Benji Marshall appears to be like set to get his want, with the incoming Wests Tigers coach reportedly given the inexperienced mild to signal former Canberra Raiders halfback Aidan Sezer.
That is in accordance with a report from The Sydney Morning Heraldon Monday evening because the membership moved to deal with rising pressure between Marshall and recruitment boss Scott Fulton.
Speaking to Fox League’s ‘NRL 360’ on Monday, Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis stated the ultimate say on recruitment issues at all times rests with the “head coach”.
Although on this occasion, Fulton is claimed to have disagreed with Marshall and as a substitute was eager about luring Penrith’s Jack Cogger to the membership subsequent season.
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Hagipantelis described it as one instance of “professional tension” between the pair in an interview with The Heraldon Monday, including the pair gained’t at all times agree on each participant.
“And that’s fair enough,” he added.
“They need to engage in robust discussion. They need to be transparent. But eventually they’ll either land on the same page or they won’t, with respect to a particular player.
“And if they do or they don’t, they move on. They respect the other person’s decision.”
The pressure between Marshall and Fulton although is reported to have been simmering lengthy earlier than the disagreement over who the Tigers ought to signal to fill their void at halfback.
The reality Fulton was signed with out the information of Marshall or present head coach Tim Sheens clearly didn’t assist.
At this stage it appears to be like like Marshall will win out with Sezer to signal with the membership on a short-term deal because the Tigers discover an even bigger title to focus on forward of the 2025 season.
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“Lee said the coach gets the ultimate say and the word is Aidan Sezer will be there next year. It’s a one-year deal on minimum money, there’s no one else out there,” The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read stated on Fox League’s ‘NRL 360’.
“You talk about Jack Cogger, he’s not going to want one year. He’s probably going to want longer than that. It [a one-year deal] gives them an opportunity to patiently target someone else. It’s for a purpose.
“… The problem with Cogger is he wants a three-year deal… he’s been in and out of the system for a while now. He had three years at the Knights and two years at the Bulldogs. He’ll want what, $300,000 to 500,000?
“He’s playing at Penrith at the moment, no disrespect to Jack, but anyone could play in that halves position and do the job he is doing right now, in my opinion. That takes up a lot of your cap.”
The Tigers even have curiosity in younger Manly playmaker Latu Fainu, with the signing of Sezer to haven’t any influence on the membership’s pursuit of the gifted 18-year-old.
Interest from Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins, however, might spoil their bid to signal Fainu, who has been given permission by Manly to barter with rival golf equipment.
While the attraction of taking part in for the NRL’s latest franchise is apparent, a transfer to the lowly Tigers presents a danger for Fainu and his administration is taking lively steps to deal with that.
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According to The Herald, they “want a clearer picture of the Tigers’ future” earlier than making a name on the place he indicators.
That in itself exposes what The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio described as a “massive problem” for the membership in the meanwhile.
“Not everyone is on the same page at the Tigers which is a massive, massive problem,” Riccio stated on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
It comes after reviews a pair of participant brokers held disaster conferences with the membership final week, expressing their concern over the therapy and improvement of their purchasers.
Players are additionally stated to have requested their brokers to hunt affirmation that there can be a training change for the 2024 season.
That is a part of the explanation why Fulton nonetheless is of worth to the Tigers in accordance with Phil Rothfield, who believes the recruitment boss can nonetheless flip issues round.
“His agent takes him up, tours Redcliffe, meets Wayne Bennett. Hard not to be impressed with Wayne there?” Rothfield stated on ‘NRL 360’ of Fainu.
“Then he’s got the Wests Tigers. He’s got Benji and Tim Sheens shaping up for a second wooden spoon. They want Fulton there because they’ve got confidence he can rebuild the roster.
“… He’s [Marshall] not going to get them [marquee players] himself, he’s tried. He tried Mitchell Moses, he’s tried to sign other players like Tyson Frizell and hasn’t been able to do it. He needs help.”
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NRL 360 co-host Braith Anasta although stated he felt “uncomfortable” on the suggestion participant brokers had been “dictating terms” to the Tigers, worrying in regards to the influence it might have on Marshall.
“Benji Marshall is in his first year as a Tigers legend who they signed on a five-year deal to take this club into the future. We are in the back-end of the season and the club is already undermining him,” Anasta stated.
“… We’ve got a guy here who is a legend, who is very experienced in the game, who they’ve given an opportunity to take this club to the next level. Benji needs to plan this.
“It’s about personalities too… it’s about what type of players you want at the Wests Tigers. Benji wants to look for that player now because they haven’t had enough of them — those consistent, hardworking, resilient players who win premierships. Players who bring potential premierships to the club. He knows exactly what he wants.”
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Marshall continues to be set to work as an assistant below head coach Sheens subsequent 12 months and Hagipantelis instructed ‘NRL 360’ that was nonetheless the plan subsequent 12 months.
“That’s the plan, that’s what his contract says,” he stated.
It was hardly a ringing endorsement for Sheens although and The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read struggles to see how the veteran coach stays on the membership subsequent 12 months if outcomes don’t change.
“If they continue playing the way they are going to have to change things at the end of the year. That’s pretty clear,” Read stated.
“You can’t finish with a wooden spoon [and] win three or four games all year. You’ve got to make change if that is the case, no one survives that. It doesn’t matter if you’re Tim Sheens… if that’s how the rest of the year pans out it’s hard to see Tim being there next year.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
