Skipper Robbie Farah says he’s happy to take orders from Luke Brooks and Mitch Moses
JAMES PHELPS EXCLUSIVE THE DAILY TELEGRAPH APRIL 18, 2015 6:00PM SHARE
PASS, run or kick? Shout, scream or stay silent? Go to the edge, the flank or smash them straight through the middle?
These are just some of the questions Robbie Farah had to ask himself every time he picked up the ball.
“But not anymore,’’ said the Wests Tigers captain as he prepared for Sunday’s match against the Canberra Raiders at Leichardt.
“I know there are others here that can lead the team for me.’’
Farah, the heart-and-soul of the Tigers for more than a decade, no longer has to do it all. He doesn’t have to be the playmaker, the pointscorer, the pin-up boy or the piñata. He can now just pick up the ball and pass it. Job done.
TIGER CUBS: Young guns need more time together
And it is thanks to Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses — the two young playmakers that Farah yesterday declared “the future of the club’’.
In fact Farah went further by declaring the club no longer belonged to him.
“It is their team now,’’ Farah said.
“They have to direct us around the park. We have been crying out for dominant halves like them for a while and now we have that. Regardless of their age (Brooks is 20 and Moses 20) they are not scared to call the ball. That is their job and I have to respect that. I know they can do it and for me it allows me to do a different job where I can run when I get the opportunity and leave more to them. They are the guys that are going to take us forward.’’
Season 2015 is a year of transition for the Tigers. On the surface it is all about the new coach Jason Taylor. But dig a little deeper and you will find it is more about a club legend executed an on-field succession plan.
“It is an adjustment period for me,’’ Farah said.
“And I am adapting to it. I am doing it because it is what the team needs for us to be successful going forward. They are the future of the club and they will carry the club. I don’t know how many years I have left. They are the long term future of the club and they have the reigns. They have to take control.’’
Farah is not conceding he is on the way out. At 31, he is at the peak of his playing powers. What he is saying is that he can now find a healthy division between time spent thinking about his own game and that of the team.
“My role is different now,’’ Farah said.
‘’I am taking a bit of time to adjust to the style we are playing. I am trying to give as much responsibility as I can to the young halves. They have a job and they need to take control. I am now looking to give them that control and as much ball as I can.’’
Farah’s admission of a playmaking power shift may explain why the Tigers are yet to hit their straps. They could have easily won five matches instead of three with narrow losses to the Warriors and the Bulldogs.
“We have been pretty happy with our start to the year despite having some losses there,’’ Farah said.
“I don’t think we have played our best football but we have learnt how to grind out a couple of wins there. The further we go into the season, the better we will get with what JT is trying to implement. At the moment there is a bit of a defensive focus but the attack will come. It is a work in progress.’’
Farah said that the Tigers would soon reach their attacking potential. Bad news for the Raiders if it happens today.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/skipper-robbie-farah-says-hes-happy-to-take-orders-from-luke-brooks-and-mitch-moses/story-fni3gpz1-1227309505163
JAMES PHELPS EXCLUSIVE THE DAILY TELEGRAPH APRIL 18, 2015 6:00PM SHARE
PASS, run or kick? Shout, scream or stay silent? Go to the edge, the flank or smash them straight through the middle?
These are just some of the questions Robbie Farah had to ask himself every time he picked up the ball.
“But not anymore,’’ said the Wests Tigers captain as he prepared for Sunday’s match against the Canberra Raiders at Leichardt.
“I know there are others here that can lead the team for me.’’
Farah, the heart-and-soul of the Tigers for more than a decade, no longer has to do it all. He doesn’t have to be the playmaker, the pointscorer, the pin-up boy or the piñata. He can now just pick up the ball and pass it. Job done.
TIGER CUBS: Young guns need more time together
And it is thanks to Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses — the two young playmakers that Farah yesterday declared “the future of the club’’.
In fact Farah went further by declaring the club no longer belonged to him.
“It is their team now,’’ Farah said.
“They have to direct us around the park. We have been crying out for dominant halves like them for a while and now we have that. Regardless of their age (Brooks is 20 and Moses 20) they are not scared to call the ball. That is their job and I have to respect that. I know they can do it and for me it allows me to do a different job where I can run when I get the opportunity and leave more to them. They are the guys that are going to take us forward.’’
Season 2015 is a year of transition for the Tigers. On the surface it is all about the new coach Jason Taylor. But dig a little deeper and you will find it is more about a club legend executed an on-field succession plan.
“It is an adjustment period for me,’’ Farah said.
“And I am adapting to it. I am doing it because it is what the team needs for us to be successful going forward. They are the future of the club and they will carry the club. I don’t know how many years I have left. They are the long term future of the club and they have the reigns. They have to take control.’’
Farah is not conceding he is on the way out. At 31, he is at the peak of his playing powers. What he is saying is that he can now find a healthy division between time spent thinking about his own game and that of the team.
“My role is different now,’’ Farah said.
‘’I am taking a bit of time to adjust to the style we are playing. I am trying to give as much responsibility as I can to the young halves. They have a job and they need to take control. I am now looking to give them that control and as much ball as I can.’’
Farah’s admission of a playmaking power shift may explain why the Tigers are yet to hit their straps. They could have easily won five matches instead of three with narrow losses to the Warriors and the Bulldogs.
“We have been pretty happy with our start to the year despite having some losses there,’’ Farah said.
“I don’t think we have played our best football but we have learnt how to grind out a couple of wins there. The further we go into the season, the better we will get with what JT is trying to implement. At the moment there is a bit of a defensive focus but the attack will come. It is a work in progress.’’
Farah said that the Tigers would soon reach their attacking potential. Bad news for the Raiders if it happens today.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/skipper-robbie-farah-says-hes-happy-to-take-orders-from-luke-brooks-and-mitch-moses/story-fni3gpz1-1227309505163