Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Fallen Angel said:
Let’s be honest, he coasted on his name post 2012.
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At times, sure.

I actually think in many ways, once he lost a yard, he became a better player. He was forced into reinventing himself, which he didn't always nail, but he certainly added more to his bow as he went.

That I think is quite admirable and more a mark of his motivations.
 
king_sirro said:
I think there are some variables to consider when judging Benji's performance last year. Solely on our results, it's easy to say he was poor, and no one could definitively argue against that as that's all that matters really. However, IMO there is some evidence to give us hope he may work out.

I believe the changes we made around the Manly game, followed by a strong performance against Parra then finally our first win against Penrith came from Benji. He lead the push for a simpler game plan, earning our way through hard work before just throwing the ball around. Players bought into this more then what Sheens wanted to do.
We then had a good period of footy that could have kicked on, but we blew the game against Canberra with a late penalty, a game where we were the far superior team, we then lost our 9 and 7 for a large chunk, momentum lost and season gone. I do wonder what could have been if we had that game plan from round 1 and didn't lose our 9, 6 and 7 for big periods.

There are signs of hope with Benji, no matter how unlikely it seems.
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I'm impressed with his ability to get buy in from our senior players despite finishing last.

Been many years since we had such a tight knit group.

Seems to have won the dressing room anyway.
 
Magpie_Magic said:
I'm impressed with his ability to get buy in from our senior players despite finishing last.

Been many years since we had such a tight knit group.

Seems to have won the dressing room anyway.
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Same manager as Isaiah Papali'i. Don't think he likes wests tigers very much.
 
Fallen Angel said:
Benji seems to me like the kind of dude who has the attention span of a gnat. Like he woke up one day and thought “I might give that coaching thing a try”. But the bigger idiots are the club. I don’t think there are words to accurately describe how irresponsible and dumb his appointment is. It’s a publicity stunt on steroids.
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Hypothetically we sack Benji……. who’s your pick to take over? I can’t think of anyone who I’d have confidence can get the job done that’s on the market right now.

What I’m seeing is that this club over the last 10 years have lacked an identity/DNA. Overtime it has translated into a very poor culture which has been lingering around this club ever since which inadvertently really stuffed up our ability to recruit and improve as no one wants to join a club with no clear vision/culture. Whilst also being the main reason to continued failing seasons.

Where we’re in luck is the one thing we’ve lacked and struggled to implement which arguably is the hardest attribute to have as a coach - the ability to create a vision that the players can buy into and set a culture around that to make sure we hit our goals to get to the level we’re striving towards. Well this is the one thing that comes so naturally to Benji. Which is why everyone can see the clear potential he has as a coach. Combine that with the respect he’ll command for his players in terms of what he did for the badge and surrounding himself with former Wests Tigers legends like Farah, Heighno, Morris etc and we’re building towards a implementing a Wests Tigers DNA.

Look at what we’ve done….. Api re-signing, Stef getting rid of his clause, Ice reaffirming he wants to stay and Bula inking a new deal. That’s just retention related. Usually someone’s asking for a release post season - yet this season it’s the opposite.

After the year we’ve had why are all these players still so committed to this club - because of Pascoe? Sometimes I don’t understand the Benji hate, I really don’t. The problem is far bigger than Benji, it’s clear we have some issues that are higher than him that we need to address - whenever we do that then we can really start to put the foot on the pedal and see what we can do as a club.

I understand the year we had wasn’t ideal - however I’m not as bothered as some as I saw some really good signs when fit. Unfortunately having Brandon Wakeham and Will Smith as our halves at some points in the year….. well as much as we expect to win we’re already fighting a losing battle. Next year should be different.

Not all the time it’s about who’s the best coach - it’s more so who’s the best fit for that particular club and where they’re at. Personally, I think the fit is perfect.
 
teddy23 said:
Hypothetically we sack Benji……. who’s your pick to take over? I can’t think of anyone who I’d have confidence can get the job done that’s on the market right now.

What I’m seeing is that this club over the last 10 years have lacked an identity/DNA. Overtime it has translated into a very poor culture which has been lingering around this club ever since which inadvertently really stuffed up our ability to recruit and improve as no one wants to join a club with no clear vision/culture. Whilst also being the main reason to continued failing seasons.

