Unbelievable: Benji Marshall Said Choosing Wests Tigers Was The Biggest Mistake He Has Ever Made….
Wests Tigers boss Shane Richardson has slammed rumours about Benji Marshall as ‘bulls**t’ after it was revealed the club believe ex-recruitment manager Scott Fulton was trying to undermine the coach in the media.
Last week, question marks were raised over Marshall’s work ethic, with claims suggesting he doesn’t put in anywhere near the hours his rival club bosses do.
Marshall addressed the rumours, insisting that he is the ‘first in the building’ before training every day, while admitting that he ‘prioritises his family between 5-8pm every night to find a work life balance’.
The Tigers believe ex-employee Fulton, son of footy legend Bob, has been trying to undermine Marshall, as reported in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Richardson praised Marshall while speaking on Nine’s 100% Footy on Monday night.
‘We’ve got our agenda and we’re working towards it,’ Richardson said.
‘We’re not going to be blown off our path by criticism that is just not true. We just keep going forward. It’s just bullshit on every level.
‘At the end of the day, in my experience with coaches for over 30 years, Benji is as diligent and committed to it as anyone.’
Marshall and Fulton had had a strained relationship for months before Fulton was sacked by the Tigers in January.
Fulton believed in a hard-nosed, old-school style of coaching, while Marshall takes a more modern approach to the job.
Richardson says Marshall’s commitment to his family and work-life balance should be admired.
‘Because he (Marshall) doesn’t work 14 hours a day and wants he and his players to have a family life, it’s a good thing not a bad thing,’ Richardson said.
‘I wish I had learnt that 20 years earlier. It would have saved me a lot of grief in my own personal life.
‘What he’s trying to do is instill a balance between life and work and I think he’s got it.
‘I’ve seen Madge [Michael Maguire], I’ve seen Anthony Seibold, I’ve seen Jason Taylor … I’ve seen them all. At the end of the day, there is no one, in my time, that is more thorough and organised than Benji is.
‘Somewhere between Madge and Wayne Bennett is Benji, and that’s not a bad thing.’
Wests Tigers coach Leon Latulipe has named his squad for Sunday’s Round 3 match against Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the Jersey Flegg Cup to be played at Lidcombe Oval
There are handful of changes to the side which suffered a heavy loss in Canberra last weekend.
Kobie Wilson will start at five-eighth with Zakauri Clarke moving to a middle-forward role.
Wests Tigers has seven of its junior pathways teams in action this weekend including a Grand Final in the Andrew Johns Cup.
Best of luck to our Macarthur Wests Tigers Under 16s team who are playing the Central Coast Roosters in the Grand Final of the Andrew Johns Cup. Go get ’em fellas.
