Wests Tigers skipper Robbie Farah wants football to do his talking
February 7, 2015 - 7:27PM
Michael Carayannis
Rugby League Writer
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Robbie Farah has set himself a goal of a different kind this year. While leading the Tigers to premiership glory and retaining his representative jumpers obviously tops Farah's 2015 wish list, the Tigers skipper wants his football - not off-field woes - to dominate headlines this year.
After a troubled 2014 season where Farah was put under the microscope for a host of decisions happening off the field at the Tigers, he feels more settled heading into this year.
While his on-field form did not dip, Farah is confident he can only improve without the distractions of recent seasons and under the guidance of new coach Jason Taylor.
"That wasn't nice," Farah said of a forgettable last season. "Hopefully we can just talk about footy this year.
"Hopefully _focused on just playing footy and not getting too involved with everything that's written. Stuff is always going to be written. If we start losing a couple of games in a row people will start writing stuff. But you've got to believe in the group here and believe in what you're doing right as a team.\
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"And not worry about anyone external, they can say what they want."\
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Much of the Tigers' recent success has rested on Farah's shoulders as they look to return to the finals for the first time since 2011.\
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But with a settled and exciting halves combination of Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses, plus the return from injury of James Tedesco, Farah will be relieved of some of the playmaking pressure he has had to carry.\
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"The halves are growing in confidence," Farah said. "They'll be better for having a season under their belt last year.\
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"That will only get better when Teddy [Tedesco] gets back. Everyone saw how good a player he is in the first 10 rounds of last year. He is due for a bit of luck. He has worked hard on his injuries and is looking good and sharp. Between the four of us hopefully we can guide the team around."\
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Taylor's focus has been on stiffening up a Tigers side that leaked the most points in the NRL last year. After a solid start to last year, the Tigers fell away late in the season, including scores of 64 and 48 against them in successive weeks. Farah said he expected a much improved defensive unit this year.\
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"For us and JT defence is our No.1 priority," Farah said. "You never go out there to concede points, but last year for one reason or another we fell away with our D. There were a couple of games there where we had some really big blowouts. That's disappointing when you let the scoreboard get away from you.\
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"If you're going to lose you want to walk off with your head held high. We are working on our structure and different sort of things that can help us in D.\
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"When a new coach comes in with new ideas, we need to adapt to that and buy into it. "We make mistakes some times because it's new to us, but each day we are reviewing it and seeing where we went wrong and where we can get better."\
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The Tigers - filled with NSW Cup players - had their first hitout of the seasonon Friday night, losing 26-4 to Wentworthville.\
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The NRL squad will get their first taste of action when they play the Eels in Alice Springs on Friday night, while Campbelltown Stadium will host their final pre-season match against Cronulla on February 21.\
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http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/wests-tigers/wests-tigers-skipper-robbie-farah-wants-football-to-do-his-talking-20150207-138idq.html_
February 7, 2015 - 7:27PM
Michael Carayannis
Rugby League Writer
\
\
Robbie Farah has set himself a goal of a different kind this year. While leading the Tigers to premiership glory and retaining his representative jumpers obviously tops Farah's 2015 wish list, the Tigers skipper wants his football - not off-field woes - to dominate headlines this year.
After a troubled 2014 season where Farah was put under the microscope for a host of decisions happening off the field at the Tigers, he feels more settled heading into this year.
While his on-field form did not dip, Farah is confident he can only improve without the distractions of recent seasons and under the guidance of new coach Jason Taylor.
"That wasn't nice," Farah said of a forgettable last season. "Hopefully we can just talk about footy this year.
"Hopefully _focused on just playing footy and not getting too involved with everything that's written. Stuff is always going to be written. If we start losing a couple of games in a row people will start writing stuff. But you've got to believe in the group here and believe in what you're doing right as a team.\
\
"And not worry about anyone external, they can say what they want."\
\
Much of the Tigers' recent success has rested on Farah's shoulders as they look to return to the finals for the first time since 2011.\
\
But with a settled and exciting halves combination of Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses, plus the return from injury of James Tedesco, Farah will be relieved of some of the playmaking pressure he has had to carry.\
\
"The halves are growing in confidence," Farah said. "They'll be better for having a season under their belt last year.\
\
"That will only get better when Teddy [Tedesco] gets back. Everyone saw how good a player he is in the first 10 rounds of last year. He is due for a bit of luck. He has worked hard on his injuries and is looking good and sharp. Between the four of us hopefully we can guide the team around."\
\
Taylor's focus has been on stiffening up a Tigers side that leaked the most points in the NRL last year. After a solid start to last year, the Tigers fell away late in the season, including scores of 64 and 48 against them in successive weeks. Farah said he expected a much improved defensive unit this year.\
\
"For us and JT defence is our No.1 priority," Farah said. "You never go out there to concede points, but last year for one reason or another we fell away with our D. There were a couple of games there where we had some really big blowouts. That's disappointing when you let the scoreboard get away from you.\
\
"If you're going to lose you want to walk off with your head held high. We are working on our structure and different sort of things that can help us in D.\
\
"When a new coach comes in with new ideas, we need to adapt to that and buy into it. "We make mistakes some times because it's new to us, but each day we are reviewing it and seeing where we went wrong and where we can get better."\
\
The Tigers - filled with NSW Cup players - had their first hitout of the seasonon Friday night, losing 26-4 to Wentworthville.\
\
The NRL squad will get their first taste of action when they play the Eels in Alice Springs on Friday night, while Campbelltown Stadium will host their final pre-season match against Cronulla on February 21.\
\
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/wests-tigers/wests-tigers-skipper-robbie-farah-wants-football-to-do-his-talking-20150207-138idq.html_
