He’s the rookie coach tasked with trying to save the Wests Tigers, and the early reviews suggest Benji Marshall is the right man for the job with the injured Adam Doueihi declaring the new boss’ vision is “clearer” than what the players have seen in the past.
Marshall knows what winning looks like at the Tigers having played a key role in their 2005 premiership success, and while there’s been plenty of talk in recent years about rekindling their DNA of old, the results have stayed the same with the club winning back-to-back wooden spoons.
Tim Sheens’ return in 2023 was supposed to lead to a free-flowing attack that reminded fans of the halcyon days when Marshall and his teammates were scoring points for fun and leaving opposition teams scratching their heads at what had just happened.
But the Tigers managed a competition-low 385 points and won just four games last season, with the club deciding to speed up the succession plan with Marshall replacing Sheens earlier than expected.
There are doubters out there who question whether a man with such little experience can turn things around in such a short space of time, but Doueihi has been impressed with what he’s seen so far after a frustrating few years at the club.
“I feel like his vision is clearer (to what we’ve had in the past),” he said.
“We have a set in stone plan that we’re going to buy into the whole season. Whether we win or lose games, we’re just going to stick to it and trust what Benji and our new defence coach John Morris are doing.
“The same goes for Robbie Farah in attack and Chris Heighington with our effort areas because these guys have all done it at and they know what it takes to win.”
What Marshall lacks in experience, he more than makes up for with the respect he has from the playing group who grew up watching him tear teams to shreds with his fancy footwork and sleight of hand.
That was on show on Thursday when he went from leading some drills in attack to stepping up as a coach when he got a group of players to immediately quieten down while he was trying to do an interview so he could hear the questions.
“Even watching from afar when he’s directing training and directing the video reviews and previews, you can see that he’s really in charge in giving the boys a simplified game plan for what we want to do this year,” Doueihi said.
“I feel as though the more pre-season has grown on us, the more the boys have bought in.
“Benji is a well-respected person, and that goes a long way for a coach.
“He’s a very honest coach which is sometimes very hard to find in a coach, so we’re lucky that Benji is very honest with us.
“It’s great that he sometimes jumps into some drills and physically shows us how to do them and then we follow.”
Marshall’s ability to openly communicate with the players has been important for Doueihi who knows he faces stiff competition to get back into the side when he returns from ACL surgery later this year.
The club has recruited well in the halves with Aidan Sezer, Latu Fainu and Jayden Sullivan coming on board, while Jarome Luai is heading to Concord in 2025.
“I know it’s a cliché, but I haven’t really looked that far ahead,” said Doueihi, who has played fullback, centre and in the halves.
“I haven’t had time for that because I’ve been stressing in my head about the future and what’s happening (with my recovery).
“Benji has been really clear to me about my rehab and getting myself better.
“We’ll see how the team is going when I get back, and he says he’ll slot me in somewhere.
“I’m a versatile player, but I’m going to be missing half of the season. Wherever Benji slots me in is where I’ll slot in.”
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