Don’t mention cold, St George are told

The Sydney club were greeted with a sudden drop in temperature when they flew into London at the weekend to prepare for Sunday’s PROBIZ World Club Challenge with Super League champions Wigan at the DW Stadium.

“It was 30 degrees when we played our last warm-up game on Friday night in Wollongong, the temperature here is probably three degrees,” said Dragons chairman Warren Lockwood.

“I know it’s going to be cold but we’re not allowed to talk about it being cold. We’ve come here to play football and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Dragons coach Wayne Bennett has included 14 members of October’s Grand-Final winning team in his 20-strong squad and Lockwood believes they are at least as strong as last season.

“We’ve brought a strong squad with us,” he said. “Out of the 17 players who played in the Grand Final, we have 14 here.

“A couple have moved on, as happens in football, but we’ve replaced them with up-and-coming youngsters, which is what we do and there are some here who will surprise a few people.

“This is the first time the Dragons have ever been to England to play.”