Wests Tigers have moved to ease the pressure on Benji Marshall by introducing greater oversight around the head coach, with the club also taking a more active role in shaping his coaching staff.
The changes come amid growing recognition that Marshall has been carrying too much responsibility in one of the NRL's most scrutinised jobs, with the Tigers now looking to build a stronger support structure around their head coach.
Marshall's influence at the club remains significant, but senior management is set to have a greater say in key decisions, including the appointment of his next assistant coach.
The Tigers are currently advertising for a pathways coaching director, with the position tasked with helping “lead the strategic direction of coaching” across the club.
The role will focus on the development of future NRL players, coaching standards, performance and building a high-performance culture, giving the club another layer of oversight across its football program.
It comes after defence coach John Morris departed the Tigers following three seasons at the club.
His replacement will now be identified by a committee led by Tigers chief executive Shaun Mielekamp and general manager Pat Richards, with the group expected to recommend candidates to Marshall rather than leaving the decision solely in the head coach's hands.
The shift represents a notable change in the way Marshall's coaching department is being assembled.
There have been concerns around the amount of control afforded to Marshall and whether he has enough people around him prepared to challenge his decisions, rather than simply agree with them.
Those concerns have been brought into sharper focus by the close connections between Marshall and several members of the Tigers' football department.
Brett Hodgson works alongside Marshall as an assistant coach, Chris Heighington is involved in conditioning, while Richards holds the general manager position, all three having been members of the Tigers' 2005 premiership-winning side alongside Marshall.
With Morris now gone, there is a question over whether that dynamic could become even more pronounced.
The Tigers' latest moves appear designed to address that issue without stripping Marshall of his authority, instead placing more independent decision-making and accountability around him.
The pressure on Marshall became particularly evident earlier this season when Adam Doueihi stood himself down from the Tigers' clash against the Canberra Raiders after being shifted from halfback to lock.
The pair have since publicly reconciled, although Marshall admitted at the time that the situation had begun to affect his family life and warned he would walk away if the stress continued.
Marshall has also been seeking assistance from people outside the Tigers as part of his own personal development, which has been viewed as an encouraging step for the young coach.
However, that alone does not resolve the broader question surrounding the structure within the club.
The Tigers' latest changes suggest they recognise Marshall needs both support and people willing to challenge him as he continues to develop as an NRL head coach.
Rather than removing Marshall's power, the club appears intent on ensuring it is no longer concentrated entirely around him.
Whether the new appointments provide genuine accountability, or simply add more voices to an already close-knit group, will ultimately determine whether the structural changes can deliver the support Marshall needs.
