Benji Marshall’s announcement of his move to the Broncos has culminated a strange season for Wests Tigers fans.
Despite a couple of impressive games in the buildup to the finals season, the overwhelming atmosphere at the club has been one of departure.
Of course, that feeling is largely attributable to Robbie Farah’s move for the Rabbitohs.
As much as Tigers fans have loved to debate about the relative merits of Farah and Jason Taylor over the last couple of years, I don’t think any of us really believed that either would ever leave.
The fact that it coincided with such a dramatic loss to the Raiders at Leichhardt Oval made it all the more painful.
At the same time, Josh Ado-Carr’s move to the Storm just as he was starting to find his form has been a blow.
One of the great fears of every Wests Tigers fan is that the club won’t be able to hold onto the young guns that they incubate, and Ado-Carr’s departure has caused a lot of unease about whether Mitchell Moses, Luke Brooks or even James Tedesco might be next.
Add to that Dene Halatau’s retirement and there’s even more riding on Moses, Brooks and Tedesco to make it as the NRL’s next Big Three.
Still, it’s Benji’s move to the Broncos that has affected me the most, which is strange, given that he hasn’t played for the club since 2013.
In part, that has to be about the Broncos.
It would be one thing if any of these departing players had signed with other Western Sydney teams.
But the fact that they have gone to the Bunnies, the Storm and now the Broncos – all marquee teams and all in other catchment areas – just makes them feel even more remote from the Wests Tigers orbit.
In a weird way, Benji still felt recognisable at the Dragons, just because St George-Illawarra have experienced some of the same struggles as the Tigers over the last couple of years.
Given that Benji’s tenure with the Red V followed on from his underwhelming stint with the Auckland Blues, it also felt like an aberration, both to Tigers fans and NRL fans at large.
Despite all the controversy, however, his move to the Broncos feels more decisive.
As incredulous as fans might be, none of us can really doubt that Wayne Bennett must have a place for him – after all, there’s no coach in the game with better foresight.
For all those reasons, Benji’s move to Suncorp makes his departure from the Tigers suddenly feel more final and decisive.
Given how much Benji’s form spearheaded speculations about opening up Origin to internationals, there’s also something strange about seeing him playing in the Maroons heartland.
But perhaps his movement hits me mostly because, in the wake of Robbie, Halatau and Ado-Carr, the Tigers need Benji more than ever.
Sure, they don’t necessarily need his form on the field, but they need the continuity with the past and the pride in the combined Wests Tigers outfit that he once represented.
The Wests Tigers gained a new legitimacy with the 2005 win, but for the first time it feels as if we can’t really hang on to that any more.
Instead, with Robbie at Souths, Benji at Brisbane and Halatau hanging up the boots, it feels as if the team has finally and decisively reached its second generation.
All of a sudden, people like Keith Galloway and Pat Richards are part of an older incarnation of the team, rather than the fringes of the current generation.
Here’s hoping, then, that Tedesco, Moses and Brooks are given the opportunity and incentive to steward the team as brilliantly as Benji and Robbie did a decade and a half ago.
Al
Guest
Please don't includes all tigers fans.... I personally couldn't wait to get rid of them and in no way would I want them back... they sucked the club dry cap wise for one lucky premiership.... good riddance Farah and Benji.... bring on the broses and Tedesco show
Nat
Roar Guru
Evolution of the club and the game Billy. No one doubts Robbie IS a very good player, however, for the good of the club and future of the team (and the coach) he had to go. He was a selfish payer but today he has no clique to support him so good luck to him at Souths. DH, still a very consistent player but everyone has to retire to some point. We all wish him well. Ado Car, as you've stated, opportunity lost but I sense it stings a little more because it is Melbourne, Bellamy and Smith? Benji though? What was your attitude toward him when he left to RU, vowing never to play for another NRL team? Then to sign with saints, a marque club in it's own right, only to be out of form and/or injured. I reckon your sense of nostalgia is more fear based because he may very well become an important cog in a relatively young Broncos side and under THE master coach. Bennett has a plan, Benji has a lifeline and should both be successful, a Qld team enjoys the fruits. Is that your real issue with Benji? You can yearn from what's lost but WT have an exciting and young back line who will only get better. Divert your gaze from the rear view because the windscreen has a bigger and better view and let allow ex players to find opportunity in their choices. Talk to Parra fans about "Strange".
