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Robbie Farah, the man is a patriot, is clearly very proud and has a wealth of supporters thanks to being a one team man and current captain of Wests Tigers.
ARTICLE: HAS HAYNE ALREADY MADE THE 49ERS’ 53-MAN ROSTER?
So where has the situation of the Tigers coach Jason Taylor inviting Farah to look elsewhere for game time come from?
The results
With the exception of the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the Tigers have underachieved. With the playing roster they have had there should have been more consistency. For the Tigers to come out and beat the Warriors, albeit understrength, 50-16 last weekend just confirms this team are serial underachievers.
Where is that passion and intensity each week and why has it taken the call for the captain to move on to bring this out in the players?
The man
Farah may not get the best press and it is true that the media has a way of putting a slant on most situations involving him. What does seem to be a general consensus with Farah is that the guy has his heart on his sleeve and that no one can deny his efforts.
Farah has been rightly or wrongly portrayed as petulant, moody and selfish by the press over the years. There have been several prickly encounters, some clearly emanating from selective editorial licence and some of what appeared to be his own making.
However, it would be fair to say that Farah is portrayed as a prickly character to deal with. He doesn’t seem to have too many friends in the media.
The captain
The captain’s role is multifaceted. They are the conduit to the coach and the board the players need. They are on-field leaders and earn respect with their actions and words. They are motivators and spokespeople for their clubs. They also must take a great deal of the responsibility for the results produced.
It has been extremely unfortunate to hear reports of Farah refusing to turn up for training on occasions when he has been thrust into the spotlight. That tends to go against what is expected of a captain.
Also, there must be a major breakdown in communication if coach Taylor does not see a future with Farah. Taylor has been employed to win football games. With Farah at the helm, that has not happened under the guidance of previous coaches. To do his job, the coach needs the players he wants.
The player
There is no denying his dedication on the field based on his efforts each match; there is never much left in the tank come full-time. He has the ability to attack with a running and kicking game and is prepared to stand up in defence. But like his NSW teammate Paul Gallen, Robbie Farah has been accused at times of taking too much control of the ball playing role.
Often the effort made is in vain and the wrong decision is taken. The pivots must sometimes wonder what their role in the Tigers team actually is. When the hooker takes on this extra responsibility is it because he genuinely thinks he is the best attacking option toward the end of a set? Is he the best kicker in general play in the team?
It would be interesting to know what the current and previous coaches think when Farah decides to take the responsibility of attack upon himself so regularly.
The conjecture
Farah was anointed early in his career as the future of the Tigers. Yet what may be simply determination comes across as sheer arrogance in the media. It might have been useful to have someone tap Farah on the shoulder a few years ago to advise him that some media training would be a step in the right direction. It may have helped him deflect some of unneeded attention in the press.
From an outsider’s position it certainly looks like Robbie Farah has had too much power for too long at the club. He has seen coaches go in less than stellar circumstances, and the club is still paying for those dismissals. And the departure of Benji Marshall will always be closely associated with Farah.
It seems that with Taylor on board, he is of the opinion that Farah is blocking the future progress and results of the club. As outlined above, Farah casts a very long shadow at the Tigers and under his guidance as captain and go-to player, the team has not performed. Taylor has now called out Farah and believes he is the one stifling the club from reaching its potential.
The outcome
Many a player in the game and in life have had that tap on the shoulder and been told their time is up. The most recent to come to mind is that of Justin Hodges. Under the tutelage of Wayne Bennett, Hodges, like several other players before, seems to been given that tap on the shoulder. Hodges is a competitor and no doubt would have been hurt if indeed his retirement wasn’t 100 per cent his decision.
The point is, Hodges is a club man and saw the benefit in the whole scheme of things and will go out graciously.
Farah is a club man but from his responses in the past week, it would not be hard to see his actions as purely selfish and he would happily continue to tear the Tigers apart. And if you believe the reports of Robbie having players and coaches removed from the Tigers’ ranks, the only outcome is for him to finally fall on his sword. He has run out of scapegoats.
Farah has made it clear he will put his personal wants and needs ahead of the club. So if Farah gets his way and plays on, there may well be another coach being paid out because the situation will become untenable.
Robbie Farah is the last common denominator at the Wests Tigers. For the club to move on and begin to heal and unite he needs to let them go. Farah is the only person who can help Wests Tigers right now. With all the baggage he carries – rightly or wrongly – he cannot be a part of the club’s future.
As hard as it would be after all the effort, he needs to think not of himself, but of the club he has bled and sweated for, and call a press conference to call an end to that chapter of his career.
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