Robbie Farah has been offered a lifetime contract at the Wests Tigers after initially being told he was no longer wanted at the club after 2015.
This will see Robbie Farah finish as a one-club player, meaning he will outlast many of his Tigers teammates – or rivals depending on your point of view.
This includes coaches Tim Sheens and Mick Potter (please hold for the pending departure of Jason Taylor) and star players or players Benji Marshall, Beau Ryan and Chris Heighington, among others.
The reason for the retention of Farah is less about his perceived value but rather than due to his current salary, which is a roster-destroying $900k p.a.
They can simply not shoulder the cost of another club picking him up at his current market value, with some clubs only willing to sign the 32-year-old hooker at the minimum wage of $80,000.
Coach Taylor and new CEO Marina Go were well aware of all the risks associated with advising Robbie that he was not wanted at the club and the potential for it to blow up in their face. However, they were still willing to proceed, both of them for understandable reasons
Taylor was more than aware of how instrumental Farah was in the departure of the two previous Tigers coaches. First the decorated and long term Australian coach Sheens, as well as the talented Potter – who most pundits agree was on the receiving end of a pretty raw deal at the end of 2014.
Whether you agree with Jason Taylor’s coaching ability or not, any coach wants to have control of their team before any other party – be they owner or player. With Farah’s influence, track record and the fact he is in the latter stages of his career, you can understand Taylor’s willingness to move Farah on in order to take control of the team.
CEO Marina Go was more blunt and simply stated that in order for the Wests Tigers to build a winning culture, Robbie Farah would have to move on. Now that it appears that Robbie Farah will be going nowhere, the same can’t be said for Taylor and Go – or the Tigers future prospects.
Supporters of Farah will show how vital he is to the club, as evidenced by the outpouring of support he received at the Warriors versus Tigers this year game where a crowd of 6,711 people let their feelings know where their loyalties lie.
While this is admirable, the fact that only 6711 are showing up to a Sunday afternoon game at Leichardt Oval after another failed season is more of an indictment than an endorsement.
They will also look to his decorated careerm spanning 12 years to date including Origin appearances and Tests for Australia. The Tigers have only seen finals football three times in this period. Again, echoing Go’s sentiments, it doesn’t paint a picture of a winning culture.
While not entirely fair to put the blame on one party, the absence of any other person of such influence at the tigers makes it hard to ignore.
The final nail in the coffin should be the current hesitancy of the young halfbacks Mitch Moses and Luke Brooks to commit to new, long-term contracts. These two players are crucial for the Tigers to have any hope of playing finals football over the next few years. Without the funds to retain them, there are plenty of clubs interested.
The reality is that the other clubs will be more than happy for Farah to remain at the Tigers, as it provides them with one less team to worry about in the race for the premiership.
Al
Guest
Like I said... Your a journos dream... Lapping up every word... Enjoy!
pjm
Roar Rookie
Farah needed a rocket up his a** to get him out of his comfort zone, this could be it.
pureaussie
Guest
Oh and the halves wanting an extra 6 months to think about whether they want to stay is pure fact mate. Same with JT getting punched out by David Fa'alogo.
pureaussie
Guest
well I said 'rumor has it,' so of course it is hearsay, but it makes sense doesn't it mate?! Marty chose the PC option when speaking to the media about ditching us for Manly, but he asked for a release with a year running on his contract, and despite him being one of our best forwards last year, he was let go without any sort of resistance. Everything you've said about RF has been invented by the media too. As for going off club statements, give me a break! They've been feeding us censored cr@p all year! Why do you think the vast majority of fans are so disgruntled? Trying to get a straight answer of of the tigers these days is impossible. Ask Marina Go for a statement and all you get is corporate gobbledygook. I also haven't seen you provide any direct quotes from players that prove any of your apparent "points," except maybe that RF mentioned he'd been told he'd be playing reserve grade if he stayed. Do you really think he'd make that up? No one at the tigers has denied it after all. And what kind of thing is that to say to someone who has put their body on the line for the club for over a decade. What an absolute disgrace. You can't possibly think JT or the board are doing a good job, can you??
Al
Guest
Again assumptions made they rumours and fabricated info thru the media... Marty said nothing but JT was a good bloke.... The rest was made up by the journo... Clearly you believe heresay so enjoy that... I'll continue to go off club statements and quotes that come directly from players...
pureaussie
Guest
Don't recall saying Taylor has destabalised the club, but "fair dinkum," you reckon he hasn't?! How could anyone in their right mind think telling the club's most senior player to look elsewhere 2 weeks out from the end of the season wouldn't blow up in his face? If you were to lay a turd in a petri dish and leave it for 12 months, you'd see the equivalent amount of culture JT has brought to the club. This is a guy who once got punched out by one of his own players, don't forget! Rumor has it Tapau wanted out because he didn't want to be coached by Taylor and the halves asking for another 6 months to think about whether or not they want to stay surely must sound a few alarms. JT is not only a poor man-manager, he is tactically inept - and he displayed this multiple times throughout the season. Yes, we need change, but I reckon someone like Ivan Cleary would be much better equipped to guide us through the necessary transitional phase. And don't give me any grief about already paying out two coachs. The sheens matter has been sorted and potter's contract wasn't extended. Apparently we got JT's cheaply so surely it's worth it to get rid of him before he does any more damage. The board should be sacked too. Again, yeah they inherited a mess but all they've done is made things so much worse. We've just been going backwards. There's no point persevering with people who clearly are not up to the task.
