Jon Wilkin baffled by James Bentley’s transfer to Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos v Wakefield Trinity Pre-season Friendly Wetherby Whaler Festive Challenge New Signing James Bentley of Leeds Rhinos warms up ahead of the match against Wakefield Trinity during the Pre-season Wetherby Whaler Festive Challenge match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxCHN Copyright: xStephenxGauntx FIL-16284-0031
St Helens have been Super League’s greatest team for three years and counting.
After winning the Grand Final in 2019, 2020 and 2021 – as well as the Challenge Cup last year – Saints have firmly etched themselves into the history books.
One more Grand Final win in succession in 2022 and they would become the record holders for the most title wins in a row.
For St Helens legend Jon Wilkin, then, he could not understand why one player decided to move at the end of 2021.
That player is James Bentley – a forward who had won both the 2020 and 2021 Grand Finals with Saints and who moved to Leeds Rhinos ahead of the 2022 campaign.
For Wilkin, it was an interesting choice to say the least.
“One of the maddest decisions I’ve seen in a few years is James Bentley going to Leeds – it blows my mind,” Wilkin said on the Out Of Your League podcast.
“It (the decision to leave Saints for Leeds) was more ‘I’ve won and now I’m going back to my hometown club.’
“It was actually a big call for him so fair to play to him, but as an outsider looking in I was like ‘he’s leaving Saints now at this time?'”
The Lancashire have kicked off their 2022 campaign in seriously good fashion, too, winning all three of their opening games including two demolitions of Catalans Dragons and Hull FC.