Bennett declines to take Meninga’s bait

Correspondent

England coach Wayne Bennett has refused to respond to claims by Australia coach Mal Meninga that his fellow Australian is trying to undermine him.

Meninga has opened to an Australian newspaper about their growing feud, while Kangaroos forward Sam Thaiday has added more grist to the mill.

The pair were in competition for the Kangaroos job last when Tim Sheens was replaced.

But Bennett declined to talk about the issue when probed by reporters after England‘s loss to New Zealand.

“You’ve got to understand, I’m not thinking about Australia very much,” he said.

“Say what they want, do what they want, none of that worries me. I’m here with England. I’m enjoying what I’m doing.

“I know where I’m going. Go ask them. I’ve made no comment, said nothing. Go talk to them.”

Meninga and Bennett have known each other since the 1970s when Bennett spotted his fellow Queensland in the Brisbane Police Academy.

Bennett coached Meninga with Souths in the Brisbane competition, Canberra in the NSWRL and Queensland in State of Origin in the 1980s.

“I spoke to him [Meninga] at Anfield on Monday and he didn’t have a problem,” Bennett said.

“If he wants to talk to me personally about it, well …”