Lockyer's theory behind icy Bennett interview

Darren Lockyer has given his take on that Wayne Bennett press conference — the two-and-a-half minutes of little more than frosty one-sentence answers after the Dolphins' loss to the Knights on Saturday.Lockyer applauded the lone journalist who peppered with questions the sternest figure in rugby league, and admitted that Bennett had a responsibility to be more generous with his responses given the NRL had taken the Dolphins-Knights clash to Perth in a bid to grow the game.But the legendary fullback and five-eighth, who played all of his footy under Bennett at the Broncos, also asked if the master coach felt disrespected by the journalists who did not attend the press conference, and suggested he may have been disgruntled by the lack of reporters in the room."We've all seen Wayne do this. When he gets in a mood he gets in a mood at a press conference," Lockyer said on Wide World of Sports' QLDER."I know the individual that sat there did a good job to just stay in the conversation with him, but equally, what was the reason for (the fact) there was only one journo in the room?"So, I mean, was there not enough respect paid to Wayne Bennett?"I'm not saying what he did was right, I think there was an error of judgement, but when Wayne's in a mood no one can tell him to change his mood."It's believed there was a smattering of reporters who were keen to attend the Bennett press conference but opted against it to catch the start of the second game at Perth Stadium, between the Rabbitohs and Sharks.The press conference was at its iciest after the reporter asked where the Dolphins were let down."You didn't watch the game?" Bennett fired."I watched the game," the journalist replied."Well you can write about it," the wily operator shot back."But just from your opinion?" added the reporter."I don't want to share it with you ... It's my opinion and I'm not really interested in sharing it."Having his say on the exchange on QLDER, Wally Lewis chuckled as he sympathised with the reporter."You can imagine how he would have felt, that lone journo. I mean, he must have thought that he was walking the plank, going out there, taking on the toughest character in rugby league to deal with," said Lewis, who played under Bennett at the Broncos between 1988 and 1990.