Where we’re in luck is the one thing we’ve lacked and struggled to implement which arguably is the hardest attribute to have as a coach - the ability to create a vision that the players can buy into and set a culture around that to make sure we hit our goals to get to the level we’re striving towards. Well this is the one thing that comes so naturally to Benji. Which is why everyone can see the clear potential he has as a coach. Combine that with the respect he’ll command for his players in terms of what he did for the badge and surrounding himself with former Wests Tigers legends like Farah, Heighno, Morris etc and we’re building towards a implementing a Wests Tigers DNA.

Look at what we’ve done….. Api re-signing, Stef getting rid of his clause, Ice reaffirming he wants to stay and Bula inking a new deal. That’s just retention related. Usually someone’s asking for a release post season - yet this season it’s the opposite.

After the year we’ve had why are all these players still so committed to this club - because of Pascoe? Sometimes I don’t understand the Benji hate, I really don’t. The problem is far bigger than Benji, it’s clear we have some issues that are higher than him that we need to address - whenever we do that then we can really start to put the foot on the pedal and see what we can do as a club.

I understand the year we had wasn’t ideal - however I’m not as bothered as some as I saw some really good signs when fit. Unfortunately having Brandon Wakeham and Will Smith as our halves at some points in the year….. well as much as we expect to win we’re already fighting a losing battle. Next year should be different.

Not all the time it’s about who’s the best coach - it’s more so who’s the best fit for that particular club and where they’re at. Personally, I think the fit is perfect.
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For you teddy, common sense is common
 
teddy23 said:
Hypothetically we sack Benji……. who’s your pick to take over? I can’t think of anyone who I’d have confidence can get the job done that’s on the market right now.
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Yup. Some commenters on here just won't engage with reality - they seem to think the fact that we've been crap for years means it's reasonable to demand the impossible. They want to sign players who aren't available and who they refuse to name, appoint a coach who isn't out there, sack a board that literally owns the NRL franchise. Then they scream at anyone who points out that these things aren't possible.

I mean, I'm sick to death of supporting the laughing stock of the comp and I'm 100% not satisfied with the governance, coaching, recruitment and retention or playing roster. But I am also engaged with reality and I understand that the only solutions to this whole mess are (a) going to take a long time, and (b) have to be things that can actually be done.
 
teddy23 said:
Not all the time it’s about who’s the best coach - it’s more so who’s the best fit for that particular club and where they’re at. Personally, I think the fit is perfect.
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Not shitting on your opinion, just trying to understand it..
What makes Benji a perfect fit? Perfect being the dominant descriptor here….
 
teddy23 said:
Hypothetically we sack Benji……. who’s your pick to take over? I can’t think of anyone who I’d have confidence can get the job done that’s on the market right now.

What I’m seeing is that this club over the last 10 years have lacked an identity/DNA. Overtime it has translated into a very poor culture which has been lingering around this club ever since which inadvertently really stuffed up our ability to recruit and improve as no one wants to join a club with no clear vision/culture. Whilst also being the main reason to continued failing seasons.

Where we’re in luck is the one thing we’ve lacked and struggled to implement which arguably is the hardest attribute to have as a coach - the ability to create a vision that the players can buy into and set a culture around that to make sure we hit our goals to get to the level we’re striving towards. Well this is the one thing that comes so naturally to Benji. Which is why everyone can see the clear potential he has as a coach. Combine that with the respect he’ll command for his players in terms of what he did for the badge and surrounding himself with former Wests Tigers legends like Farah, Heighno, Morris etc and we’re building towards a implementing a Wests Tigers DNA.

Look at what we’ve done….. Api re-signing, Stef getting rid of his clause, Ice reaffirming he wants to stay and Bula inking a new deal. That’s just retention related. Usually someone’s asking for a release post season - yet this season it’s the opposite.

After the year we’ve had why are all these players still so committed to this club - because of Pascoe? Sometimes I don’t understand the Benji hate, I really don’t. The problem is far bigger than Benji, it’s clear we have some issues that are higher than him that we need to address - whenever we do that then we can really start to put the foot on the pedal and see what we can do as a club.

I understand the year we had wasn’t ideal - however I’m not as bothered as some as I saw some really good signs when fit. Unfortunately having Brandon Wakeham and Will Smith as our halves at some points in the year….. well as much as we expect to win we’re already fighting a losing battle. Next year should be different.