Al
Guest
When did the board tell us that he wasn't liked by the other players? Really? Danny wielder? The "interview" where Marty said nothing to him about anything he wrote in the same article! and in fact said Taylor was a good bloke? Please... If a club had come back with a decent offer that robbie would accept he would be gone, don't believe the media hype that the club buckled to "fans", it's simply not true, they let Farah look around.... Nothing more, nothing less.... Danny weidler indeed.... Lol
Tony
Guest
Obviously Farah, probably Taupau, Brooks, Moses and if you believe Danny Weilder, Woods is disenchanted, that's on the player side, TBH this is paper talk. But look at the effort towards the end of last season from the team. It seem a lot of members are of similar opinion to me, as well? Why else did the WT's change there attitude? I realise they didn't have the money to pay him out but they should have thought of that before starting this, so Taylor then brought Balin, great move, just the player we needed. It was only ever going to end in tears for the club. Do you think the club management has handled themselves well on the RF matter? The board lied to everyone in saying that Farah was not liked by the team, who would have told them that? Probably Taylor I suspect.. Taylor's time is running out and IMO Go will not be far behind him, they have caused too much angst in the club. I mean we are still talking about this saga after some months, my theory is Taylor set this up to deflect his abysmal results for the 2015 season and didn't think it would travel and be the end of him. But it will. Look at the soccer, members matter.
Al
Guest
Where's your facts that Taylor has destabilised the club? It was a shimozzle well before he got there, and has been granted time to change the clubs culture... Something that everyone wants... As for Farah, all he was told was that he can look for another club if he wishes... The bloke that come up with the reserve grade comment was sacked.... It wasn't Taylor. Fair dinkum. Winning percentage when Farah plays means nothing when we don't win enough to make finals every godamn year.... Flashy attacking play doesn't win grand finals anymore.... The culture has to change.
horizontal
Guest
Taylors results speak for themselves
pureaussie
Guest
That's just what I was thinking Tony. I agree 100% with what you wrote and I notice these two haven't enlightened us with with any facts about exactly how RF has destabalised the club or is directly responsible for the sacking of Sheens and the non-renewal of Potter's contract. We all know about the off the record comment to tallis a year and a half before the story broke but not much else. Personally I think Tallis and dean "bullsh*t" Richie are responsible for the raw deal Potter received. Everyone seems to be an expert when pointing the blame on farah but no one is able to back it up with anything solid and I tend to think most people who think RF is at the center of all the Tigers problems are not even fans of the club. They seem to just be haters. Fact is, our winning percentage goes up dramatically when he plays and he has been one of our best players in the short history of the joint venture. I have been a massive tigers fan for all of my 35 years and I don't have nearly as much of a problem with RF as I do with the management of the club. The way JT and the board have handled this complete mess has been an absolute disgrace and as seen our club sink to previously inconceivable lows. Yeah they may have inherited a mess, but they've just made things so much worse.
Tony
Guest
Did you actually read what I wrote, mate?
Al
Guest
It's funny how your judge jury and executioner when it comes to Taylor and go without any facts yet you even acknowledge one of Farah and still disregard... I get it, your a fan, but don't let that cloud your judgement mate... Just kept blindly backing our "leader" that when the heat gets too much, ducks under a fence into a waiting car after a game.... Great example for our young crop indeed....
boonboon
Roar Pro
Keep drinking the Sam AYoub cool-aid Tony
Tony
Guest
Yes, they wanted RF to move on, but must have forgot he had a contract and then when he said OK I will move on, they said NO. All Farrah's fault of course....Give me a break. I don't think GO & Taylor were aware just how strong the membership backlash can be when they wanted to get rid of a favoured son. Because they had already sacked everyone who may have counselled against that. Bar the private comment to Tallis, and that was clearly put to bed by seasons end. I am not aware of anything RF has done to destabilize any coach, if someone has some facts on this matter please let us all know. Sheens was on very shaky ground at the end, he was also the Australian coach so I am not sure RF would have done anything to hurt his rep chances and Potter (I thought should have got another chance) was not retained after his contract ended. JT obviously convinced them he would do a better job and he simply hasn't. The RF saga was never about RF or JT's abilities, it was about JT and the boards handling of the situation, with lies and threats and IMO JT and the board need to kicked out for being incompetent fools. TBH we continue to talk about this and not the fact we came last, which I think is a more pressing issue.
Steve
Guest
Robbie Farrah seems to be the continuing cancer at the Tigers. As far as I'm concerned, Taylor should stand firm with him and send him to reserve grade as he originally planned to do.
Al
Guest
Yeah, sack Taylor, great idea... Just add to the list of coaches Farah has had a say in removing.... If Farah won't do what the coach tells him to do, then drop him... How does a coach coach when one of your main playmakers won't do what he is told....? It's a joke and its no wonder we have been a joke since 05'....
Reggie
Guest
Taylor can be sacked after week 10 and no payout if the rumours are true
curaeus
Guest
Having initiated this appalling fiasco,Taylor will be sacked and paid off for sure unless the team fires early next season. The club and its board would not have liked one little bit having to back down and issue an apology to fans for the way this matter has been handled!. Those rumours about covert discussions with Ivan Cleary start to make sense in this context assuming of course there's some substance to them
Birdy
Guest
Trouble is , if nothing changes we will be reading the same story this time next year, the only difference being the club will have less fans.