Wayne Bennett shuts down journo’s question in two words

The Dolphins have continued to charge up the NRL ladder but coach Wayne Bennett isn’t going to let the side rest on their laurels.

Wayne Bennett is having fun. Photo: NRL.com

The Dolphins have pulled off the club’s seventh win of the season, pulling off a scrappy 26-12 win over the St George Illawarra Dragons at club’s traditional home of Kayo Stadium.

It continues a brilliant maiden season for the Dolphins, as the side moves to 16 competition points, joining the Panthers, Rabbitohs, Sharks, Broncos and Storm on the tally after 13 rounds.

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While the Panthers, Sharks and Storm have the bye, while the Rabbitohs face the Raiders and Broncos clash against the Warriors with a chance to move to 18 points, the Dolphins have undoubtedly been the surprise packets of the season.

Although not their flashiest win against a relatively listless Dragons, who remain anchored to the bottom of the ladder, it was enough to claim the points.

Coach Wayne Bennett said as much during his press conference, saying his side had to overcome tricky, dewy conditions.

“You don’t have to be pretty to win, you just have to get it done,” he said in his press conference.

Bennett was also asked to reflect on the first half of the Dolphins’ first season with the team having completed 12 matches.

The Phins are well and truly up. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Even Wayne Bennett is having fun. Photo: NRL.com

Asked about if he wanted to comment on how the first half of the Dolphins’ first season was going, Bennett said simply: “Not really.”

Pushed further, Bennett offered: “Push as much as you like.”

When queried specifically about the predictions pre-season that the Dolphins would run last, Bennett said the side didn’t want to get complacent.

“I didn’t expect what I read where we were going to be (before the season),” Bennett said.

“Halfway, we don’t want to be running around patting ourselves on the back, we’ll go to sleep.”

Playing his 100th game, Jamayne Isaako scored two tries and 18 points in his 100th match.

But on the other side of the equation, it’s a fresh low for the Dragons who will finish the round in 17th place by themselves with the Wests Tigers to get two points from the bye and move to 10 competition points.

It was another listless performance from the Dragons, particularly without inspirational half Ben Hunt.

After scoring the first try, the Dolphins hit back and were assisted when Dragons skipper Jack de Belin was sin binned for a cannonball tackle. The Dolphins score almost immediately through Anthony Milford.

At halftime, the Dolphins led 18-12 but the Dragons were lucky to be that close after being thoroughly outplayed in the first half.

A long season is just getting longer for the Dragons. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images

At halftime, former NRL star Michael Ennis slammed the Dragons’ defence.

“Defensively the Dragons just have to improve,” Ennis said.

“When the Dolphins maintained possession they just blew the Dragons’ ruck apart.

“Honestly there was some feeble defence on their goal line. Some really ordinary defence.

“Even the Anthony Milford try was really soft.

“At this level. At the NRL level their goal line defence has to improve.”

“The Mark Nicholls try was very soft,” Greg Alexander added.

It didn’t get any better as in the second, the side barely fired a shot.