Amid all the hullabaloo about Benji Marshall daring to be different by not being totally engrossed 24/7 with being Wests Tigers coach, the key question is: why not?
It’s one of the enduring cliches among sports columnists that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Actually it’s a quote from an old book and not Albert Einstein as often claimed on inspirational posters and mugs.
The Tigers tried the intense, work until you drop approach of Michael Maguire to whip the NRL’s whipping boys into shape.
And it didn’t work.
Marshall is adopting more of a new-age approach of creating a less intense environment where he is not being consumed by the role when he’s away from training, believing that his relaxed demeanour is what his players need.
It’s the kind of Bazball style which the England men’s cricket team has attributed to their rebirth under Brendon McCullum.
As much as they will never admit it, their Ashes foes Australia have also leaned in to this mantra of less intensity in the dressing room translating into reduced pressure on each player to create an environment for them to perform at their best.
Whether it works or not at Concord will play out over the course of this season and the next two if Marshall is lucky enough to become the first Wests coach to see out a contract since Tim Sheens’ first tenure at the club in the afterglow of the 2005 premiership triumph.
“I come into work early before the players. We work as hard as we can until we get the job done and then we go home,” was Marshall’s response when this non-issue first flared up. “Because I prioritise my family between 5 and 8pm every night to find a work/life balance that doesn’t mean that I don’t care about my job or care about working hard.”
Work smarter, not harder. Have balance. Makes sense, don’t it?
The Tigers are starting for rock bottom on the back of successive wooden spoons.
Benji Marshall. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
As hard as it is for their fans to digest after 12 straight seasons without a playoff appearance, they needed to take yet another step back to have any chance of going forward.
That means a rookie coach with no battle scars developing the young talent which has always been in abundance at the club, it’s just that they’ve rarely been able to keep the likes of James Tedesco, Mitchell Moses and Aaron Woods when they were entering their prime.
Or they undervalued prospects like Josh Addo-Carr, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jeremy Marshall-King and Tevita Tatola who kicked in elsewhere.
The members of the boardroom who lived by the backstabbing sword have been removed with one swift blow so the club now has a chance to have stable foundations so Marshall does not continually look over his shoulder.
Their roster is improving. There are fewer players in the side now who are on the downhill slide of their career and with Jarome Luai on the way next year, he will be another experienced hand to take the load off Jahream Bula and whichever young playmaker emerges from the pack.
Veteran halfback Aidan Sezer is the psuedo Luai this season as Marshall works out whether Lachlan Galvin, Bud Sullivan or Latu Fainu stands out as the best option to partner the Panthers playmaker long term.
Sullivan flunked his opening audition last weekend in Canberra and has paid the price by being demoted to the bench on Saturday at Leichhardt against Cronulla.
Galvin has the jump on Fainu for now but the former Manly junior star may have the highest ceiling of the three with many good judges predicting he can be a difference maker.
One of those judges was Scott Fulton, the club’s former recruitment chief who was parachuted into the role without the knowledge of Sheens or Marshall early last season by the bumbling executives who are also no longer pulling the strings.
Fulton’s desire to throw a hefty contract at Josh Schuster last year is not looking great in hindsight due to his ongoing fitness struggles and Marshall was right to say they didn’t need him.
Schuster failed as a five-eighth when given the chance last year and the Tigers don’t need to soak up more of their salary cap on high-priced second-rowers given that is one of the few positions where they are well stocked with John Bateman and Isaiah Papali’i prowling on the edges.
They are much better off giving Galvin, Sullivan and Fainu a shot at cementing an NRL spot in the No.6 jersey just like Sheens did with some Kiwi kid from Keebra Park High School more than two decades ago.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Despite the results , the Tigers and Dogs have both improved their cattle a lot and the step up to the eight from where they are isn't as big as it seems.
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Yes it’s pretty well established that after a certain number of hours, any task requiring significant brainwork is often done poorly. And of course it’s easy to kill plenty of hours being indecisive and micro managing others.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I’d also question how much of the time some of these coaches spend is actually effective or useful. Being prepared is important but how much useful work are you doing when you don’t have the squad there?
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
In a results driven business, it seems counter intuitive to question how Benji is going about his work until he actually has a sample of results to analyse. This mentality of coaches being involved in the job 25 hours a day, 9 days a week is complete nonsense if a) it doesn’t deliver positive results and/or b) burns out the coach or players. The Tigers have a massive rebuilding task to take on and Paul has mentioned some of the management issues they’ve already addressed. This is just another one that will simply take time. The only thing Marshall needs to get right is the results, but not immediate results. If he can do that using his current methods, happy days for the Tigers. If not, he needs to change or he’ll stop having the full support of the Board pretty quickly.
Birdy
Roar Rookie
Totally agree, bring back the black and white western suburbs magpies. Play at concord, Liverpool or Campbelltown. Just set me free. Thank you for the memories Leichardt. All things must end.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
They are cutting back on the playing anywhere part of the club. Now it’s the 2 locations. Although not sure why they’d have their centre of excellence built at Concord? Kind of still makes it 3 locations. Do their players live near Leichhardt, Concord or Campbelltown? Or none of them.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Agreed. Maybe his coaching style will work out well at the Tigers? Or maybe they will have more success, with a better roster.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
I think their biggest issue is a lack of identity, until they move, lock stock and barrel down to the Macarthur region and own it as their home they will always be a bit lost. Forget the Balmain part, that's history, embrace the future and if the Magpies have to go alone then that might be a good thing too.
Greg
Roar Pro
I've no faith in Benji rebuilding the Tigers. Not because of any perceived lack of work ethic, I think priorising his home life is a positive. When you hear some of the high regarded assistants speak of how much they have learnt and still need to learn I don't trust a bloke with no coaching experience, at any level, can do the job. I've been underwhelmed by all aspects of the football department since Madge was removed.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I'm never all that impressed when I hear how hard a coach like Madge works because it doesn't prove anything other than how hard he works. If it doesn't translate into anything useful then it's a waste of time. Benji could be lucky with his timing , which is what its all about with struggling teams and coaches. The squad is much better than it was a few years back and if they get a few champions emerge from within , things could be on the rise, regardless of the coach.
Jackson Rogers
Roar Rookie
Benji will have the Tigers roaring again...