By Dan Walsh
Never a dull day in Tiger Town, even the good ones.
On Thursday, the Tigers pulled out all the stops, their entire playing squad, staff marshalling proceedings wearing headsets and a slew of 2005 premiership-winners to announce the biggest sponsorship in club history.
A multimillion-dollar front-of-jersey deal with Pepper Money came with a song and dance at the Tigers’ Centre of Excellence, and an extensive media turnout for coach Benji Marshall and chief executive Shane Richardson holding court.
Even with a club staffer attempting to steer questioning back towards the sponsorship deal at one point, talk of John Bateman’s impending exit, Terrell May’s looming arrival and training standards at the club were the real order of the day.
At times Marshall was terse, at others expansive, while Richardson was bullishly positive throughout.
As the rugby league news cycle – good, bad and otherwise – dictated proceedings, the overwhelming theme was one the Tigers have been spruiking for some time coming off three straight wooden spoons.
If you’re in, you’re in all the way, or you’re out.
The John Bateman saga
By the fourth question regarding Bateman’s future – or lack thereof – at the Tigers, Marshall was down to one-word answers.
“Yes,” he hopes the rolling drama around the English veteran is sorted as soon as possible, though he is “unsure” if that means Bateman returns to the club in 2025.
The 31-year-old has two years to run on a lucrative deal worth about $700,000 a season, and has been exploring options elsewhere with the Tigers’ blessing.
Wests Tigers back-rower John Bateman.Credit: Getty Images
Marshall dismissed regular and widespread reports – including by this masthead – that he and Bateman had fallen out over a perception the coach was implementing double standards among his players. The Rugby League Players Association also intervened recently to determine the exact date Bateman is due to return to Tigers training in the new year, if at all.
“I’ve had honest discussions and in-house discussions around where John’s future is,” Marshall said. “Those discussions will remain private but the things that have been reported are not true.”
Asked if Bateman actually wants to play for the Tigers, Richardson added: “That’s up to John Bateman, at the end of the day.
“I can’t answer for John Bateman. I’d like to but I can’t. John knows that he’s got a contract in place, his manager’s made it clear he’s got a contract in place.
“We honour every contract at the club, so if John wants to be here for the next two years, then he’ll be here for the next two years. That’s a decision between him and his manager.”
The training standards
Marshall, his players and coaching staff all trooped into Thursday’s sponsorship announcement fresh from the training paddock, assistant coach John Morris wearing his boots throughout the event.
From skipper Api Koroisau, to young gun Lachie Galvin and new recruits Jack Bird and Royce Hunt, Tigers players are reporting that this is the toughest pre-season they’ve ever known.
The summer slog began with youngsters Latu Fainu, Solomona Faataape and Solomone Saukuru being served breach notices because they failed to meet weight and skinfold criteria, as well as outlined time trials for a 1.6-kilometre run.
Benji Marshall barks orders at Wests Tigers training on Thursday.Credit: Wolter Peeters
Fellow youngsters Heath Mason and Brandon Tumeth also failed to meet their time trial expectations, but were only served warnings.
The club’s response put the players on notice, with newly signed prop Royce Hunt returning to training three weeks early to ensure he hits the standards expected of him.
Marshall declined to go in depth on the matter, but said he is impressed with the response of his players to his new, tougher regime, where they are not allowed to complain about heat and a ‘one-in, all-in’ policy rules.
Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall, CEO Shane Richardson and Pepper Money CEO Mario Rehayem on Thursday.Credit: Wests Tigers
“We’ve made really clear the standards of where we’re going and to see the players buy into that, off the back of three wooden spoons as a club, we need to be better,” he said. “The players have really attacked it, I’m really happy with where we’re at, the fitness levels at training and the buy-in from the players.”
Terrell May: the misunderstood marquee signing
Amongst the off-season drama, the Tigers were struck by a recruitment rainbow.
Rising Samoan prop Terrell May inked a three-year, $2.1 million deal two weeks ago after being surprisingly put on the open market by the Roosters.
Conjecture around May’s off-field fit at the Roosters followed, with elements of a candid interview with this masthead cited as cause for concern about his commitment to a full-time NRL career.
Terrell May has gone from in-form Rooster to star Tigers signing.Credit: NRL Imagery
May’s concession that “Sometimes I just get, ‘I don’t want to be there and don’t want to play’,” was said to have raised eyebrows.
But Marshall himself has raised a similar perspective as a player and made no apologies for prioritising his young family as a coach, and weighed up May as a signing accordingly.
“I like his aggression and the way he carries the footy. He creates a lot of second phase [play] with offloads,” Marshall said of May.
“He’s a big body. He commands a lot of respect from the defensive line. And on top of that, after meeting him … I think what he said was misinterpreted.
“He’s actually a guy that has normal feelings like everyone else. He says ‘sometimes, it’s hard’. Which I admire him for. But when I sat down with him, he was fully committed to getting us out of where we are and wanted to be a part of it.”
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