Some would say season 2009 marks a new era in the history of the St George Illawarra Dragons with six-time Premiership winning Coach Wayne Bennett taking up the reigns as Head Coach after 21 years at the Brisbane Broncos.

The Dragons began pre-season training in early November for the 2009 NRL Telstra Premiership.

However, new Head Coach Wayne Bennett did not begin his tenure until December 1 due to his coaching involvement with the World Cup winning Kiwis.

Whilst admitting things were perhaps a little different, Bennett suggested that nothing had really changed too much for him.

“I put the different coloured shirt on this morning, looked in the mirror once and thought that looks alright lets get on with it,” he said on his first day. “I’m still a coach and I know what needs to be done.

“The Dragons are a club in the NRL like others so I don’t see too many things being different,” he added.

The move from Queensland to Sydney is indeed enormous with many puzzled as to why the most successful coach in the modern game would take up such a challenge.

“An opportunity presented itself at the appropriate time and I have always been a closet Dragons fan all my life,” was Bennett’s response when asked.

“I have always had great respect for the Club. From the outside the Club has a very strong brand and I don’t say that lightly.

It is a great Club that genuinely is an iconic brand within Australian sport and it generates a lot of interest,” he added.

“The Club has a great history, great players and great people.”

When questioned about his fondness for the Dragons, Bennett lamented that it was difficult to single out any favourite players and moments because there were so many.

“I have a lot of favourite players and memories of the Dragons from when I was a kid,” he said.

“Whilst I didn’t know a lot about football in Sydney, names like Gasnier and Raper were never far from your conversation and I certainly knew about Graham Langlands, he was a great player and someone that I did have the opportunity to play against, he was dominant in that era”.

When considering the present Dragons, Bennett indicated that much of his early time has been spent observing.

“I don’t need to come here and turn the place upside down,” he said. “They do and have done a lot of great things here at this Club, it is a matter of keeping the things they do well and improving the things they don’t do so well.

“I know what I have got to do here, there is a process involved and we will keep at it until we get to where we want to go,” he added.

“I need to spend some time with the players, I need to watch them train and play. I know what players like Matt Cooper for example are capable of, but there are others that I haven’t seen a great deal of so it is important for me to see these guys in action.

In relocating from Queensland to New South Wales Bennett walks into a very different environment and business model.

Unlike the privately owned Brisbane Broncos, the Dragons, like all New South Wales Rugby Leagues Clubs are backed by Leagues Clubs and Bennett understands the importance and history of this vital association.

“Leagues Clubs have been instrumental to the success and development of the game of rugby in league in New South Wales for many many years,” said Bennett. “Everyone is well aware of the difficulties these Clubs have been placed under in recent times due to the introduction of smoking bans and increasing poker machine taxes and it is a harsh reality of these times that these businesses are not as profitable as they once were.

“In saying this, the St George Leagues Club appears well equipped to deal with the challenges due to the planning and processes that have been in place previous and now.

“The St George Leagues Club is synonymous with rugby league in this district and I am reliably informed that nothing will change in this regard which is comforting.

“St George Leagues Club and WIN Jubilee Oval are legendary in our game and I am very much looking forward to being a part of both of these places throughout this season,” said Bennett.

“I have obviously been at the ground as an away Coach but to now come here as the home Coach in the heartland of the Club will be something special.” Bennett said. “The facility looks great and it is certainly one of the great boutique grounds in Australia where players love to play and spectators love to watch.”

The first opportunity for Dragons Partners, Red V Members and fans to see the Dragons at the newly developed WIN Jubilee Oval will be on Sunday, March 29 for the local derby against the Sharks.