Robbie Farah has named Jacob Liddle as the player most deserving of the starting hooker position at the Wests Tigers.
Ahead of his final season at the club, Farah is happy to hand the No.9 jersey over to Liddle to develop the emerging star as quickly as possible.
“I’d love to see nothing more than for Jacob to come through and force me out of first grade,” Farah told The Sunday Telegraph.
“I’ve been working really closely with him this pre-season and he is a great kid.
“He is willing to learn and he works hard. He has put on four or five kilos and I’ve been working hard with him on the wrestling mats trying to get him physically ready for a big season.
“We are really pushing each other at training and I’m trying to impart some of my knowledge on to him.
“I’ve really seen him grow, so hopefully he is in for a big season.”
The 35-year old said that new Tigers coach Michael Maguire has trusted him and fellow statesmen Benji Marshall to take on greater leadership roles and set the right example for their younger teammates to follow.
“Madge sees Benji and me as two important leaders who can pass on our knowledge to the kids coming through and hopefully leave a lasting legacy,” he said.
“Whilst we’ve got an important role to play on the field, I think Benji and I are at a point in our careers where we know we can really shape the culture of the club for sustained success long after we’ve moved on and retired.
“We both have that strong affiliation with the club and it means the world to us to finish our careers here under Madge.”
Farah gave his full support to the club's appointment of Maguire and believes the Tigers' future looks as stable as ever before.
“The boys have really responded well to Madge’s coaching style,” he said.
“He lives and breathes that (training) and he has been awesome since day one.
“I thought it was a great appointment by the club.
“I obviously worked with Madge at the Rabbitohs and he is a man that genuinely cares about the club and each individual.
“As tough as our pre-season has been, all the guys will tell you they’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.
“Madge’s style is really rubbing off on the playing group and I’m really excited about the things he is putting in place to ensure the club can have long-term success.”
Tigers 2020 spine
1. Mbye
6. Reynolds
7. Brooks
9. Liddle
Should be able hang with most other sides.
I still think Robby and Benji have more to offer. Renylods is still suspect as far a son injury goes in the longer term LidcomOvals selection is the way to go as long as Renylods can stay injury free.
This is what we’ll see round 1:
1- Mbye
6- Reynolds
7-Brooks
9- Farah
4- Marshall (Centres)
14 Liddle.
that will be one of the worst spines ever
Hahahahaha that’s a bottom 4 spine every day of the week, your club has 1 rep player (packer) tigers constantly make poor decisions, they had the perfect opportunity to wait for a few decent players to come on the market instead they fill the team with rejects that no other club wanted.
Whoever had the great idea to bring back Benji and Farah should be sacked.
And this is what you will see at the end of round 1, 30-0
Playing Manly at Leichhardt, Tigers are specials. Madge will have them a lot tougher and fitter
Manly will get done by 30, Hasler is in the Bennett class of old washed up coaches with ideas that are out-dated by a decade. Bennetts teams lack defence while Haslers teams lack attack. If Bennett teamed up with Hasler, like he teamed up with Furner in his first year as a coach, then a trophy is assured. But this time it would be a wooden spoon. Matter of fact I think it is between Bennett and Hasler for this seasons spoon.
3/4 of that spine a rep players. Unless you mean to say current rep players. If so Packer is not, he retired from international football prior to the Denver test match.
Esan Marsters is the current Kiwi centre.
Reynolds is the only one of them that has played rep football and he won’t again, just because mbye and brooks got called into camp doesn’t make them rep players
I must of missed packer retiring rep football, still there is only 1 rep player in masters
Swoopingeagle you have to make the field to be called a rep player, only a tiger would claim them to be rep players
Mbye played for the Prime Ministers 13 a couple of years ago if I remember correctly.
B2B, you ever get tired of being wrong??
As mentioned Reynalds NSW, Farrah has played for Australia as well as a long nsw career, Mbye Pms 13 and World all stars team. Hence 3/4. I’m not saying they’re superstar players and Tigers are destined for a top 4 just that 3/4 of the spine are rep players.
Also marsters nsw. Nofoaluma, fonua and twal all played for their teir 2 country. Matalino former NZ player, retired same time as Packer. Taylor as well. Even Lawrence has represented Australia.
And an eels supporter would class that as rep footy. They don’t even have that game on t.v haha
Hahaha your teams a dive, you brag about Farah, like I said you have no rep players in 2019, none of your second rate players that you named will be picked for origin, Tigers are the only team in the game without atleast one origin player.
Top 4 team? Hahahahaha they won’t be in the 8 for atleast 10 years
Real fans know that proper rep footy is origin and to play for your country, no other team would wipe there a$$ Lawrence, Nofoaluma, Farah or Benji.
You fool remind me again when masters played for nsw?
Real fans know that proper rep footy is origin and to play for your country, no other team would wipe there a$$ with Lawrence, Nofoaluma, Farah or Benji. Face it you lr team is full of rejects that no other team wants
You fool remind me again when masters played for nsw?
That will be the worst game of the round, 2 bottom 4 clubs battling it out.
My bad meant NZ
But seriously name more than 1 player that will be getting a call up in origin or country this year?
Classing players that got in to prime ministers xiii as rep players is a joke, eldgey made that team hahaha
Whether or not you class it as representative is irrelevant, the fact is that it is a representative game.
So in your eyes Kane eldgey is a rep player? There is a reason it’s not on tv.