Queenslander
26-10-05, 12:12 PM
DEAN Benton is confident he can make a difference at the Brisbane Broncos during his three-year term as the NRL club's performance director.
The 37-year-old recruit from the Australian Rugby Union describes his new job as the most challenging of his career.
Brought up on Australian football in Victoria, Benton has been impressed by the passion Queenslanders have for all football codes, but in particular rugby league.
"It's clearly the dominant code up here," he said yesterday. "There is a hell of a lot more media hype for league (than the other codes) which is exciting.
"I'm confident of bringing improvement to the Broncos, and I'm confident I can make a difference. But I'm also aware the only things that are bullet-proof are results."
The Broncos have made the finals every year since their last title in 2000 but success at the NRL's most high-profile club is measured in premierships.
Brisbane lost its last seven matches in 2005, including both finals.
As a result there was a cleanout, with head coach Wayne Bennett sacking performance co-ordinator Gary Belcher and assistant coach Kevin Walters.
Ivan Henjak has replaced Walters and Benton has come in for Belcher.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Benton played for Coburg in the VFA and was a competitive sprinter. He graduated from the University of Ballarat in 2000 and since then has had stints with the Victorian Rugby Union, Australian Institute of Sport, Queensland Academy of Sport, Athletics Australia and the ARU.
Soon after news broke of his "defection" to league Benton received a text message from Wallabies coach Eddie Jones which said simply: "Go Broncos".
"Eddie was great to work with and I will always be grateful to rugby union," Benton said. "There are some fine athletes in union and some of the best have come from league."
The co-ordinator of the elite player program at the ARU is former Broncos fitness guru Kelvin Giles who famously finished his stint at the club in 1995 by describing the players as "overpaid for the effort they give you".
The Broncos have come a long way since then, even to the extent of this year banning alcohol in the dressingrooms after games, a move Giles advocated a decade ago.
But now they have ground to make up on their NRL rivals and Benton will undoubtedly draw comparisons with strict disciplinarian Giles.
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,17035641-23214,00.html
I hope that he will make the changes neccessary to remove the traditional end of year slump.. GO THE BRONCOS in 2006!!!!
The 37-year-old recruit from the Australian Rugby Union describes his new job as the most challenging of his career.
Brought up on Australian football in Victoria, Benton has been impressed by the passion Queenslanders have for all football codes, but in particular rugby league.
"It's clearly the dominant code up here," he said yesterday. "There is a hell of a lot more media hype for league (than the other codes) which is exciting.
"I'm confident of bringing improvement to the Broncos, and I'm confident I can make a difference. But I'm also aware the only things that are bullet-proof are results."
The Broncos have made the finals every year since their last title in 2000 but success at the NRL's most high-profile club is measured in premierships.
Brisbane lost its last seven matches in 2005, including both finals.
As a result there was a cleanout, with head coach Wayne Bennett sacking performance co-ordinator Gary Belcher and assistant coach Kevin Walters.
Ivan Henjak has replaced Walters and Benton has come in for Belcher.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Benton played for Coburg in the VFA and was a competitive sprinter. He graduated from the University of Ballarat in 2000 and since then has had stints with the Victorian Rugby Union, Australian Institute of Sport, Queensland Academy of Sport, Athletics Australia and the ARU.
Soon after news broke of his "defection" to league Benton received a text message from Wallabies coach Eddie Jones which said simply: "Go Broncos".
"Eddie was great to work with and I will always be grateful to rugby union," Benton said. "There are some fine athletes in union and some of the best have come from league."
The co-ordinator of the elite player program at the ARU is former Broncos fitness guru Kelvin Giles who famously finished his stint at the club in 1995 by describing the players as "overpaid for the effort they give you".
The Broncos have come a long way since then, even to the extent of this year banning alcohol in the dressingrooms after games, a move Giles advocated a decade ago.
But now they have ground to make up on their NRL rivals and Benton will undoubtedly draw comparisons with strict disciplinarian Giles.
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,17035641-23214,00.html
I hope that he will make the changes neccessary to remove the traditional end of year slump.. GO THE BRONCOS in 2006!!!!