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Trevor Hunt speaks to Head Coach TONY SMITH <strong>Super</strong> <strong>Bennie</strong> <strong>Westwood</strong> may be a name that the fans have given him, but it’s certainly one that Wolves Coach Tony Smith wouldn’t argue with. But what are the qualities that <strong>Bennie</strong> brings to the team? “He is a player who always wants to improve and who has a real thirst for knowledge to make him that much better.” Explains Tony, “He is totally committed, and his biggest critic is himself. That desire to constantly be better is something that most players aspire to and certainly is one that every coach wants to see in their players. He always wants to know more and his desire to be the very best he can be, is infectious and it impacts so positively on the team because he does his talking on the field. As a coach of the opposition and England, Tony had long been an admirer of the Wolves second row man before he took over the reins at Warrington. “I remember watching <strong>Bennie</strong> as a gangling young centre at Wakefield.” Recalls Tony. “You could see he had the potential to be something special then and that he had the frame on which to build. He wasn’t the biggest but he blasted in way above his weight with some terrific hits and when he took the ball up he held nothing back. “In fact nothing has changed in that respect. He still holds nothing back, give it out and to be fair is prepared to take it back with just a shrug of the shoulders. If he cops a high shot he just gets on with his job and I think that is why so many players from within our camp and that of the opposition admire him so much. “I suppose you would call him scrawny when he was first at Wakefield, but you certainly wouldn’t say that now, and it has been fantastic to see him develop as a player and in physique to being the big strong and powerful player he is today.” Of course <strong>Bennie</strong>’s testimonial is a testimony to the service he has given to the club over the past ten years, and Tony is keen to pay tribute to that club loyalty. “To play ten years at the top level at one club is a fantastic achievement.” Enthuses Tony, “Years ago it used to be the norm, but nowadays players get offered contracts elsewhere and move on, and often they don’t even manage ten years because of injury or loss of form. So for <strong>Bennie</strong> not only to be at one club, but also to play at the highest level for that length of time with that club is certainly something special and he deserves the highest accolades for achieving that.” “Having said all that, it is only fair to acknowledge that <strong>Bennie</strong> is not the best trainer in the world – he’ll tell you that himself – but when it comes to game time, he leaves everything on the pitch. You wouldn’t use words like finesse or grace to describe him, but power, raw but channelled energy and a total focus on the job in hand would certainly get him down to a tee. He knocks ‘em dead with his big ‘hit-ups’ or tackles at times and he does it so regularly that we just tend to take it for granted. But it is a huge part of who and what Warrington Wolves are! “To the fans he may seem a shy person at times, but in the dressing rooms, <strong>Bennie</strong> is never afraid to have his say if he feels it needs to be said. But at the same time he doesn’t mind taking a rise out of himself, and if he wants to get a point across he’ll tell the lads it is time to listen to <strong>Super</strong> <strong>Bennie</strong> <strong>Westwood</strong>, which always gets a laugh. “To me, <strong>Bennie</strong> is the type of player I would always look to sign. If he had been on the market when I was at Leeds I would have snapped him up. And when I was with England I was delighted to have him in the squad. He’s an old school type of player who gets on with what is needed to give the very best performance he can for his team. “He always wants to play, and there are a good number of times in my spell at Warrington where he has played when he is not 100 per cent, but which you would never deduce from his performance. “To me he is world class, and if he wanted to play in the NRL, then he would walk in any side and they would be queuing up to have him. “I am proud to be the coach of <strong>Super</strong> <strong>Bennie</strong> <strong>Westwood</strong>!” SUPER BENNIE WESTWOOD TESTIMONIAL 2012 PAGE 11 12 11 12 SBW <strong>Testimonial</strong> Programme.indd 11 12/11/2012 11:19
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