Coach Benji 👑

[TheEnz]

The early wins were by no means the finished product...they were not what id call convincing.despite a couple.of large scores...there was always still a lot to work on but i thought as the season progressed that would come
The injuries hit.
Luai did his thing.
Lack of depth exposed.
Standards obviously began to slip.

But yes the business end of the comp...post Origin...is where we always fall down, good teams.time their run for rhe back end.of the season to be peaking august september

we all said our weakest positions for depth before the season even started were 2nd row, centre, FB and hooker. And whadya know, we lost both our second rowers, we lost our strike centre in May and Maka is carrying an injury and too inexperienced, starford is a bum, Api got suspended then copped a pec injury, bula did his shoulder twice and is still nursing that injury in games.

 

[Chunk]

Man, what form?

Sorry but our run in the first 8 weeks was based on defeating understrength teams. We could not even beat a baby Broncos team at Campbelltown

We were all to joyous to see the truth at the time

And maybe how the game was being adjudicated helped, we didn't need to win the ruck, which we have never done, can we please dominate the ruck for a change.

Also, Benji would do well we someone with their ear to the ground in the NRL and someone who has dealt with football clubs in the past, doesn't have to be a big name but someone 'in the know' not sure who though.

 

[Telltails]

Answer me this. When was the last time we finished a season strong? This season is consistent with most of the previous 25 with us limping to the finish line.

And look at all the players coaches who have left the club and been successful at other clubs that have failed here.
So do we want to keep targeting individuals or do we want start measuring systems against successful clubs and then we might find out why Individuals fail at this club and why we continue to accept that setting them up to fail will miraculously change

 

[Merlot]

Yeh, I’m just saying, Benji continually says after a loss “that’s on me” or similar when he should not be singling himself out because it’s a team game wether players are sitting on the bench or coaches are on the sideline. Surely the players have input in the post game recap.

I see it as , Benji is just not giving the media ,fans etc anything to fuel the fire .
The guy must be a saint or in the wrong job if he is not ripping them a new 1 in private .
Whats most baffling is under numerous coaches the /our team consistently make U/10 mistakes.
A lot of flak should go on the players ,they all have potential to be millionaires .Chip in $10 each , get an educator in to teach them ,that a ball caught with a leg on each side of the out field is your possession etc etc Shame the HBG into bettter resources

 

[twentyforty]

I see it as , Benji is just not giving the media ,fans etc anything to fuel the fire .
The guy must be a saint or in the wrong job if he is not ripping them a new 1 in private .
Whats most baffling is under numerous coaches the /our team consistently make U/10 mistakes.
A lot of flak should go on the players ,they all have potential to be millionaires .Chip in $10 each , get an educator in to teach them ,that a ball caught with a leg on each side of the out field is your possession etc etc Shame the HBG into bettter resources

Sheens noticed they couldn’t catch a ball that was in flight and had them doing the 200 catch n pass. I mean those basic fundamentals are essential you would think?
There is a possibility that the whole joint is on edge, walking on eggshells emanating from the very top and therefore a shouting, swearing, door pointing (no idea what was behind that door?) statement of the situation could be like a ball bouncing down the stairs. Prob set Doueihi off and the reaction from the teenagers would have them totally bamboozled.

 

[Merlot]

Sheens noticed they couldn’t catch a ball that was in flight and had them doing the 200 catch n pass. I mean those basic fundamentals are essential you would think?
There is a possibility that the whole joint is on edge, walking on eggshells emanating from the very top and therefore a shouting, swearing, door pointing (no idea what was behind that door?) statement of the situation could be like a ball bouncing down the stairs. Prob set Doueihi off and the reaction from the teenagers would have them totally bamboozled.

Its really a simple game when you strip it back , its not really hard .Sure we could all rise through the ranks if we just applied an extra 5% if the reward was guaranteed in a 9 to 5er.Self pride in a job well done doesn't cost a cent

 

[twentyforty]

Its really a simple game when you strip it back , its not really hard .Sure we could all rise through the ranks if we just applied an extra 5% if the reward was guaranteed in a 9 to 5er.Self pride in a job well done doesn't cost a cent

Reminds me of the Martin Luther King Street Sweeper philosophy.

 

[Merlot]

Reminds me of the Martin Luther King Street Sweeper philosophy.

