Is The Club Respected?

[GNR4LIFE]

Yesterday wasn’t just another bad loss. It felt like a reality check about where this club sits in the NRL. And it made me wonder if we have any respect at all? I’m talking about how the club is viewed by players, rival clubs and even its own roster. Take Luai. He arrived and was supposed to be the signing who changed the culture. He was here to be Batman. Instead, we’re halfway through his second season and what have we actually got from him? Two good games if you want to be generous, and already an announcement that he’s bailing for even more money.

Then there’s Terrell May comments this week. He openly said his loyalty isn’t to Wests Tigers, it’s to Benji Marshall. As long as Benji is there, he’s there. I suppose on one hand, you can appreciate the honesty. However, it seems his relationship with the club actually paying him is dependent on the choice of coach he gets along with. And the worst part, I don’t think he’s an isolated case amongst the playing group. I think most think that way. And the fact the club feels they need to sign their siblings to keep them happy tells me the club has no spine. To me, respected clubs create loyalty to the jersey and the organisation. Players come and go, coaches come and go, but the club remains bigger than any one person. For a while. it feels like we have relied on personal relationships rather than institutional strength. If you’re going to play finals and win premierships that way, hey, whatever works. But we are perennial failures, and this strategy of creating a brotherhood, while it may be good for team morale and creating bonds that go beyond footy. It’s not something that’s going to get you to the promised land all by itself. And it seems to be what Benji has gone all in on, because he doesn’t bring much else to the table as a first grade coach.

 

[magpies forever]

Well, at very least, the player loyalty to Benji as against club, makes it very hard in future when decisions are made on coach future or replacement. As to the broad thrust of your points I agree, I dont think we are respected, nor have we earned the right I suppose. We dont fight when the NRL and refs bent us over, when players dont respect the jersey and the club thats paying them and only using us to display their wares to go elsewhere, questionable player selections and coaching staff, our history of board shenanigans, some player manager lack of respect etc. We need to copy Souths and maintain a book of slights against the club and use it as motivation.

 

[jadtiger]

No we are not respected and to be honest how could we be.The people who own the club are holding us back and always will with their petty agendas.

 

[Blooey]

I miss Richo.
We needed him for a few more years, he was raising the standards and perception of the club.
Shaun isn't bad, and would have been good for us if Richo was in charge for 2-3 more years.
I fear that we're just going backwards and the cycle is repeating itself now.

 

[user118245]

Nope

 

[Tom Shines]

A question I have that I think is similar…

Does any team , even the bottom feeders , ever go into a game against us and think they can’t beat us ?

I think we have issues around physicality and mental strength … if the opposition can keep it physical in the middle they probably eventually believe they will get on top and win …I thought things might have been changing the first 7 games but given the margins of recent losses I think that’s not the case anymore

 

[pawsandclaws1]

We lost but today is a new day. Marshall said it all in his press conference. We are down crucial players and the loss of Doueihi has been a real blow. I'll be back next week cheering for the WTs.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

We lost but today is a new day. Marshall said it all in his press conference. We are down crucial players and the loss of Doueihi has been a real blow. I'll be back next week cheering for the WTs.

Fair. We did have a few out. Any side that has a few out will naturally concede 68 points.

 

[Tiger_heart]

Start winning matches and it will blow away. Simple. ;-)

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Fair. We did have a few out. Any side that has a few out will naturally concede 68 points.

Crucial players - Doueihi, Sam Fainu, May, Twal.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Crucial players - Doueihi, Sam Fainu, May, Twal.

Oh well, in that case. Definitely gonna concede 68.

 

[innsaneink]

Yesterday wasn’t just another bad loss. It felt like a reality check about where this club sits in the NRL. And it made me wonder if we have any respect at all? I’m talking about how the club is viewed by players, rival clubs and even its own roster. Take Luai. He arrived and was supposed to be the signing who changed the culture. He was here to be Batman. Instead, we’re halfway through his second season and what have we actually got from him? Two good games if you want to be generous, and already an announcement that he’s bailing for even more money.

Then there’s Terrell May comments this week. He openly said his loyalty isn’t to Wests Tigers, it’s to Benji Marshall. As long as Benji is there, he’s there. I suppose on one hand, you can appreciate the honesty. However, it seems his relationship with the club actually paying him is dependent on the choice of coach he gets along with. And the worst part, I don’t think he’s an isolated case amongst the playing group. I think most think that way. And the fact the club feels they need to sign their siblings to keep them happy tells me the club has no spine. To me, respected clubs create loyalty to the jersey and the organisation. Players come and go, coaches come and go, but the club remains bigger than any one person. For a while. it feels like we have relied on personal relationships rather than institutional strength. If you’re going to play finals and win premierships that way, hey, whatever works. But we are perennial failures, and this strategy of creating a brotherhood, while it may be good for team morale and creating bonds that go beyond footy. It’s not something that’s going to get you to the promised land all by itself. And it seems to be what Benji has gone all in on, because he doesn’t bring much else to the table as a first grade coach.

You can add the coaching staff to that.
If Heighno Hodgo and Morris are the best men for the job then its one almighty coincidene theyre all benjis old team mates

 

[balmain boy]

We're an unprofessional basket case of a club that had earned no respect from anyone. Players, coaches, agents, fans. Everyone thinks we're the worst run club in the history of the NRL.

Other clubs may struggle for a year or two, but then rebuild. We've been rebuilding and struggling for 15 years with no end in sight.

We've got a bottom 8 top 17 with very few talented prospects in our pathways.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Oh well, in that case. Definitely gonna concede 68.

Penrith is a champion side. I'm not one to get bent out of shape about the score. A loss is a loss and Marshall was correct in his assessment.

 

[Tom Shines]

very few talented prospects in our pathways.

This seems to be true but I’m baffled as to why this continues to be the case

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Being close to the coach is one thing. You want that, you want them to buy in. However, whenever the topic of Benji’s job comes up, everyone worries about a player revolt. That’s not a healthy culture to be festering. And it’s not one that you would find at many other clubs.

 

[Tom Shines]

Penrith is a champion side. I'm not one to get bent out of shape about the score. A loss is a loss and Marshall was correct in his assessment.

I don’t agree … there are losses and then there are losses …

 

[balmain boy]

Being close to the coach is one thing. You want that, you want them to buy in. However, whenever the topic of Benji’s job comes up, everyone worries about a player revolt. That’s not a healthy culture to be festering. And it’s not one that you would find at many other clubs.

Realistically Benji is a bottom 4 coach in the NRL at the moment.
His recruitment across all grades over the past 3 years has generally been poor. Yes there are a few good signings here and there but given the dire state of our rosters that just wasn't enough

 

[Tim Sheens]

Penrith is a champion side. I'm not one to get bent out of shape about the score. A loss is a loss and Marshall was correct in his assessment.

His assessment included an apology to WT fans being necessary.

As to the thread question posed, our full strength team earned respect from their early season form, but have since lost most of it with a few very important players consistently missing.

The club as a whole has always struggled for respect.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

I don’t agree … there are losses and then there are losses …

That's fair as well. We each have our own views.