Bennett in Broncos pledge and defends Houghton snub

England coach Wayne Bennett has pledged Brisbane Broncos' backing for the 2017 World Club Series.
Danny Houghton.Danny Houghton.
Danny Houghton.

Plans for the annual clash between the leading clubs from Super League and the NRL were thrown into disarray earlier this week when Melbourne Storm officially withdrew.

They were promptly followed by a host of other Australian outfits, who claimed it interfered with their preparations for the new domestic season. Wigan and Cronulla, the two 2016 Grand Final winners, will meet in the traditional World Club Challenge at the DW Stadium on the weekend of February 16-17.

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Bennett says he has already been in touch with Rugby Football League chief executive Nigel Wood to reassure him of his club’s commitment to the series.

“We would be keen to travel,” Bennett said in his first interview to English journalists since his appointment in February. “I spoke to Nigel on Monday night and told him that the whole concept has got the club’s backing.

“We love coming over, we’ve enjoyed it in the last couple of years as a club and we’re also trying to host one here in the pre-season.

“But if that doesn’t come to fruition and there’s a vacancy to come over to England we will certainly go.”

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Meanwhile, Bennett has defended his decision to ignore Hull hooker Danny Houghton, the 2017 Man of Steel.

“I wasn’t told who to pick,” he said. “I consulted with people I trust who are well-connected in the game and I watch a lot of the games – it made it a lot easier for me.

“They were my decisions and my decisions only. My job is to pick what I think is the best players and what we need from them. If Houghton has missed out then that’s the reason why he’s missed out. It doesn’t take away from his wonderful achievement in winning Man of Steel – I didn’t know I was supposed to pick him because of that.”

Former Leeds centre Thomas Minns has become the latest Hull KR player to commit to the club in the Kingstone Press Championship but prop Adam Walker has angered chairman Neil Hudgell by serving his notice to quit.

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Minns, who had two years left to run on his old contract, says he rejected offers from other Super League clubs by following the example of Shaun Lunt and Maurice Blair in keeping faith with the relegated club.

“I turned down offers from other Super League clubs because I feel this is the right decision at this moment in time in my career to develop me as a player,” said Minns, who was Rovers’ leading tryscorer in 2016.

Meanwhile, Hudgell criticised the decision of Walker, 25, to leave the club after they stood by him earlier in the year when he appeared in court accused of child sex offences, charges which were later dismissed.

Hudgell said: “We felt he owed us a year for the support the club has given him. Instead, he was the first to head for the hills.”

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