Fire away - ive no idea

 

[twentyforty]

Fire away - ive no idea

I dont recall the whole speech but the part I do..

If a man be called to be a street sweeper then let him sweep those streets like Michaelangelo painted or Beathoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry.
He swept those streets so well that everyone would stop and say " this man was a great street sweeper who did a great job.

Basically, no matter what your calling in life you are remembered for your pursuit of excellence.

 

[twentyforty]

While wondering around Tasmania a few years ago, I stumbled upon a small park in the middle a town. In the centre of the park was a stone monument commemorating and honouring the efforts of the work done by a local man who attended to the garden for 45 years.

 

[Droppy05]

I wonder who or what is Benji's external help?

Obviously he is not getting any help.

 

[Tired Tiger]

Benji is the best man for the job’: O’Farrell backs Tigers coach after week of turmoil

Adrian Proszenko
August 2, 2026 — 5:00am





A
A
A
Wests Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell is adamant the club isn’t fractured and has backed coach Benji Marshall to turn the team’s fortunes around after a “puzzling” drop down the premiership ladder.

It has been another torrid week for the Tigers after Adam Doueihi was reinstated in his preferred halfback position after sitting out last week’s crushing loss to Canberra following a bust-up with coach Benji Marshall.


The episode was the latest in a long list of dramas for the joint-venture outfit, who sit in second-last spot on the ladder ahead of Sunday’s derby against Parramatta.

The situation has heaped further pressure on third-year head coach Benji Marshall, who has a 32.84 per cent win ratio since taking over from Tim Sheens.

O’Farrell has kept a low profile since being reinstated as Tigers chair last December. However, the former NSW premier opened up during a wide-ranging interview about the state of play at the club, including a staunch defence of Marshall.

“I’ve got no doubt that Benji is the best man for the job,” O’Farrell said.



Tigers coach Benji Marshall addressed the media on Wednesday.Steven Siewert
“Firstly, because I come from an area that demonstrates that constant changes from a leadership level normally delay the improvement that people want.

“Leadership teams are just as important as football teams, they need to be a unit. I think Benji brings a lot to his role. The things he asks of players are the things he excelled at when he was on the field. He’s not asking people to do what he hasn’t done in the past.

“Secondly, he’s incredibly bright. Thirdly, he’s incredibly sensitive to people’s family life and the like. I know some years ago that some media had criticism of Benji saying the team needed a good work-life balance.

“But footy has moved on, it’s not life in the ’50s, it’s footy in 2026. You need to ensure that your footballers’ heads are in the right space and family is a big part of that. I think Benji got all of that before a number of other coaches.



Wests Tigers chair Barry O’Farrell.Janie Barrett
“I’m confident that we will see continued improvement. Are we happy with what’s happened in the last few months? I don’t think any member of the club is happy. Are we hopeful? We’ll always be hopeful since 2005.”

Two days after O’Farrell was reinstated as chair, Marshall’s contract was extended until the end of 2030. It has since emerged that the former premiership-winning player will receive a full payout if his contract is terminated early.

Asked if there should have been more protections for the club in the deal, O’Farrell said: “A contract is a contract. They are agreed not just by our board but, as under our ownership agreement, also by [majority owners] Holman Barnes [Group]. At the end of the day, it’s not the contract, it’s what people do.

“Benji works incredibly hard. What I like about Benji is that he’s incredibly resilient. Being a leader of a football club, a coach, politics, whatever – is tough, it’s not easy. Everyone’s convinced they can do a better job.



Adam Doueihi at Tigers training.Audrey Richardson
“But it’s not their job. The job week in and week out is Benji’s, and I’m impressed with how he has faced up to it and put effort into it … Occasionally on the sidelines he looks like a grump, but he’s actually a caring, skilled manager of people.”

The Doueihi drama dominated the news cycle for more than a week. Marshall named Doueihi in his preferred halfback position against the Eels after the former Rabbitoh refused to play at lock against the Raiders.

“Ultimately, the fact the parties have come together will deliver a lesson for both players and coaches,” O’Farrell said. “That’s ultimately something we’ll see play out.”

The Tigers began their season well, earning a share of the competition lead after six rounds. However, they have fallen away significantly, to the point they sit above only the Dragons on the ladder. Asked for his assessment of the decline, O’Farrell said: “I think it is, at best, puzzling.

