BENJI SAFE - EVEN IF HE WINS ANOTHER SPOON
Wests Tigers boss Shane Richardson has declared coach Benji Marshall’s job is safe despite five straight losses and the possibility of a fourth straight wooden spoon.
Losses to Storm (64-nil), Rabbitohs (22-12), Cowboys (32-28), Penrith (18-14) and the Canberra Raiders (16-12) at Campbelltown on Friday night have left the club just two points above the bottom three clubs.
But Richardson insists: “I’ve got no issues with Benji - he’ll be our coach through to next year.
“I can guarantee he’ll be here. When you’re building from the bottom up you’ve got to have some stability. My feeling is Benji is the person to lead us to the next level.”
It’s that time of the year in an NRL season where the blowtorch is turned towards the underperforming clubs and their struggling coaches.
Benji is in a group including the Titans’ Des Hasler, Manly Anthony Seibold and Newcastle’s Adam O’Brien who are under the most pressure.
There’s no question the Wests Tigers have improved significantly on previous years.
But there are still nowhere near where they need to be.
“I still think Benji’s the best person for the job,” Richardson said, “I can make a tough decision if one needs to be made but I believe in him.
Richardson is not concerned that boom five-eighth Lachlan Galvin recently walked out on the club to join the Canterbury Bulldogs.
His agent, the twice deregistered Isaac Moses, had fronted the Wests Tigers boss with a seven-point dossier of complaints around Benji’s coaching.
“I’m not worried about that at all,” Richardson said.
“Benji’s got a great work ethos and he’s a really smart guy with great rugby league intelligence.
“I like the style of his coaching and the style of player he wants.
“He’s getting better and better. He listens and wants to learn. I genuinely believe we can build this club around him.”
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