held in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in October, November and December.

After England failed to make the final of the 2016 Four Nations, a lingering question was whether Bennett would be better disposed to picking the likes of Blake Austin, Trent Hodkinson, Darcy Lussick, Chris McQueen and the Morris brothers, Brett and Josh.

"My priority is always to pick the best players so if they're the best players, well, they'll be considered," Bennett said.

Bennett met Super League coaches on Wednesday night. Asked about the cancellation of the Dubai camp, Bennett said: "It's my fault. I should have communicated better. I take responsibility

"It was disappointing but I didn't want to compromise what we were trying to achieve so we made the decision we wouldn't proceed with it.

"It's a minor setback."

Asked about his future in the role, he said: "I'd rather wait until after the World Cup. I've got to feel I'm delivering something for them. If I don't feel that's happening, I don't want to waste anybody's time.

"It's not about winning, it's not about losing. It's about what I can deliver and what improvements I can make and how I can support what they are trying to achieve here.

"I'm worried about my own performances and what I can bring and what I can't bring."

He said no more than three players per club would be named in the side to play Samoa in Sydney on May 6. Bennett refused to complain about the increasing crowded fixture list in England, with two double-round weekends to compensate for the Dubai camp.

"If you want to start whinging and moaning about it, you already given your players a reason to fail," he said.

Asked if he would release Broncos star Anthony Milford to play against England after refusing to let him represent Samoa last year, Bennett said: "Yeah, that's going to be a tough one. Not sure about that."

Bennett described the Four Nations as "my most enjoyable month in football in a long time".

But he at least hinted he considered his position when the Dubai camp as canned, recalling "I didn't think me making a poor decision was going to help them (the team)."

He would not commit on who will be captain with Sean O'Loughlin available after missing the Four Nations, where Sam Burgess deputised.

 

Author: 
www.smh.com.au