2013 Super Bennie Westwood Testimonial Brochure

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THE EARLY YEARS By Bennie I started out playing football in school but when asked to join the rugby team I thought why not? So I gave it a go. Ian Slater was the coach who asked me to join the first rugby team at Altofts Junior school. I was good friends with his son and he asked be because I was a pretty big lad for my age. So aged 10 I gave it a go, as a prop forward! It wasn’t long before Normanton came knocking at my door, again with Ian Slater running the team and for the first season I continued as prop forward. My first bit of silverware came when I won under 11’s supporters player of the year, here I am with Colin Howden who was a big supporter at the club. along side such players as Tony Kemp, Willie Poching as well as Gareth Ellis. I thought I would have stayed there for many years but one day I turned up to training and was told I had been sold to Warrington. I had never asked to leave as reported in the press and I was heart-broken at the thought of leaving the club. Nathan moving made it easier for me to accept being sold and I saw it as an exciting opportunity. I have never looked back. I supported Castleford as a boy but preferred to watch my dad play at Normanton. By the time I was 16 I was still playing for Normanton but joined the Wakefield academy team. Huddersfield and Hunslet had shown an interest in signing me but I chose Wakefield as they had big plans that I wanted to be a part of. I spent two years in the junior ranks before signing a full time contract just after my eighteenth birthday. I absolutely loved the club. I made lots of friends and was excited to be playing PAGE 12 SUPER BENNIE WESTWOOD TESTIMONIAL 2012 12 11 12 SBW Testimonial Programme.indd 12 12/11/2012 11:19
WILLIE POCHING I first met a young fresh faced Ben Westwood when I first arrived at Wakefield in 1999. I had come across to play for the Wildcats who were newly promoted to Super League, and it was on arrival to one of my first training sessions that I was to meet a group of young apprentices of whom Ben was a part of. There was a group of about 2 or 3 to start with and they were all signed to play for the academy team that’s was being put together by a fella of the name of John Harbin. Things were never going to be easy for this group and it never was. I recall one of their first ever games where they barely had enough players to go out onto the field. John worked tirelessly to put a team together and 4 weeks later the were to play against St Helens in a curtain raiser at Barnsley Football’s Oakwell Stadium. The young fellas were outstanding- only narrowly being beaten and it was to the beginning of something special for a quite a few of that group. They had people like Gareth Ellis, Danny Brough, Paul “Tiger” Handforth, and of course our very our Bennie Westwood- who I would have was SUPER on this night too. The young academy team was to go on to record more than their share of victories from that night on and Ben was a shining light playing on the wing, in the centres, 2nd row, and dabbling at prop. But it was to be on the wing that Ben was to make his Super League bow, coming on against Gateshead Thunder in an away match in the penultimate match of the 1999 season. With our Super League place guaranteed for the next season, we headed in to the last couple of games with an opportunity to blood a couple of young lads from the success story that was the academy team. Here we are playing at the Gateshead International Athletic Stadium and after about 60 mins we are behind by about 50-60 points. It is around this time that Ben is introduced to the rigours and tension of Super League- so he is to think. Barely on the field a minute, one of the Thunder lads bust through our line. Who was the unfortunate one this time to miss the tackle- poor young BEN. The fella who makes the bust goes on to score putting us further behind. The consequences of Ben’s mis-tackle really come to light behind the sticks when our captain- the International and very seasoned and very intimidating pro- Tony Kemp, turns to Ben and says “Bloody hell Ben. Do you know we could have still won the game if you hadn’t missed that tackle!! What do you we do now?” The look on poor Ben’s face was a picture. I think when he saw us all laugh at his reaction- he was able to relax and in true Super Ben style he was able to go on to have a strong finish to the game. A season on and even with some big name recruits to the club, Ben was able to string together a few more games- mostly in the centres or on the wing and always showing a tenacity with that raw boned power that has been his trademark. I left Wakefield by the time Ben had moved to Warrington and to come to the Wolves and work with him again has been fantastic. People in Wakefield always ask me how he is? Has he changed? I tell them all that he is still the same kid that arrived at the club fresh from the Normanton Knights and he will always be the same kid. He plays the same way too and he has more than made up for that missed tackle against Gateshead. John Harbin once told that young group that “One daysomeone in this room will play for Great Britain. Who that is up to you.” Ben it has been pleasure to watch your career grow and watch you menace and torment opposition teams. To achieve the heights you have and the determination you have always shown will always be a highlight for me. The mark you have left on the fans of Wakefield and of Warrington as well as those around the world, is true testament to yourself and it has been awesome to watch your story and career unfold. Well done Super Bennie Westwood - have a great Testimonial lad! GARETH ELLIS I actually met Bennie for the first time around 15 years ago when he came and had a brief stint with my amateur club Castleford Lock Lane. A few years later we met again this time playing for Wakefield academy under John Harbin. Ben was one of the first players to sign professional terms on the apprenticeship scheme, I followed sometime later along with quite a few other players that have gone on to have successful careers in super league. As apprentices we had to perform jobs like sweeping the terraces on a Monday morning after the match, cleaning the players boots and being beaten up by the first team players whenever they had a contact session, this is where Ben was in his element trying to rough up and annoy the players we looked up to. “I’m extremely proud of his achievements from apprentice to international rugby league player.” Ben, then a centre was a clear stand out in our academy team and would get the man of the match most weeks and it was no surprise that he was the first to make his super league debut against Gateshead thunder in September 1999. With 10 to go and Wakey down by 50 or so Bennie threw an intercepted pass which Gateshead went on and scored, and just as a welcome to first grade Tony Kemp gave Bennie a massive spray behind the posts and blamed him for losing Wakefield the game. Wakefield gave us all a great grounding in rugby league one that I’m sure Ben and I will be forever grateful for. Since moving on to Warrington Bennie’s career has gone from strength to strength with international honours and in recent years the chance to play on the big stage and compete for challenge cup and grand final glory. His popularity with the fans is replicated in the changing rooms or in the dining room whilst on international duty amongst his fellow team mates. Bennie is a real character and someone I look forward to meeting up with and playing alongside at the end of each year. Congratulations Ben on a fantastic career to date and good luck with the testimonial you fully deserve it. SUPER BENNIE WESTWOOD TESTIMONIAL 2012 PAGE 13 12 11 12 SBW Testimonial Programme.indd 13 12/11/2012 11:19
Page 1 and 2: THE SUPER OFFICIAL TESTIMONIAL BROC
Page 3 and 4: WARRINGTON VICE PRESIDENTS ASSOCIAT
Page 5 and 6: 12 11 12 SBW Testimonial Programme.
Page 7 and 8: FORWARD-WORD BY BIG NICK FOZZARD It
Page 9 and 10: CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR TESTIMONIAL
Page 11: Trevor Hunt speaks to Head Coach TO
Page 17 and 18: MIKE ‘STEVO’ STEPHENSON Westwoo
Page 19 and 20: Congratulations on your testimonial
Page 21 and 22: MICHAEL MONAGHAN I’ve being lucky
Page 25 and 26: PAUL WOOD When Bennie signed for Wa
Page 27 and 28: MARTYN SADLER ‘The Warrington Wre
Page 29 and 30: STEVE MCNAMARA I had the pleasure o
Page 31 and 32: RAY FRENCH Westwood……. Time was
Page 33 and 34: ANGELA POWERS In all walks of life
Page 35 and 36: WHO IS SUPER BENNIE WESTWOOD? FULL
Page 37 and 38: MY HERO.. MY PARTNER.. MY ROCK How

2013 Super Bennie Westwood Testimonial Brochure

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