Benji Marshall and Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson have come under fire for leaving Australia amid the club’s horror run of form
Richardson has reportedly headed to England on a recruitment mission while coach Marshall has taken a break with his family in Fiji.
The Tigers have a bye this week, but haven’t picked up a win since they pipped the Eels on Easter Monday 17-16 in Round 4. It’s one of just two wins this season under Marshall.
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Veteran Daily Telegraph reporter Phil Rothfield questioned Richardson’s decision to leave Australia with the Tigers rooted to the foot of the NRL ladder, facing a sponsorship crisis and searching for a long-term home ground resolution.
“What I find quite remarkable is that their chief executive officer, Shane Richardson, has taken himself to the UK for two weeks amid this crisis,” Phil Rothfield said on NRL360 on Monday.
“Why isn’t he back here working on finding a sponsor, sorting out a home ground?”
NRL360 panellist Brent Read, however, leaped to the defence of Richardson, clarifying that he’s there in an attempt to find potential recruits playing in the Super League.
“He’s looking at players in Super League, he’s also looking at clubs over there that might be interested in some Wests Tigers players,” Read responded.
“They don’t have a recruitment manager.”
But that only proved to further intensify the interrogation from Rothfiel, around what Richardson’s role within the club and its football department.
“That a CEO has appointed himself the recruitment manager is a total waste of resources,” Rothfield continued.
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NRL360 host Braith Anasta also questioned the optics.
“I mean, he’s supposedly come in to do a better job, to get the club doing better and they’ve lost eight games in a row,” Anasta said.
“There have got to be question marks over Richo at the moment.”
Concerns were also raised over Marshall’s decision to holiday in Fiji with the Tigers in freefall.
“Do you think Craig Bellamy, he’s a 20-to-30 year coach, do you think that he goes away to Fiji?” League legend Gorden Tallis questioned.
“Do you think Wayne Bennett does?
“If you’re coaching against those guys and they’re putting in more hours, normally they would do a better job than you, that’s all I’m saying.”
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The panel, led by Anasta, agreed it looked worse given the team’s recent run of losses, a factor they acknowledged can’t be overlooked.
“If they’re winning more games, no one’s got a problem with it, right?” Anasta said.
“It’s a bad look because they’re going terrible.”
It all comes just days after confirmation star backrower Isaiah Papali’i, who was only recruited to the club two seasons ago, will leave for the Panthers at the end of this year.
There is also fresh speculation that fellow forward Stefano Utoikamanu is becoming increasingly open to moving on from the embattled team.
“I’m told, through people who know, that he wants out anyway,” Rothfield added.
“He wants to play at a more successful club, he wants to get a premiership ring one day and there’s (the) Bulldogs, Souths (and) Penrith that have all shown interest in him.”