Tykes Release Benton


Leaving Leeds
By Mally (03/04/03)
April 3 2003

Leeds Tykes yesterday announced the departure of scrum-half Scott Benton from the club. Benton has been released early from the remainder of his contract in order for him to seek a move to another club.

Scott joined Leeds in July 1999 from Gloucester, and was an integral part of the side which won Tykes promotion to the Zurich Premiership. Highly regarded by the fans (just see his player profile!) Benton remained a key player throughout the 2001 - 2002 season making 22 appearances. According to Phil Davies, Benton's "contribution in helping the club gain promotion to the Zurich Premiership and our competitiveness in our first season can not be underestimated."

The arrival of Derek Hegarty at the start of the season was meant to provide Benton with some real competition for the number 9 shirt. However unfortunately the 2002 - 2003 season never really happened for Scott, with first a back injury and then a broken ankle limiting him to just four substitute appearances in ZP matches. Sale Sharks scrum-half Alan Dickens was brought in on a loan deal, which eventually became permanent, and since recovering from his injuries Benton has been unable to dislodge Dickens and Hegarty from the scrum-half berth. Tykes' Director of Rugby Phil Davies effectively confirmed that Benton was no longer his first choice scrum-half saying: "We have decided that Scott is not part of our plans for next season and therefore both parties have agreed to an early release to enable Scott to find a new club for next season." Davies went on to thank Scott for all his efforts during his four seasons at the club, and said that he left with the "best wishes of everyone at the Tykes." Whether this departure is a mutual amicable decision or not is a matter for conjecture, the rumourmill is already hard at work, with suggestions that relations between Benton and the club were not as pleasant as the club would like us to believe - whether they are true or not I doubt fans will ever know! The Fans Comments Scott Benton made 73 starts for Leeds plus an extra 6 appearances as a replacement scoring 30 tries and as Oopnorth commented on the Message Board he (alongside Mackay) was "our attacking threat" in National One. Others commented that Benton still "has a hell of a lot to offer" and that he was a "great asset" to Tykes. Of all the comments I think 15UP sums up the fans mood best: "I really think its sad we are losing Scotty. It's a tough world..." Benton has had a rough deal this year, would he be leaving now if he'd not had that back injury at the start of the season and then followed it up with the ankle injury? Hegarty and perhaps to a greater extent Dickens made the most of their opportunities, and Benton has found it incredibly difficult to break back into the squad - 15UP is right when he says "it's a tough world". The Future? As Bifta points out Leeds Tykes have gone from having one class scrum-half last season to having three in the squad fighting it out for the starting spot. "To be fair, a year ago to hear that Scott would be leaving would have left us with nothing, so we are in a position of some strength." There is speculation on the Message Board that Phil Davies must have something up his sleeve, new blood, academy players, even an Easterby or two... But whatever the outcome, one thing is certain Scott Benton leaves Leeds with the very best wishes of the fans. Scott Benton will always be one of my own favourite players, his on gritty on pitch performances in the 2001 - 2002 season seemed to sum up the Tykes' attitude. When injured and unable to play in the Wakefield pre-season friendly, he stood with the fans and pointed out all the new signings, and I've always found him prepared to stop and have a chat to the fans. Good luck Scott & all the best!
  • Scott Benton - Player Profile