While I respect you point of view, Luai has proven that, in the right system, he is elite. The issue we have is that we haven't created the environment for a "Luai" to perform.
If we hark back to the 05 Wests Tigers, we were playing a different brand of footy to the rest of the competion, under a coach that was anything but conventional.
We are now coming off a low base with a coach, that despite his razzle dazzle, is more about creating the environment that allows players to excel as opposed than establishing a system to make them shine.
This is both good and bad. Good in that we are not tied to conventional thinking; bad in that when we get it wrong we get it wrong badly.
Benji may be inexperienced as a FG coach, but he has already won the first battle (if we believe what the players say) in that there is belief in the system and where we are headed. As long as he has that buy in, I think we are on the right track. My assessment, and it may well be wrong, is that Benji is allowing the team to execute, within guidelines, how it sees fit. This is a brave move, because he is handing over execution based on intent.
He has tenure now, and that is a bad thing in my book, because he is less likely to be held to account. HBG shit knee jerk decision to extend him? Probably, but a subject for a different conversation and thread.
So why is it both good and bad? It is good because the players know what they are to achieve, the understand the end goal, and are given the tools to do so without being given a prescriptive method. As a player this is the ultimate freedom. The bad is, that given the the intent, there has to be an allowance for them to achieve it based on what they see on the paddock, and while they are learning that, there is an expectation that they will fail/firetruck up. This has to be accepted - it is part of the learning curve
It takes time to get it right and you have to have trust and give lattitude to allow mistakes to be made as the system is developed. You also have to be able to, as a coach, divorce yourself from the on field decisions made and provide an open learning environment for everyone involved in the post game review.
I personally believe that Benji is on the right track. He has the right mix of young and expereinced players to have a real crack at the title. Will it happen in 2026? I doubt it - we are missing some expereince in key areas. However, I would not be surprised if Benji unearths a talent no one was looking at - simply because he is a different sort of cat.
So getting back to the start - we are in a process of evolution at the club. Success is not set in stone and we could easily turn to a puddle of poo; however, we have an unconventional coach and a malleable team.
I think we had something similar in 2005. I am not suggesting that we wil win the competion in 2026; but, I do think we need to step back and reflect on the signifcant changes that guys like Luai faced in changing clubs and coaching styles.
There is no free pass for Benji in 2026, but I expect that the work done to date will set us up for success.
Big Hairy Audacious Goal - bottom of the 8 in 2026.