Albo
Guest
Let it go Billy ! The Tigers future is now all around their young spine of Tedesco, Moses & Brooks with some leadership from Woods. The rest is past history Farah, Benji, Ado -Carr & Halatau have nothing more to offer the Tigers. Move on. The Tigers just need to find a good number 9 to complete their spine, and then augment their couple of handy forwards in Suaso Sue, Elijah Taylor & Josh Aloiai with some more forward grunt and depth. Add some experience to the handy backs Nofoaluma, Simona & Naiqama , and the Tigers will have every opportunity to improve their standings next year.
Billy Stevenson
Roar Guru
Dave Taylor is not really the same - he only played at the Broncos for four years and he's nowhere near as identified with the club as Benji was with the Tigers. It's also not that Tigers fans are suddenly mourning Benji's departure from the Dragons either, but more that his move to the Broncos throws into relief a whole lot of other things that have happened in terms of the club and its legacy over the last twelve months.
Billy Stevenson
Roar Guru
Right, but it's not about Benji being as good as Hunt - nobody would argue that - but about the way in which Bennett may be using Benji's contract to force Hunt to revise his salary expectations as well as how that may induce Hunt to look elsewhere.
Mark Young
Roar Guru
Yes, I should have put that in! I can see how that reads, and NO I don't consider him a better hooker then many of the players mentioned. I am looking at him entire through the prism of since 2007. Like all NSW Origin fans, it has been a tough decade of being smashed. When we look back and start blaming people, Farah shouldn't be one of the scapegoats.During his career at the Tigers he was the best hooker in NSW.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Well, he believes he's as good as Cam Smith (said as much in the past), plainly isn't.
Don
Roar Rookie
So you are actually qualifying it to Farah has the best record of any origin hooker since 2007? OK. Yes he has. But effectively only 1 other guy has really been given a go despite miserable results… That is considerably different to "the hooker with the best record against Qld in Origin." And Buderus has a 47% win rate against QLD. How can you just ignore several years of a guy's career to suit a narrative? Yes. Farah has 37% win rate. Elias is 52% and Simmons is 60%. So Farah has the 4th best record of NSW hookers who have played a reasonable number of series.
Craig
Guest
This article is a fair over-stretch. Benji has left the Tigers years ago. What next? Broncos fans are upset that Dave Taylor is considering returning to the NRL to the raiders? I agree its a new era at the Tigers and an exciting one at that - but linking that to Benji leaving the Dragons...slow news day?
Bugs
Guest
Agreed Doug, He was polarizing - look at his comments to Tallis re: Potter for one example. For me though, I started disliking him when he started to blow his own trumpet a little too loudly. When at the end of one season ( I think 10 or 11 when they went good) in reference to the Australian side he said he believed he was as good, if not better than Cameron Smith, and deserved the Australian jumper. That was a doozy
The eye
Guest
The coach stated publicly that defence was his season objective...607 points were hence racked up against his defence structures .. only the miserable Knights let in more...thats not improvement. Raiders alone put over a ton on them in two games..,presented the Knights with their one and only victory,and when asked to step up with the prospect of finals football, fainted... The coach had ONE self instilled KPI to achieve and 607 against is unequivocable failure....
