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An emotional Robbie Farah has conceded he might have played his last NRL game for Wests Tigers and ridiculed coach Jason Taylor’s reasons for dumping him to reserve grade.
Taylor starred in the Tigers’ 42-24 NSW Cup win over Newtown on Saturday at Leichhardt Oval and was swamped by hundreds of fans on the ground, post-game, who chanted his name and anti-Taylor slogans.
Farah wiped away tears as he faced a throng of media after the match, making a number of pointed comments at Taylor that are sure to only stoke the growing animosity between the pair.
When asked if he thought his NRL career with the Tigers was over, Farah replied: “Possibly, but all the sentimental stuff has gone out the window for me now. Today was just as good as playing 250 at Leichhardt. Today is a day I will never forget.
“I will look back in 10 or 20 years and remember all the people who showed up in support of me, whether I play another game for the Tigers or not.
“I have given my career to this club and, in 20 years’ time, I would like to think the fans will still remember me as a player who has given my all for the club.”
In two weeks, Farah had been due to play his 250th NRL game in the Round 22 clash with North Queensland at Leichhardt.
On Saturday morning, Taylor reiterated his reasons for dumping Farah.
“Robbie is a creative dummy-half and we have a number of creative players in our team,” Taylor said.
“There is only one ball and it is hard to have too many creative players. That is the clearest way I can put it in terms of how of our team runs and how we would like it to run.”
NSW rake Farah rubbished that explanation.
“It is hard when you hear stuff being said about you, false stuff, like what was the word that was used? – ‘cohesion in attack’,” Farah said.
“I have played four games in the last 12 weeks for the Tigers. Three of those have been wins and, in three of those wins, we have scored over 30 points.
“The game that I lost, I got knocked out after 20 minutes. We haven’t scored over 30 points in a game when I haven’t been playing since round two.
“That is the most disappointing thing. I have had the finger of blame pointed at me for the way things have been going. I find that unfair. Our biggest problem is our defence, which is the second worst in the competition.
“Our attack is the least of our problems and I am the least of our problems in attack.”
Farah, who was watched from the sidelines on Saturday by current and former clubmates in Benji Marshall, Aaron Woods, Chris Lawrence and Tim Moltzen, said management was trying to force him from the club.
“I feel I am getting treated differently to some others,” he said.
“I will continue being professional and try and keep my mouth shut and try not to do anything wrong because I think that is what they are trying to get me to do. But I think I am a bit smarter than that.”
Farah, whose contract is worth around $1 million a season, has one more year on his deal with the Tigers.
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