Line in the sand moment

[Eddie]

Few people are bagging Potter about the halves this week. I have to agree that it is a very ordinary halves paring unlikely to cause Souths many problems. I still think there's a rough chance it's a smokescreen for one of the young halves. I have also been miffed by his handling of Miller, his benching of Farah. There have been elements that show he is a rookie coach dealing with a very tough situation in regards to the overall squad, the injuries and the mood about the place.

However sometimes it goes beyond winning and losing. We have had senior players underperforming at this club for more then 18 months. When you hit rock bottom sometimes you have to send a message, draw a line in the sand. Sometimes you need to try and change the culture in the joint and stop back slapping the egos. Footballers surround themsevles with hangers on and people that only tell them what they want to here. Benji being benched is the kick up the ass he has needed for a year or two. It's the only action that could possibly get him back to his brilliant best. I couldn't care less if the team is worse off for a week or two. Lets face it we were getting beat by 40 with Benji so currently we can't go any worse. If he rediscovers a hunger for the game that has been so sadly lacking then it is a great move. Hopefully this benching is a wake up to several seniors guys that no one is untouchable.

Potter has risked his job by doing this. He's a cheap coach who has come in and taken on the superstar player. Now the ball is in Benji's court. Is it the beginning of the end for him at WT?? quite possibly. This slap in the face could really damage him and send him further down the spiral. Or will he be so hurt and so filthy that he works his ass off and finishes the season in career form again? At least now it's a question worth pondering. Where as the way things were heading Benji was only going downhill. The way he reacts to this will show his true character.

 

[tig_prmz]

benji-miller
benji- anasta
moltzen-sirro
benji-sirro
fulton- sirro

already 5th half pairing this year.. only two caused by injury. what's this round 10 ?

 

[Eddie]

LIke I said sometimes it goes beyond winning and losing. Dropping Benji is a statement. We are not a better football team currently without him starting. However sometimes you have to send a message to the squad. There have been too much comfort among our senior players at WT for a few years. Potter has made a brave call and the ball is now in Marshall's court the way he responds.

 

[supercoach]

I don't see this as any smoke screen, its just a case of a coach finally having the balls to say to one of his senior players that what they have been producing is not acceptable. Now I'am not sure Benji has what it takes to regain the form he once had,but as Eddie said,the balls in his court now,he can sulk away or he take up the challenge and to be fair to Benji I have not seen or heard any sulking yet.

It will not do our chances against Souths much good, but really we were shot anyway,its about snapping these players out of their comfort zones

 

[pHyR3]

benji-miller
benji- anasta
moltzen-sirro
benji-sirro
fulton- sirro

already 5th half pairing this year.. only two caused by injury. what's this round 10 ?

i think it's different to last year. the halves switches last year were the cause to our end. This year our end has been the cause to the switches. Only one switch had to be made this year if things went well which was Miller who has been dumped by 3 NRL coaches now. Maximum 3, but nothing has gone right so Potter has had to make a massive statement.

 

[Tigerpete]

Yep, dropping Benji is more of a statement than anything else. I'd still expect him to play 60 mins. Will Benji fire all of a sudden?? It's highly unlikely but hopefully he makes some steps in the right direction this week.

 

[westTAHger]

I see the same thing when Robbie was taking off in the game against Manly.

It may have been also to prove a point, that no matter who you are, you can be replaced at anytime.

now with Benji being on the bench, it has shown the coach will not pick you in the run on squad if you below your best.
next step and it will happen sometime this season, it to relegate them to state cup

 

[Justo]

If dropping/benching Benji is a statement. Blair is over due.

 

[pHyR3]

Blair will be dropped either for the cowboys or during bye week if he doesn't put in against the souths. This removal of benchy is either a big smokescreen or a clear cut message.

 

[2041]

If dropping/benching Benji is a statement. Blair is over due.

I tend to agree. If it's a line in the sand then sure, good, bring it on. But if it's one guy for one week then it looks like grandstanding. And I must admit my first response was "how the holy hell is Blair still in the side?" Only a bit swearier.