Not all the time it’s about who’s the best coach - it’s more so who’s the best fit for that particular club and where they’re at. Personally, I think the fit is perfect.
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Benji isn’t the problem, same way Madge wasn’t the problem
Our board, chairman and CEO all have to carry much of the responsibility for our failures of the last 5-10 years
Hopefully the review gets to the heart of the issue but it does feel like they are slightly reviewing themselves and either one or both of Lee and Pascoe will be offered up, which would be a start at least
Wests Ashfield need to open the board up beyond their directors if we want to really get fair dinkum as they won’t support a Campbelltown base which is realistically our best future, with a handful of Leichhardt games
 
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Josh Curran has been given permission to negotiate with rival clubs. Would be great off the bench for us.

Although my focus would be on a strike centre (feels like we've been saying that for years) like Best or Manu. And of course, Olakau'atu if that is even a possibility.
 
For what it's worth as well I recently ran into Api & had a convo with him about WT's & he could not have enough praise for Benji & what he's done in a short amount of time. A big reason why he extended & why others are committing long term to the club is because of Benji Marshall... he has a lot to learn coaching wise imo but man management is probably the most important thing as a Head Coach nowadays & in that department he is excelling by far !!
 
WesternSuburbsBoy said:
For what it's worth as well I recently ran into Api & had a convo with him about WT's & he could not have enough praise for Benji & what he's done in a short amount of time. A big reason why he extended & why others are committing long term to the club is because of Benji Marshall... he has a lot to learn coaching wise imo but man management is probably the most important thing as a Head Coach nowadays & in that department he is excelling by far !!
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culture and leadership is key. with Benji driving culture and Api, Bateman, Sezer and Klemmer (and others) driving standards we won't be anchored to the bottom much longer.
 
teddy23 said:
Hypothetically we sack Benji……. who’s your pick to take over? I can’t think of anyone who I’d have confidence can get the job done that’s on the market right now.

What I’m seeing is that this club over the last 10 years have lacked an identity/DNA. Overtime it has translated into a very poor culture which has been lingering around this club ever since which inadvertently really stuffed up our ability to recruit and improve as no one wants to join a club with no clear vision/culture. Whilst also being the main reason to continued failing seasons.

Where we’re in luck is the one thing we’ve lacked and struggled to implement which arguably is the hardest attribute to have as a coach - the ability to create a vision that the players can buy into and set a culture around that to make sure we hit our goals to get to the level we’re striving towards. Well this is the one thing that comes so naturally to Benji. Which is why everyone can see the clear potential he has as a coach. Combine that with the respect he’ll command for his players in terms of what he did for the badge and surrounding himself with former Wests Tigers legends like Farah, Heighno, Morris etc and we’re building towards a implementing a Wests Tigers DNA.

Look at what we’ve done….. Api re-signing, Stef getting rid of his clause, Ice reaffirming he wants to stay and Bula inking a new deal. That’s just retention related. Usually someone’s asking for a release post season - yet this season it’s the opposite.

After the year we’ve had why are all these players still so committed to this club - because of Pascoe? Sometimes I don’t understand the Benji hate, I really don’t. The problem is far bigger than Benji, it’s clear we have some issues that are higher than him that we need to address - whenever we do that then we can really start to put the foot on the pedal and see what we can do as a club.

I understand the year we had wasn’t ideal - however I’m not as bothered as some as I saw some really good signs when fit. Unfortunately having Brandon Wakeham and Will Smith as our halves at some points in the year….. well as much as we expect to win we’re already fighting a losing battle. Next year should be different.

Not all the time it’s about who’s the best coach - it’s more so who’s the best fit for that particular club and where they’re at. Personally, I think the fit is perfect.
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Very well said.

I think some fail to forget the amazing influences he's had around him that he'll be able to utilize... He's played with or was coached by, Sheens, Bennett, Cleary, Madge, Kearney & Payten. I don't think you can get a better apprenticeship than that. He's watched all these guys and will know the best methods to bring into how he wants to coach.

He'll have also learned from his past mistakes during his career and understand what he lacked at the time to keep him on the straight and narrow.

But the most important thing he brings.... passion. Passion for the club. He won't want the club to fail nor will he want the damage to his brand. He'll be more invested than most.

I'm fully on the Benji Bandwagon.
 
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