By Christian Nicolussi, Michael Chammas and Adam Pengilly
A not-so-subtle ‘Slay The Dragon’ sign appeared at the northern end of Wests Tigers training on Thursday – and a photo quickly popped up in the inbox of St George Illawarra officials.
The Tigers are mentally recharged after the bye round, and coach Benji Marshall said the LED sign was just another way to help inspire the players to defeat the competition’s fellow joint venture.
“We use something every week to try and [inspire players], and when it’s a long season, you have to provide something [for them] to attach to,” Marshall said.
Motivational signs are usually kept in the sheds and on a much smaller scale. The Tigers need something special to avoid a ninth straight loss on Friday night at WIN Stadium.
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan was aware of the sign, but had no plans to scribble down some inspiring words of his own for the players.
“I’ve seen photos, I don’t exactly know how ‘Slay The Dragon’ would motivate me to play,” Flanagan told this masthead.
“But good luck to them. Every game is a challenge. This week will be a challenge. There will be no complacency from our end.
The Wests Tigers and their not-so-subtle motivational sign at training ahead of the St George Illawarra clashCredit: Christian Nicolussi
“We’ve got no signs up. We just have to focus on us and what we do well.”
Flanagan hopes his Origin trio Ben Hunt, Zac Lomax and Jaydn Su’a will back up from Wednesday night, but will make a final call before kick-off.
The Tigers will debut Reuben Porter, while Alex Lobb, a Dragons junior until last year, will play his second game after a surprise debut when activated as 18th man during the last-start loss to North Queensland.
Lobb, a winger who has plenty of fond memories playing in junior grand finals in Wollongong, reminded Marshall of club legend Chris Lawrence because of the way he “does everything at 100 miles an hour at training”.
Marshall was criticised for escaping to Fiji with his family during the week off as the Tigers remained close to the bottom of the ladder.
But Marshall made no apologises for encouraging all players to put family ahead of football, and the importance to stay mentally refreshed.
“The people in the four walls knew what we were doing [with the time off], and I’ll never apologise for planning breaks for the team and staff,” he said.
“Mental health, physical health, it all plays a big part. I preach to the players, ‘family is No.1, footy is No.2’.
“I told them, ‘during the break, spend time with your family’. And if I’m leading that and preaching that, I’ll do it, too.
“When you see a group of guys putting in every week and losing, and the pressure, and external pressure, it all adds up.
“It wasn’t just a mental-health break. It was a physical break as well. We had the bye in round one, then played 11 games straight. It doesn’t help. I’ve noticed guys with niggles feel better this week. And everyone is in good spirits.”
Marshall did not need reminding the Tigers remained the worst in the NRL when it came to discipline, including most penalties conceded, sin-bins and suspensions.
David Klemmer was hit with a three-match ban for a hip-drop tackle against the Cowboys, but Valentine Holmes escaped with a fine in the same game for a tackle that sidelined Tigers forward Isaiah Papali’i with an ankle injury for at least six weeks.
When asked about tight calls that went against the Tigers, Marshall said: “If we start there, we’ll be here all day.”
Pressed on his team not getting the “rub of the green” because of the Tigers’ lowly spot on the ladder, Marshall smiled and said: “If you think that, you write it.”
Tigers table monster deal to prop
The Wests Tigers have moved to keep Stefano Utoikamanu away from circling clubs, offering the prop forward a five-year, $4 million contract extension until the end of 2029.
The club hopes the long-term extension deal will prevent one of the NRL’s most in-demand players from hitting the open market.
Utoikamanu has a clause in his contract that means he will become a free agent unless he plays two games in this year’s State of Origin series. It can be negated if the Tigers finish in the top eight. The option for next year is worth between $600,000-$700,000.
With the Tigers near the bottom of the ladder after eight straight losses, and due to miss another finals series, Utoikamanu’s future will largely hinge on whether Blues coach Michael Maguire picks him in the NSW team for game two in three weeks.
The $4 million Tigers offer came days after he missed out on Maguire’s team for game one in Sydney on Wednesday.
This masthead has previously reported that there is an undertaking between Tigers chief Shane Richardson and Utoikamanu’s agent Daniel O’Loughlin to avoid waiting until the club is no longer a mathematical chance of playing finals football before deciding his future.
Stefano Utoikamanu in action for the Tigers.Credit: Getty
It’s not in the Tigers’ interests for Utoikamanu to decide late in the season that he wants to leave, which would restrict their replacement options and place uncertainty around their salary cap management.
Sources with knowledge of the situation, talking under the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely, said Utoikamanu’s agent was preparing to ask for permission to negotiate with rival clubs if the 24-year-old misses out on selection in Origin II.
The Tigers want to seal a deal before then, and have presented an offer to keep Utoikamanu at the club for the same length of time as incoming marquee man Jarome Luai.
Several rival clubs, who are monitoring the situation closely, are aware of the Tigers’ attempts to retain Utoikamanu.
Stefano Utoikamanu made his one and only Origin appearance last year.Credit: Getty
Their offer, which averages out about $800,000 per year, is less than the $900,000 figure previous chief executive Justin Pascoe indicated the club would be willing to spend to retain the young front-rower.
His successor Richardson is trying to overhaul the Tigers roster and wants Utoikamanu to join Luai as the centrepieces of the club’s rebuild under Benji Marshall.
The Tigers have already allowed Isaiah Papali’i to be released from the final year of his deal to take up an offer at Penrith from next season. Richardson has also been busy trying to offload players like Jayden Sullivan and Brent Naden in England over the past fortnight.
The Tigers on Monday parted ways with hooker Jake Simpkin, releasing the 22-year-old to join Manly ahead of the Sea Eagles’ clash with Penrith on Sunday.
Simpkin’s deal was worth about $400,000 this season, but he has been released from the last six months of his contract for a deal at Manly through to the end of 2026.
Simpkin was brought to the Tigers from Queensland under the Maguire regime but has fallen out of favour.
The talented dummy half will provide cover for Lachlan Croker (head/neck injury) at the Sea Eagles. Croker hasn’t played since round nine against the Canberra Raiders.
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