“Puzzling because we started so well. Even in the middle of the season we defeated a number of teams we weren’t expected to defeat ... If coaches were able to get consistency all the time for their teams, life would be easier.”

The Tigers’ fortunes nosedived from the moment Jarome Luai signed with the PNG Chiefs from 2028. Marshall subsequently asked the four-time premiership-winning playmaker to leave at the end of this season, resulting in him signing for Parramatta next year.

“I’m slightly critical of the NRL given the potential for a number of clubs to lose players whilst they are still contracted to them,” O’Farrell said.

Related Article

AnalysisNRL 2026
Doueihi and Benji say everything’s OK in Tiger Town. Are we buying it?
“It’s a great initiative, PNG coming into the NRL. But I’m not sure it was properly worked through how you transition existing players of any club into PNG without creating some stresses and pressures in those clubs.”

Reminded that Luai and the Chiefs exploited an exit clause in his contract that the Tigers agreed to, O’Farrell said: “I have to tell you that rugby league contracts are the only contracts I know that can be gotten out of pretty easily.”

Asked if the Tigers were a fractured club, O’Farrell said: “I don’t believe so, for the reason I said before – it frustrates me enormously that you can have a contract with a player – and it means nothing when he wants to go.

“If it was fractured, you would have seen over the past three years far more movement than you have seen.”

O’Farrell said the club was performing well off the field, including turning “our first profit in 10 years … [and] at a governance level we have got it together.” However, he acknowledged the most important metric was on-field performance.

Marshall last week admitted that standards had slipped and that it was an area that needed addressing.

“The key is not that they slipped, the key is to ensure they don’t continue to slip,” O’Farrell said. “There’s no point looking back. Leadership is about looking forward. It’s about not being distracted by the noise, it’s about learning from the past.

“One thing I’m convinced about with Benji Marshall is that he’s incredibly smart … he doesn’t make the same error.”

 

[mtd#2]

Absolute delusion.

I cannot believe he came out and gave that presser.

Even if we won, it was a pathetic performance.

What in the world is there to be proud of?

My dad reminded me that some of these blokes are being paid close to a million dollars if not more....

Pathetic.

 

[Tcat]

Sack him now. Any player upset by it can follow him

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Sack him now. Any player upset by it can follow him

I’ll keep saying till I’m blue in the face. If he’s not getting anything out of the players, who cares if they leave.

 

[Winston Churchill]

Delusional fool said Doohey had a great game. Must have been looking at his morning golf card during the first half.

 

[Suzie-Q]

Sack him now. Any player upset by it can follow him

💯

 

[jadtiger]

Benji is the best man for the job’: O’Farrell backs Tigers coach after week of turmoil

Adrian Proszenko
August 2, 2026 — 5:00am





A
A
A
Wests Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell is adamant the club isn’t fractured and has backed coach Benji Marshall to turn the team’s fortunes around after a “puzzling” drop down the premiership ladder.

It has been another torrid week for the Tigers after Adam Doueihi was reinstated in his preferred halfback position after sitting out last week’s crushing loss to Canberra following a bust-up with coach Benji Marshall.


The episode was the latest in a long list of dramas for the joint-venture outfit, who sit in second-last spot on the ladder ahead of Sunday’s derby against Parramatta.

The situation has heaped further pressure on third-year head coach Benji Marshall, who has a 32.84 per cent win ratio since taking over from Tim Sheens.

O’Farrell has kept a low profile since being reinstated as Tigers chair last December. However, the former NSW premier opened up during a wide-ranging interview about the state of play at the club, including a staunch defence of Marshall.

“I’ve got no doubt that Benji is the best man for the job,” O’Farrell said.



Tigers coach Benji Marshall addressed the media on Wednesday.Steven Siewert
“Firstly, because I come from an area that demonstrates that constant changes from a leadership level normally delay the improvement that people want.

“Leadership teams are just as important as football teams, they need to be a unit. I think Benji brings a lot to his role. The things he asks of players are the things he excelled at when he was on the field. He’s not asking people to do what he hasn’t done in the past.

“Secondly, he’s incredibly bright. Thirdly, he’s incredibly sensitive to people’s family life and the like. I know some years ago that some media had criticism of Benji saying the team needed a good work-life balance.

“But footy has moved on, it’s not life in the ’50s, it’s footy in 2026. You need to ensure that your footballers’ heads are in the right space and family is a big part of that. I think Benji got all of that before a number of other coaches.



