Leaked reviews, alleged player revolts and boardroom politics, these are the days of Michael Potter’s life.
While the Wests Tigers burn around him the inside out, Potter remains defiant, going about his job the way he has done since the first day he walked into Concord.
Sunday morning and it is game day, with the Tigers to face St George Illawarra at ANZ Stadium. As the day goes on, the rumours circulate that a decision will be made on Potter’s job at a meeting at Wests Ashfield that evening.
On top of it all Potter’s former teammate at the Dragons, Gorden Tallis, reports on Triple M that Wests’ skipper Robbie Farah told him in confidence last year that Potter wasn’t up to NRL coaching standard. Just another day at the office for Mick Potter.
Potter is no dummy and knew the rabble he was walking into after the club parted ways with premiership-winning mentor Tim Sheens (a man the club paid for a year after sacking him and are now being sued by), but you can’t blame the former Dally M Medal winner for wanting to ply his trade in the top rugby league competition on the planet.
What he walked into was a team run by the players. Benji Marshall, Robbie Farah and others. So he decided to change that and swing the balance back to where the power should always be, with the coach.
He made a tough but correct call by benching Marshall, and has since tried to go about moulding the new era for the dysfunctional club with Marshall gone.
In the early 1990s the Wests Magpies had a rift involving coach Warren Ryan and rising halfback Jason Taylor. A decision needed to be made – would it be the coach or the player? Taylor soon became a North Sydney Bear.
The absolute power should be with the coach and when the players start calling the shots, they won’t stop. They’ll take the inch and run a mile and keep running until the coach is a dead man walking. Then they’ll turn around and cite a “lack of support”, or it “just wasn’t working” or “it wasn’t us” when the coach gets the chop.
This is a club built on shaky foundations and old feuds. There was never any stability, only a short reprieve when a shock premiership came their way in 2005. While some officials and players know nothing about the volcano beneath their feet, it’s always building.
What Tallis did on Sunday was wrong but it doesn’t mean he’s a liar. It seems Farah is furious that a comment he made 12 months ago has been made public. But how can a comment like that ever be made by the captain of a club to a member of the media, whether it was yesterday or a year ago?
The fact that the Tigers’ board is again pandering to the same players who had Sheens sacked in 2012 is beyond staggering. It shows a lack of leadership at the highest level and they’re leaving Potter in the middle of the town square for public execution.
Yet look at the results of this team since Potter has been there and look at the playing roster he has had to work with. What coach could do more?
Brian Smith’s report said younger players had no faith in the rookie coach and media reports suggest Potter is too “dry” for these kids coming through. David Kidwell or Todd Payten are said to have the tools to do a better job. The fact that an external report was needed when the team is winning games of football shows where this club is at.
Aren’t results in a results-driven business enough anymore?
And what happens if Potter does get axed because of this report? Where does his next job come from, despite making this rookie Tigers team a competitive unit that put 40 points on competition frontrunners Canterbury no less than two weeks ago?
Wherever the backstabbing is coming from Potter knows that something remarkable is just around the corner for this talented batch of youngsters. A premiership is beckoning in the next five years, but it seems someone else might get the rewards of Potter’s groundwork.
Grow a set Wests Tigers and put the players in their place. Weed out the minorities and show them the door if they don’t want to play or coach under Potter, because if player power wins the day again and a new coach comes in, where does it stop?
bigbaz
Roar Guru
I've seen Tallis in action in private enterprise , his behaviour doesn't surprise me and others at all.
Rick
Guest
Great article and spot on. The Tigers management have to show some courage and tell those destabilising to shut up or get out. No matter how good the player/s concerned they either accept that they are employees or they get out. A coach should never b expected to bow to the will of every personality under him. The players are there to do what the coach instructs. Potter, to his credit, made some hard decisions last year and is to be congratulated on doing so. It is up to management to support him and he should be reappointed for the next couple of years to see the young blokes he has brought on reach their full potential. Sheens set up the program that encouraged these kids and he was dumped. Even the most self centred individuals must see that the Club cannot allow itself to be traduced by self interest. If the individuals don't realise it than the management must do so and act accordingly.
Spanners
Guest
It is kind of a funny one, you make a good point about what sort journalist knows the truth but doesn't report it. I think the comments made to Tallis by Farrah were made as one player to another (albeit an ex-player). I think if Tallis has his pen and paper out and a little "PRESS" card sticking out of his hatband, than Farrah doesn't make the comment. For mine, it is kind of like a situation I encountered near where i live. A few blokes I know were having a couple of beers after a fishing trip. One of the blokes who was there (but not drinking) was an off duty copper. When one of the fellas went to drive home (500m up a quite country road), the copper booked him.
simmo green
Guest
The immediate problem is the 'white anting' of Potter by his subordinates. The greater problem is the ineptitude of the management group and the board.
