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Wests Tigers angry none of their players were picked for State of Origin
Christian Nicolussi From: The Daily Telegraph May 18, 2011 12:00AM
MANY experts rated them genuine premiership threats at the start of the season - yet Wests Tigers are the only NRL club not to feature a player in the Origin series.
In a rude mid-season wake-up call for the Tigers, senior players believe the sluggish start by the joint-venture club harmed the representative hopes of skipper Robbie Farah and Keith Galloway and they need to turn things around starting against Penrith on Saturday.
Superstar five-eighth Benji Marshall said: "It's disappointing nobody is in Origin, it was disappointing nobody made the Test side for Australia either, so we'd really like to turn that around and for us to do that we need to play well as a team.
"Those players in (Origin) contention need to step up and lead by example as well. I know much it hurts Robbie and Keith not to be in that (NSW) side, but it's now up to them to turn it around and for us to support them.
"We have had injuries in the past, but we have still had the players to win games, we just haven't been able to do it. We need a big wake-up call to try and turn things around, to come together and play more as a team ."
Lock forward Chris Heighington, an Origin long-shot, said the Tigers had struggled when it came to Origin selection.
He said this largely was because of the club's inconsistency - an annoying trait of which the Tigers have been guilty.
They were shocking in the first half against South Sydney at the weekend and do not want a repeat against the Panthers on Saturday.
The Origin individual selection spread ranges from seven players from the Dragons down to one player at most clubs, including Souths who have Dave Taylor as the Maroons' 18th man.
Christian Nicolussi From: The Daily Telegraph May 18, 2011 12:00AM
MANY experts rated them genuine premiership threats at the start of the season - yet Wests Tigers are the only NRL club not to feature a player in the Origin series.
In a rude mid-season wake-up call for the Tigers, senior players believe the sluggish start by the joint-venture club harmed the representative hopes of skipper Robbie Farah and Keith Galloway and they need to turn things around starting against Penrith on Saturday.
Superstar five-eighth Benji Marshall said: "It's disappointing nobody is in Origin, it was disappointing nobody made the Test side for Australia either, so we'd really like to turn that around and for us to do that we need to play well as a team.
"Those players in (Origin) contention need to step up and lead by example as well. I know much it hurts Robbie and Keith not to be in that (NSW) side, but it's now up to them to turn it around and for us to support them.
"We have had injuries in the past, but we have still had the players to win games, we just haven't been able to do it. We need a big wake-up call to try and turn things around, to come together and play more as a team ."
Lock forward Chris Heighington, an Origin long-shot, said the Tigers had struggled when it came to Origin selection.
He said this largely was because of the club's inconsistency - an annoying trait of which the Tigers have been guilty.
They were shocking in the first half against South Sydney at the weekend and do not want a repeat against the Panthers on Saturday.
The Origin individual selection spread ranges from seven players from the Dragons down to one player at most clubs, including Souths who have Dave Taylor as the Maroons' 18th man.
