2013 Super Bennie Westwood Testimonial Brochure

RAY FRENCH
Westwood…….
Time was when,the next morning,following
a match at Workington I lay on my bed
nursing the aches and pains coming from
my back and easing my bones beneath
the blanket and sheets in order not to
aggravate the bruising on my legs and
shoulders.
A cup of tea and a newspaper offered
me comfort from the physical demands
of what had been a tough,rough game
punctuated by a couple of match
winning tries from my Saints’ second row
partner,the powerful, speedy international
backrower, Dick Huddart.
Dick rightly earned the headlines and the
first nine paragraphs of the glowing match
report for his dashing runs,defence
breaking bursts,and his two spectacular
tries.
I welcomed a one line tribute at the end
of the report – “And Ray French worked
hard!”
Such a tribute probably helps me to
understand more than most the value of
Ben Westwood to the Warrington Wolves
and England sides for,though he has a
fine goalkicking record,has,thanks to his
days spent playing at centre, the pace of a
back,and regularly grabs a try or two with
his powerful bursts he is the backbone of
any team.
Any successful team must have the
correct balance among its players and, in
all trophy winning sides,there must be one
player who sets the lead up front for all
the forwards.
There must be at least one pack star who
calls for the ball when near his own try line
and who “takes it up” against the
combined efforts of the opposite six.
There must be one who never shirks the
action when the battle between the two
packs overheats,and there must be a
forward who relishes tackling so much
that he almost becomes a single-handed
destroyer of the opposition’s best
attacking strikes.
Such a player is Ben Westwood.
And Ben retains the finest
accolade any rugby league
player can gain. He is rightly
admired by the fans but, more
importantly, he is “the players’
player”,appreciated by all his
team mates for the non stop
eighty minutes contributions
he makes throughout every
game.
Not only is Ben an example to the players
via his efforts on the pitch but,whatever
their impact and the results, he always
has a smile on his face and enjoys his
rugby – factors which can often inspire
and give hope to the quieter and more
nervous of his team mates. He leads from
the front and sets the standards and the
example for his colleagues.
It is a pleasure to record a tribute to Ben
for not only has he given me many years
of enjoyment while doing my TV and
Radio commentaries but he has always
generously made himself available to me
for interviews or a casual chat both before
and after games.
He has welcomed the fans whenever they
have demanded his time and helped to
spread the impact of our great game.
He is rightly respected by all for his
contributions to rugby league both on and
off the pitch and deserves the rewards to
be gained from a well earned Testimonial.
Thanks for the memories, Ben.
PAUL CULLEN
Ben has proven to be one of
the best signings that
Simon Moran has ever
made.
He had already been recruited to the
Wolves along with Nathan Wood from
Wakefield before I returned to the club
in 2002. Just like Nathan he was a
favourite of every player in the
dressing room because of his
infectious positive attitude and his fully
committed performances in the gym,
the training field, off field duties and
most importantly, when he crossed the
whitewash to play.
He very quickly expressed his athletic
skills in almost every aspect of our
work, he inspired the phrase “ that
there is nothing he can’t do ! “ or that’s
the polite version of it anyway....
When we needed a presence in the
centres, Bennie was our man, when
we needed help in the front row,
Bennie was our man, when we needed
someone to take over where Logan
Swann left off at right second row,
Bennie was our man. His versatility
was a secondary consideration to his
bravery; we needed a player to hit a
hole regardless of whether there was
one there or not to allow Lee Briers to
maximise the potential of Martin
Gleeson. Ben accepted this initial role
and then transformed it and his
position on Warrington’s right edge, to
a status that has now become
Warrington folklore.
Bennie has presence, in exactly the
same sense that we accept when
Adrian Morley walks into a room or
onto the pitch. His career spans the
worst and potentially the best times
ever witnessed by Warrington
supporters. He is resilient, relentless
and above all respected by his fellow
team mates, old and current, his
opponents and the supporters of our
game.
I have followed Bens career with great
pleasure, proud that I played a part in
it but more than anything, satisfied that
Bennie has been the best he can be;
we can ask no more of any player.
SUPER BENNIE WESTWOOD TESTIMONIAL 2012 PAGE 31
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