Veteran league reporter Brent Read says that Benji Marshall’s growing impact at the Wests Tigers has been emphasised by the team’s two biggest off-season transactions as well as an unexpected exit at the NRL club. The Tigers executed the biggest off-season trade of the year when they agreed to pay three-time championship winner Jarome Luai of Penrith $6 million over five years, starting in 2025.
Marshall had a key role in the Tigers’ efforts to get Luai and in the agreement to sign Justin Olam, a former Melbourne Storm centre who will join the team in 2024. Olam, who seemed to lose favour with Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy the previous season, was acquired by the Tigers in exchange for the young, explosive forward Shawn Blore.
Following Tim Sheens’ departure at the end of the previous season, Marshall will be leading the Tigers for the first time as head coach. The team has also made major changes to their board and backroom staff. The club shockingly fired head of recruitment Scott Fulton this month, less than nine months after he was hired by former CEO Justin Pascoe without Sheens’ knowledge.
There were allegedly disagreements between Fulton and Marshall over the kinds of players the Tigers ought to target for recruitment. The youthful Sea Eagles players Latu and Samuela Fainu were recruited to the joint venture club by Fulton, a former recruitment manager at Manly. He was also instrumental in getting Jayden Sullivan, another playwright, signed.
Marshall is now in charge of the team, as evidenced by Fulton’s amicable departure from the Tigers and the trades that were made to acquire Luai and Olam. Read of Australia claims that Luai was the rookie coach’s “personal target” and that the club legend’s signing of the player is a clear indication of his increasing influence and statement of intent.
