Brandon Smith supports Wests Tigers’ decision to issue breach notices to five players who failed pre-season fitness standards

The Wests Tigers have won support from an unlikely source, with a rival NRL star slamming the players that were issued with breaches after failing to meet pre-season fitness goals.

Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson. Picture: David Swift

The Wests Tigers have won unexpected support from a rival star for their hardline stance on preseason training that led to club officials issuing at least five official warnings to players who failed to meet strict fitness guidelines on their return from holidays.

This masthead understands that the Tigers entire playing group were given - and agreed to - fitness standards at their exit interviews at the end of last season.

They were expected to meet those standards on their return for preseason training or face the consequences. The club has been true to its word by issuing official warnings to the handful of players who didn’t live up to their end of the bargain.

It is understood at least two of the players concerned will be required to front the club’s board to explain why they failed to heed the warnings that were given to them at the end of last season.

Injured Sydney Roosters hooker Brandon Smith, speaking on the Bye Round with James Graham, savaged the players who were given official warnings as the Tigers usher in a new era of accountability.

“If I’m Benji Marshall, geez I find it disrespectful on the players’ behalf,” Smith said on the podcast, which went live on Thursday.

Brandon Smith has supported the Tigers’ decision to issue warnings to players. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

“Three wooden spoons in a row, a new coach and you’re going to come back out of condition. It begs the question, do you really want to play this game and what do you want to play for? Do you want to play it because it looks cool and you want to make money, or do you want to play it because this means something to you and you want to win championships and you want to do great things in this game.

“That is just not what it’s telling me. Senior players like Jarome Luai, Api Koroisau, what are they thinking as well? Are they thinking … are these players that we need around? Are these players that are going to help me win games and not be wooden spooners?

Smith savaged the Tigers players who were given warnings by the club. Picture: NRL Photos

“I’m not gonna be a you know, nice guy about it, but you can’t have three years in a row (with the wooden spoon) and that’s not motivation for you to want to come back and put your best foot forward for this team and for Benji as a new coach.”

Graham added: “It is disrespectful. It’s a slap in the face to the whole organisation to say we agreed on this and you failed on something, on a variable, that is totally and utterly in your control.

“It is just going to be interesting to see the fallout from this and see where it goes.”

Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson has made it clear in recent weeks that the club will demand the highest standards from its playing group as they look to avoid a fourth consecutive wooden spoon.

The fact that as many as five players have been given official warnings is confirmation that the club is drawing a line in the sand when it comes to discipline.

While the future of forward John Bateman has been at the centre of much of the offseason debate around the Tigers, the entire playing group have been called on to lift the standards.

As recently as last weekend, Richardson laid a marker for the upcoming season when he told this masthead that players would have to meet expectations or face the consequences.

Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson has warned players to lift their standards. Picture: David Swift

“Players have to live up to what the standards are of a team that’s going to be successful,” Richardson said.

“There’s no stone unturned about the discipline the club requires to be successful. We have won three straight wooden spoons. We are just not not going to accept anything that is not absolutely of the higher standards for culture and for training and everything else.”

Tigers powerbrokers are confident that the club is heading in the right direction and it is hoped that the imminent arrival of four-time premiership winner Luai can supercharge their resurgence.

Luai will begin training with the Tigers next month, his arrival delayed because he was in England with the Samoan Test side. The Tigers are also in the mix for Sydney Roosters forward Terrell May and have spoken to Brisbane forward Kobe Hetherington, who is off contract at the end of next season and has been told he is required for this season by Broncos coach Michael Maguire.

The Tigers had hoped he would be in their ranks this season.