Wests Tigers chair Barry O’Farrell.Janie Barrett
“I’m confident that we will see continued improvement. Are we happy with what’s happened in the last few months? I don’t think any member of the club is happy. Are we hopeful? We’ll always be hopeful since 2005.”

Two days after O’Farrell was reinstated as chair, Marshall’s contract was extended until the end of 2030. It has since emerged that the former premiership-winning player will receive a full payout if his contract is terminated early.

Asked if there should have been more protections for the club in the deal, O’Farrell said: “A contract is a contract. They are agreed not just by our board but, as under our ownership agreement, also by [majority owners] Holman Barnes [Group]. At the end of the day, it’s not the contract, it’s what people do.

“Benji works incredibly hard. What I like about Benji is that he’s incredibly resilient. Being a leader of a football club, a coach, politics, whatever – is tough, it’s not easy. Everyone’s convinced they can do a better job.



Adam Doueihi at Tigers training.Audrey Richardson
“But it’s not their job. The job week in and week out is Benji’s, and I’m impressed with how he has faced up to it and put effort into it … Occasionally on the sidelines he looks like a grump, but he’s actually a caring, skilled manager of people.”

The Doueihi drama dominated the news cycle for more than a week. Marshall named Doueihi in his preferred halfback position against the Eels after the former Rabbitoh refused to play at lock against the Raiders.

“Ultimately, the fact the parties have come together will deliver a lesson for both players and coaches,” O’Farrell said. “That’s ultimately something we’ll see play out.”

The Tigers began their season well, earning a share of the competition lead after six rounds. However, they have fallen away significantly, to the point they sit above only the Dragons on the ladder. Asked for his assessment of the decline, O’Farrell said: “I think it is, at best, puzzling.

“Puzzling because we started so well. Even in the middle of the season we defeated a number of teams we weren’t expected to defeat ... If coaches were able to get consistency all the time for their teams, life would be easier.”

The Tigers’ fortunes nosedived from the moment Jarome Luai signed with the PNG Chiefs from 2028. Marshall subsequently asked the four-time premiership-winning playmaker to leave at the end of this season, resulting in him signing for Parramatta next year.

“I’m slightly critical of the NRL given the potential for a number of clubs to lose players whilst they are still contracted to them,” O’Farrell said.

Related Article

AnalysisNRL 2026
Doueihi and Benji say everything’s OK in Tiger Town. Are we buying it?
“It’s a great initiative, PNG coming into the NRL. But I’m not sure it was properly worked through how you transition existing players of any club into PNG without creating some stresses and pressures in those clubs.”

Reminded that Luai and the Chiefs exploited an exit clause in his contract that the Tigers agreed to, O’Farrell said: “I have to tell you that rugby league contracts are the only contracts I know that can be gotten out of pretty easily.”

Asked if the Tigers were a fractured club, O’Farrell said: “I don’t believe so, for the reason I said before – it frustrates me enormously that you can have a contract with a player – and it means nothing when he wants to go.

“If it was fractured, you would have seen over the past three years far more movement than you have seen.”

O’Farrell said the club was performing well off the field, including turning “our first profit in 10 years … [and] at a governance level we have got it together.” However, he acknowledged the most important metric was on-field performance.

Marshall last week admitted that standards had slipped and that it was an area that needed addressing.

“The key is not that they slipped, the key is to ensure they don’t continue to slip,” O’Farrell said. “There’s no point looking back. Leadership is about looking forward. It’s about not being distracted by the noise, it’s about learning from the past.

“One thing I’m convinced about with Benji Marshall is that he’s incredibly smart … he doesn’t make the same error.”

If Fatty O'Barrell honestly believes it is puzzling why we have dropped down the ladder he is either not watching the games or drinking too much Grange or quite possibly both.

 

[Tucker]

Absolute delusion.

I cannot believe he came out and gave that presser.

Even if we won, it was a pathetic performance.

What in the world is there to be proud of?

My dad reminded me that some of these blokes are being paid close to a million dollars if not more....

Pathetic.

He has got to go.
Hasn’t criticised or reacted to one performance properly this year.
Today was an awful shamozzle of incompetence and a poor interpretation of what a football side looks like.
That was Parramatta and they beat us.

 

[innsaneink]

BOF is clearly another at the club with no idea...my god its endemic

Typical.polispeak