Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor says ‘complete support’ of board means he’s focused on footy
JASON Taylor doesn’t fear the sack, saying the “complete support’’ of the Wests Tigers board is allowing him to focus on footy rather than his future.
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JASON Taylor doesn’t fear the sack, and says the “complete support’’ of the Wests Tigers board is allowing him to focus on footy rather than his own future.
Taylor experienced the roughest off-season of all 16 NRL coaches, which was headlined by the drawn-out and ultimately botched attempt to punt club favourite Robbie Farah.
There was also Marty Taupau’s exit to Manly, then star halves Luke Brooks and Mitch Moses delaying their decisions to take up options for 2017.
The only coach under more pressure than Taylor to start this season well is Andrew McFadden, whose New Zealand Warriors meet the Tigers at Campbelltown Sports Stadium in round one.
Taylor, however, looked completely relaxed on Tuesday, as did the players, including Farah. It seems a happy camp again.
Now entering his second season in charge of the joint venture, Taylor said he had the benefit of “learning a lot about the club and the players within the club’’.
And the all-important backing from the board was the reason Taylor had not looked over his shoulder.
“I don’t follow soccer closely, but Jose Mourinho won the EPL (with Chelsea), then was out of his job before the halfway point of the next season,’’ Taylor told The Daily Telegraph.
“That stuff, it doesn’t matter what people are saying. If we don’t do well enough — if a team who wins the comp doesn’t do well enough — then the coach is under pressure. That’s part of the job.
“The club as a whole, and the direction we’re heading in, I feel completely supported in my role, and that allows me to do my job to the absolute best of my ability.
“As soon as you start worrying about that stuff, you can’t do your job to the best of your ability. And the reason I don’t have to worry about it is because of the solidarity of the club in regards to the board and how that filters down. The club is in a good place.’’
The Tigers narrowly avoided the wooden spoon, with their lousy spot on the ladder overshadowed by the Farah blow-up. The board backed Taylor when he first floated the idea of allowing Farah to look elsewhere, and continued to support him when the majority of fans sided with the long-serving rake.
Taylor has given Brooks and Moses more of a say when it comes to attack. There are zero issues with Farah. While you get the sense they’ll never be besties, Taylor and Farah’s professionalism and ability to move on is all that Tigers’ fans should worry about.
Five of the Tigers’ opening seven matches are at home. The left wing spot is up for grabs with Jordan Rankin the favourite ahead of Josh Addo-Carr and Justin Hunt.
Sauaso Sue is likely to start at lock as Dene Halatau races the clock to be fit for the opener, while there is genuine excitement about Junior Kiwi and Parramatta discard Josh Aloiai, who could jag an interchange spot come round one.
Farah said there had never been any tension between him and Taylor, and he had also enjoyed the reduced responsibilities now he had relinquished the captaincy.
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