Robbie Farah has responded to his NRL axing

A FORMER league great believes the Wests Tigers club and coach Jason Taylor are to blame for the poor handling of Robbie Farah’s demotion.

Robbie Farah has finally lost his battle with Jason Taylor.

BUOYED by an outpouring of support since being dumped to reserve grade, Robbie Farah says he is preparing for the fight of his life as he attempts to revive his NRL career. Farah on Wednesday was punted from the Wests Tigers’ line-up by coach Jason Taylor for Sunday’s Round 20 clash with St George Illawarra.

The move has reignited a feud between Farah and Taylor that began almost a year ago when the NSW State of Origin number nine was told he was free to leave the club despite being under contract through 2017.

Farah’s 247-game career at the Tigers appears over and, late on Thursday, he was linked to a move to the Dragons for next season. But first, he has to line up for the Tigers’ NSW Cup side against Newtown on Saturday at his beloved Leichhardt Oval.

Saturday 3pm. Leichhardt Oval. Can't wait. These last few days have again shown the amazing support I have #YNWA pic.twitter.com/8VkI80aAYH

— robbie farah (@robbiefarah) July 21, 2016

The hashtag YNWA is a reference to English Premier League side Liverpool’s anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Well, he might not be alone, but he’ll definitely be walking after his latest mishap. Heading back to his car after his first training session since being told of his axing, Farah was greeted with a flat tyre.

Life is hard, isn’t it?

.@weststigers coach Jason Taylor today said the team is better without @robbiefarah in it. @danikamason9 #9News https://t.co/87JnWkZlCB

— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) July 21, 2016

‘IT’S EMBARRASSING FOR JASON TAYLOR’

Speaking on Triple M’s Rush Hour on Thursday night, Farah’s NSW teammate Paul Gallen and former Queensland winger Wendell Sailor were both on the hooker’s side, with Sailor calling Taylor’s handling of the situation “embarrassing”.

“The way things went last year (with the Farah debacle and board issues), the Tigers haven’t learnt anything, and neither has Jason Taylor or the PR,” Sailor said.

“All the players, whether it’s Aaron Woods or these young blokes, they all look up to Robbie. I just think the way Jason Taylor has done it … I think it’s embarrassing for Jason Taylor.

“When you get a bloke who’s starting Origin hooker … when he’s not good enough to make your 17 … for me he wants a way to push Robbie out because he knows he doesn’t want to go.

“As the head coach, can’t you just say, ‘Robbie, I need you to pass more’?”

Gallen said Taylor’s move wouldn’t inspire the Tigers’ young brigade to stay at the club.

“Jason Taylor, in one way, just sees dollar signs,” Gallen said. “It’s all about dollar signs to him.

“Robbie’s got an aura about him at that club … it doesn’t inspire youngsters to want to stay.”

He also said as a defender when playing against Cameron Smith, there was always indecision because he never knew whether the Queensland dummy-half would pass, run or kick. With Dene Halatau — a player with far fewer creative juices — likely to take over from Farah, the Sharks captain believes the Tigers will lose a vital attacking threat.

“The most dangerous player on the field is the one with the ball, When you’ve just got a guy shovelling the ball out of there to the halves you don’t have to worry about that part of the field,” he said.

“When you’re playing against the Tigers now you know they’re just going to pass straight to the halfback and you can start marking up on them.”

TOO MANY COOKS SPOILING THE BROTH

Farah and Jason Taylor just haven’t gelled.

NRL great Brad Fittler gave further insight into Farah’s mindset on the Nine Network.

“I was with Robbie yesterday and he was broken — he was distraught,” Fittler said. “But he has copped it on the chin and realised all he can do is come back and play football.”

On Thursday morning, Taylor explained his decision axe the veteran rake, saying he was incompatible with young playmakers Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks and fullback James Tedesco.

Only last week, Farah played in Origin III, his third game of the series.

“We’ve got too many cooks spoiling the broth,” Taylor said.

“It’s purely based on that. Robbie Farah is the NSW State of Origin hooker, he’s a Wests Tigers great, he’s a great player, but it’s just not working for us at the moment in regards to the cohesion of our team.

“I’m still not comfortable with where we are on the ladder (11th, 7-10).

“In my opinion, we should be further up with the squad we’ve got and I’ve been brought here to get this team going in the right direction and tough decisions need to be made.” The Tigers this year are 3-6 with Farah in the line-up and are 4-4 without him.

Taylor said the club would honour Farah’s deal and did not have a problem carrying him on their list as a $950,000 a season reserve-grader.

“Robbie’s got a contract for next season so we’re expecting him to be here,” Taylor said.

“Robbie will be considered for selection every week. We’ll get through this weekend’s game and we’ll assess how this decision went.”

Farah was set to celebrate his 250-game milestone against North Queensland at Leichhardt in round 22 but those plans have been scuppered.

— with James MacSmith and Steve Zemek, AAP

Originally published as Robbie Farah has responded to his NRL axing