New Zealand wary of the Wayne Bennett factor as Kiwis prepare to take on England

NEW ZEALAND veteran Adam Blair can see the impact Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett is having on the England team before his first match in charge.

Image ©Licensed to i-Images Picture Agency. 24/10/2016. Liverpool, United Kingdom. Four Nations launch. England's Coach Wayne Bennet, join other players from the Four Nations Rugby League teams during a press conference at Liverpool FC, Anfield, Liverpool, before the tournament starts on Friday 28th October. Picture by Andrew Parsons / i-Images

ADAM Blair reckons Wayne Bennett does not even know the name of the entire English squad yet. But that won’t stop his Brisbane Broncos mentor from making an immediate impact with his adopted country.

Blair and his New Zealand side will clash with England on Sunday morning for the first time since Bennett took over as coach in their opening match of the Four Nations.

“He wouldn’t even know half the team’s names,” Blair said. “That would be pretty funny listening to him try and pick out someone’s name. That’s Wayne.

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“He is a great guy. I don’t think slipping up someone’s name is going to cause too much (worry).”

Blair has first-hand experience of the impact Bennett can make on an individual having been coached by him the past two seasons. Low on confidence after a poor three-year stint at the Tigers, Bennett has helped Blair regain the form which made him one of the most devastating forwards in the game.

“He made me enjoy it a lot more,” Blair said. “He is someone you want to play for. I went through a bit of a tough patch and he had faith in me and made me believe I could get back to where I was.

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“I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy (my footy before at the Tigers), I just hated losing and not being able to play how I wanted to play.

“I feel like I’ve settled in with Wayne at the Broncos. He lets me play how I feel and do what I normally do well.”

Blair said Bennett’s influence was already evident in England’s pre-tournament 40-6 win against France.

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“Previously when we’ve played England, they are really big and try to muscle over the top of you,” Blair said. “I saw a few snippets of their game against France and it looked like they moved the ball around a bit more. Wayne is stamping his mark already.

“He will bring a lot of energy around playing a bit of footy.”

Meanwhile, England will host the 2021 World Cup. The tournament could be shared between the USA and Canada in 2025.

Australia, New Zealand and PNG host next year’s event.