Spiritfree
Guest
There's no way that Tallis would make up something like that. Tallis spoke the truth. So are you saying, Curtis, that journalists should steer clear of facts? Or just that they can know it but not actually speak it? Neither of these is good. Acceptance of either by journalists per se is the reason they are held in such low regard by the general population.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Tallis may have been out of line repeating Farah's comments EXCEPT Farah's manager called Tallis on the radio and had a go at him asking "who are your sources?" basically demanding that Tallis dump Robbie in it. This forces Tallis into a corner by suggesting he's a liar and brings to the surface the fact that it was Farah who said it. Given this first started blowing up on Friday why didn't Farah tell Sam Ayoub about it before Ayoub called MMM on Sunday? It's dumb. It's also hypocritical that Farah is whinging about blokes talking out of school when he's blabbing to the media 15 months ago about how his newly appointed coach can't coach. Then the story breaks and Farah says "I want out". If this is all true - then Farah's behaviour towards his club, coach and fans is appalling at several stages of this process.
weedo23
Guest
can anyone please confirm what happened on Friday to spark all this?
tigerdave
Guest
I believe the reporting on the review was taken out of porportion. There is a new 7 member board coming in that needed to know what they have in place and where they should be going. Brian Smith did a fantastic job at Parramatta with that club winning the club championship almost every year he was there. Obviously he didn't win the NRL premiership. The streaming of young players has been excellent and needs to remain in tact. It is reported in Sydney Morning Herald that the object was not to bring down Potter and nor it should have been. I suspect this has been a beat up like a lot of things in and around the Tigers. Obviously there is a great element of truth in most aspects of what they are writing about, but some journalists like to embelish and put the lines together even they don't quite fit. The sooner the 7 man board take over and make decisions the better for the game and the tigers.
Mitchy
Guest
So what turkey decided that Brian Smith is the best man to conduct the review? This has all the marks of the "Mind Games " he demonstrated as a coach . How successful did that prove to be. ? Burn the report and move on Tigers. Oh, and trade Farrar while you are at it. No one is bigger than the club.
Tiger
Guest
All Farah has to do is say he was wrong about Potter's ability as coach when he spoke to Tallis last year..as this year the Tigers have played really well..it has proven Potter's ability.. Farah should state that Potter's got the full support of the team and HIM and he looks forward to working with Potter and leading this exciting young side.. Simple solution..I can only see two reasons as to why Farah doesn't do this , 1. He is too pig headed to admit he was wrong or 2. It is true and he doesn't want Potter coaching the Tigers anymore.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Cheers Ryan. To be honest though I'm all Wests Tigers'd out.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Absolutely Sleiman.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
There have been very few constants in all these dramas over the years.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
There are however guidelines to being a "journalist".
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Well said, Curtis. I struggle to disagree with a single word written here!
james t
Guest
I think he has done well. They are a very dangerous team but lack consistentancy. Injures have crueled there finals hopes. But the coaching isn't the problem, kidwell or patron will do much worse. Good luck mick
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Does anyone recall what Potter did during his time as a coach in the Super League? Suffice as to say, the guy has nerves of steel. I wish him all the best.
tigerdave
Guest
correct, but many people talk about things that trouble them with people in the same industry. It happens outside football as well.I would suggest that it will now be limited with ex players and media representatives. Words cannot be taken back unfortunately and if they could, I would suggest that both would have thought a lot longer before they spoke and articulated the message a lot better. If we couldn't talk straight to anyone in confidence, the whole show would be full of meaningless sentences that are far too politically correct to understand the true message. Fortunately Gordoon Tallis is a straight shooter, and I like that about him. He will make an error in judgement from time to time, and in this instance he has. It is stupid for any club to let the kids run the kindergatden and the Tgers need to get on top of that immediately. The only problem there is that they is not board. The NRL must come in a stop this circus, it is bring the game into disrepute, not to mention what it's doing to the club and its fans.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Why does it seem like every time there's a drama at the Tigers his name comes up. First Benji, then Sheens and now Potter. Makes you wonder if another team would have him
stepmit
Guest
Potter is a very decent fella and very good coach. Went to game on Saturday and Wests were outclassed by St George top class backline. Cant compete with the current injuries we have.