Bexdog
Guest
Is that you robbie? Seriously though, what's the point of the tigers. Take away 05 and your club probably wouldn't even exist right now. I was trying to be diplomatic but tiger's fans are like trump supporters. All emotion with no rational thought. Farah a kangaroo. Good one. How many caps would he have had if sheens wasn't coach? And let's not get into his record as nsw hooker. How many series wins again? And how many times did the tigers fail to make the finals with your man at hooker. You can keep defending him but seriously, what's the point. Make wests great again Donald
Jacko
Guest
So he is a SOO player , A Kangaroos player, a premiership winning player yet he believes he is better that that? Just weird. Is that you mr Cheika. A fantastic player over many years is what he is. His record proves that. Taylors record proves something very different about Taylor
Jacko
Guest
Im hearing the 3rd party deals in Brisbane are large compared to the 300k he turned down at the dragons. His off field work with sponsers is the type of thing clubs strive for
Mark Young
Roar Guru
Well lets crunch the NSW Origin Hooker numbers... 2006 Buderus 3 games QLD 2-1 2007 Buderus 3 games QLD 2-1 2008 Buderus 3 games QLD 2-1 2009 Farah 2 games QLD 2-0 Ennis 1 game NSW 1-0 2010 Ennis 3 games QLD 3-0 2011 Young 1 game QLD 1-0, Ennis 2 games NSW 1 QLD 1 2012 Farah 3 games QLD 2-1 2013 Farah 3 games QLD 2-1 2014 Farah 3 games NSW 2-1 2015 Farah 2 games NSW 1 QLD 1 Ennis 1 game QLD 1-0 (Decider) 2016 Farah 3 games QLD 2-1 So 33 Games in 11 Years - NSW win 11 QLD win 22 (33%) Ennis 7 Games 2 Wins 5 Losses (28%) Farah 16 Games 6 Wins 10 Loses (37%) Buderus 9 Games 3 Wins 6 Losses (33%) Young 1 Game 1 Loss(%0) This includes all the games since 'the Streak' as Smith, Cronk, Thurston, Slater, Inglis and that other bloke I can't stand got together to dominate origin. I wonder if the stats change when you take out dead rubber games??
steveng
Roar Rookie
I think that 'Hunt and Milford' need an experienced head like Benji Marshall around them, that is why Bennett recruited Marshall. The mistakes that especially Hunt made and cost the Broncos (dearly) are inexcusable. Benji's experience would be a big factor why Bennett wants him at the Broncos to teach both Hunt and Milford a thing or two, it can't hurt.
Jerry
Guest
Prior to 2005 the Wests Tigers fans were Balmain and Magpies supporters, and the Team had mostly consisted of NRL / NSWRL journeyman. Benji Marshall attracted thousands of new fans who were too young to remember the Magpies and Balmain Clubs. They were not the best team in 2005 (the grand final should have been Parramatta vs St George Illawarra) but they are the only Club that people remember from 2005.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Yeah 'Bexdog' lets see if 'farah has always thought he was a better play maker than he was' and how he pans out at Souths in 2017. But for me, Taylor is at best a 'kicking coach' and nothing else, his success in 2016 was only due to the Warriors, Eels, Rabbitohs and the Roosters all being basket cases in 2016 (and the Eels losing 12 points and the Warriors doing what they always do) and gave him and the West/Tigers a chance to do as well as they did! That won't happen in 2017 and Taylor and the West/Tigers will have a very hard road to climb to achieve and/or be in the same position on the ladder (of having a chance to make the 8) in 2017!
Don
Roar Rookie
I think it is a bit misleading to say …"the hooker with the best record against Qld in Origin"… when only Ennis and Dean Young (1 game) have been tried in a period where NSW has lost so many series. Fair to just say Robbie has been more succesful in Origin than Michael Ennis and no one else has had a go. Buderus, Elias and Royce Simmons were all considerably more successful in SOO. Amazing really the dearth of quality hookers eligible for NSW at the same time QLD has had over the span; Smith, Friend, Ballin, Segeyaro, McCullough, Granville, Aaron Payne and others. I think had NSW the same depth at hooker we would have seen a few more players tried.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Plus Cleary doesn't have obvious attitude problems...