Gorden Tallis’s feud with Robbie Farah makes sense for man who sees life in black and white

WAYNE Bennett tells a great story about why he made Gorden Tallis his captain at the Broncos, and it helps explain his issues with Robbie Farah.

Perth Now South Sydney Rabbitohs , Western Australian Rugby League Media Conference at nib Stadium . Pictured are Gorden Tallis ( South Sydney Forwards Coach ) and Roy Asotasi ( South Sydney Captain ) after the Press Conference

THERE is a great story Wayne Bennett tells about why he made Gorden Tallis his captain at the Broncos.

This is going back to the early 2000s but in many ways it also goes to the heart of Tallis’s latest war of words with Robbie Farah — and why the Raging Bull went against the rules last Sunday when he broke Farah’s trust by relaying an off-the-record conversation the pair had about Mick Potter back in April last year.

At the time of picking his new captain to take over from Kevvie Walters, Bennett had four players in mind for the job; Tallis, Shane Webcke, Petero Civoniceva and Darren Lockyer.

The story goes the Broncos were away on a pre-season army training camp and after marching for a couple of days the sergeant pulled the four leaders aside to tell them of a hypothetical crisis involving women and children, who were being held captive and subjected to terrible atrocities.

After telling them how to find the village, the sergeant made it clear that they were to set up a perimeter but under no circumstances enter the village until reinforcements arrived.

But after hearing the story, Tallis gathered his men and told them that they’d be waiting for no one.

Once they found the village they’d be going in to hand out their own justice.

With that Bennett made Tallis his captain, his view being that sometimes leaders have to know when to follow, and when to break the rules.

Like Tallis did last Sunday, live on Triple M, when he was pushed into a corner and having his integrity questioned about who told him that Farah had said Potter couldn’t coach.

“Robbie Farah told me to my face,” Tallis said. “He told me Mick Potter can’t coach. I don’t go on Chinese whispers. The facts came out of his mouth.”

Tallis had no right to give up information about a private chat he had with the Wests Tigers skipper some 15 months ago, but was he also right by doing it?

Every journalist has probably been faced with a similar dilemma over the years, having individuals deny stories, but not many are prepared to give up their source to save face.

Yet Tallis remained unrepentant on Monday, again telling Triple M that he probably did the wrong thing by the Wests Tigers: “But who else is going to do it?”

Mick Potter and Robbie Farah talk to the media after game against the Dragons.

But what happens the next time he’s having an off-the-record chat with another player, should they be fearful that it could also come back against them down the track if Tallis is pushed into corner?

The problem with Tallis, and you could argue it’s also his greatest strength, is that there is only black and white in his world, no grey.

If he thinks he is doing the right thing, to hell with the rules.

But while Farah’s manager Sam Ayoub doesn’t deny Farah had issues with Potter last year, Ayoub is also adamant this year he is in no way responsible for the devious manoeuvres to have Potter sacked.

Farah has plenty on his mind. Pic Brett Costello

Ayoub is convinced Farah is being set up by unnamed people within the club to make management’s job easier to get rid of Potter, and what Farah said to Tallis last year does not relate to the present situation.

Farah also maintains that the reason he has been reluctant in recent weeks to get involved with the ongoing coaching drama is that he got burnt by having an opinion last year.

If that is the case he makes a fair argument given what we are seeing today.

No, he probably shouldn’t have told Tallis about what was going on behind closed doors at the Tigers last year — but hands up who hasn’t had a private chat with friends or work colleagues about topics you trust will be kept in confidence.

How would you feel if those conversations were ever made public?

If you understand that then maybe you understand the hurt Farah would be feeling today, even if you believe what has been going on at the Tigers this year is just plain wrong.

Originally published as Gorden Tallis’s feud with Robbie Farah makes sense for man who sees life in black and white