Wests Tigers head coach Benji Marshall has reflected on yet another failed campaign for the club, admitting he is glad it's over.
The comments came after the Tigers faded dismally during the second half of the year, finishing with another loss to the Penrith Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
“I'm glad it's come to an end, if I'm honest…it was a bit of a weird year for us," Marshall said.
Marshall spoke about what the year was like for the Tigers after playing well in the first half of the season, then losing their form.
“We showed so much promise and optimism to start the season, and then we went through a bit of a rough patch, losing eight in a row, and had to fight in the back end," he said.
The coach explored what his biggest learnings were from the season and what he will apply next year to ensure that next season is entirely different.
“One thing is making sure we have depth when we do have injuries like we had at the start of the year.”
With the consistent off-field drama the Tigers found themselves in this season, Marshall talked about what he wants to take into next season surrounding controversy.
“How to manage and navigate our way through off-field things and how to not let them become a distraction," the coach added.
Marshall relayed his love for the job and what he gets out of the role of West Tigers head coach.
“You got to love it; it's a pretty thankless job sometimes. You got to give a lot of time, energy, effort, and you also have to give a part of yourself away to the team and the club," he said.
“But what I get out of it is a purpose that I don't think can be fulfilled doing any other job, so I feel lucky and blessed to do the job, feel like I'm growing and learning every year.”
The Tigers coach spoke about going to market to draw players in for their upcoming seasons and what they would look for.
“We are always looking for ways to improve our squad; one of the biggest things we need right now is a bit of experience, leadership, and guys who are not fringe players," he said.
“We need first-graders who can do the job, so we will be looking in that sort of area.”
Despite that, Marshall believes that the Tigers' current squad has what it takes to be competitive next season.
“From my point of view, I feel like we got the crux of a squad from 1 to 17 and 18 that can compete; after that, we need a bit more," he said.
The West Tigers lose star five-eighth Jarome Luai going into next season but remain positive heading into 2027.
The Tigers have picked up Jake Averillo and Jayden Brailey for 2027, while a number of other players are leaving in Mavrik Geyer, Kik Laulilii, Luke Laulilii and Starford To'a, with a host also remaining off-contract.