 

[Tigerpete]

If dropping/benching Benji is a statement. Blair is over due.

I tend to agree. If it's a line in the sand then sure, good, bring it on. But if it's one guy for one week then it looks like grandstanding. And I must admit my first response was "how the holy hell is Blair still in the side?" Only a bit swearier.

To me anyways, I think Potter has gone for Benji because it's likely to a bigger shock to the squad of the two. That it may just put the majority on notice, like "geez if Benji can be be dropped I better watch out". Had he gone for Blair, although warranted just as much, I feel Blair being benched would've caused less of a stir. There are 2 guys who've always been viewed as untouchable at Wests Tigers. Benji and Robbie. Potter has now benched both within the first half of the season. To me that sends out a VERY strong warning to anyone in the squad. Reputations count for nothing.

 

[bp_tiger]

I doubt it will have any effect on benji, he did not get better when the kiwis took the capt tag from him and i wonder if the foot injury was a cover to stop the kiwis from dropping him.

 

[Snake]

If the Tigers didn't have the injury concerns in the pack I'm sure Blair would of been dropped already!

 

[innsaneink]

If dropping/benching Benji is a statement. Blair is over due.

I think Potter would hope its a message not only to benji but all players
Blairs come out again and admitted hes down.

Its what Potter needs to do, I doubt he thought things would get this rocky, but I also doubt he thought we'd be 8/1 or 9/0 at the top of the ladder too at round 10….this is a several season job, three years

 

[Justo]

Potters come into a injured riddled team with some obvious performance issues amongst the non injured players. We are playing crap, sitting at the bottom of the ladder.

As Ink says, he's here for a few years. Nows a perfect time for him to be stamping it down, put players on notice and seeing who wants to be part of the wests tigers future and who isnt up for it.

I'd take the wooden spoon, if it saw us cull players not up for their value and see us build from the ground up. Hell I'd even go as far as saying I dont care if we lose every game this year if it gives us a GF team in 2 years. Well worth the sacrafice imo.

 

[Paris_Cobbs]

If this is all about Potter asserting his authority over his two senior players, Robbie and Benji, then I for one can have no respect for that at all. Does he want to win this week or not? Or has he given up?

I'm hoping that there is a footballing purpose in benching Benji, and I hope the move was negotiated with Benji as the best way to organise the team to maximise what chance we have of winning, not just imposed on him.

Maybe it's like this: Liam is a sensible choice at 5/8 to mark Sutton and he played a year at 5/8 in the English Super League. Sirro at half is also a strong defensive choice, he'll play the same game as he has been. We're keeping Benji out of the early exchanges to bring him into the game at about the 20-25 minute mark, to run at tiring legs. He'll most likely play out the game from there. Hopefully a lot of time has been devoted at training this week to training up players to run off Benji, to give him passing options, to keep the opposition guessing. This way he has a chance of succeeding and regaining form. Otherwise, surely, playing fewer minutes gives him less chance of succeeding. This cannot be for the good of the team.

Over a period of years, he has lost his 'targets' for his passing game - Richards, Taniella, Simon Dwyer, Moltzen, Gareth Ellis, Beau Ryan, Lote, Chris Lawrence and Ben MM (who has been dropped). I have probably forgotten others. His running game is reliant on threatening to pass and vice versa, he needs support from the team and the coach to return to form.

 

[Frank_the_tank]

If the Tigers didn't have the injury concerns in the pack I'm sure Blair would of been dropped already!

I said exactly that about a month ago.

 

[Fade_To_Black]

**I see the same thing when Robbie was taking off in the game against Manly.\
\
It may have been also to prove a point, that no matter who you are, you can be replaced at anytime**.

now with Benji being on the bench, it has shown the coach will not pick you in the run on squad if you below your best.
next step and it will happen sometime this season, it to relegate them to state cup

The benching of Benji is a good move IMO, it was due to poor form and may put some fire in his belly (which he needs).
The benching of Farah on the other hand was a bloody moronic,stupid decision as it wasn't due to bad form and Robbie plays with passion every single game. Not to mention that we were well in the game against Manly at that moment.