The Tigers have locked up head coach Benji Marshall with a long-term contract extension despite the 40-year-old admitting the club’s boardroom saga “was quite a shock”.
The news of Marshall’s three-year contract extension, which will keep him at the Tigers until the end of 2030, is much-needed stability at the club after a turbulent week which saw Shane Richardson decide to quit as chief executive officer with Shaun Mielekamp stepping in as interim chief.
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“We acknowledge the outside noise over the past week, but the most important thing now is what is happening inside the four walls of this club – and the truth is, we are aligned, united, and moving forward together,” Mielekamp said.
Marshall had a similar message on Friday when he fronted the media, explaining he was doing so to assure fans that the playing group won’t let the off-field drama affect them.
However, the Tigers coach admitted all the boadroom chaos caught him off-guard.
“I was put off, if I’m being honest,” Marshall said.
“I think the thing that you’ve got to be real with is I’m like the fans, what’s happened is such a shock. For us, we’ve built something really good here, and it was quite a shock to happen. “But to get the assurance that it’s not going to affect what we’re doing going forward, and the football program will stay the same.
“We made a plan two years ago, and I’ve got to give credit to Richo for that too, because he was a big part of what we’ve done, the squad we’ve built, and I’m sure everyone could see the progress we’ve made on-field, which is all I care about, really, to be honest.
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“That plan will stay in place. The only reason I wanted to come here today was actually to reassure our fans and talk to our members about how important it is to know that our players are not going to use anything that happens externally as an excuse, or let it affect what we’re doing.
“If you came in the building and you watched us train (and saw) the camaraderie here, you’ll understand that we’re all on the same page, and we’re fighting to make the top eight and make a splash. That hasn’t changed for us.
“Obviously, Richo’s gone, but with Shaun in place, we’ve got the same people doing the same jobs, pushing in the same direction. So the plan’s still the same.”
The off-field drama is the last thing the Tigers needed after a promising 2025 season, which saw them finish 13th after collecting three-straight wooden spoons.
The tension hit a tipping point last Monday when chairman Barry O’Farrell and three independent directors were sacked by club owners the Holman Barnes Group, with HBG claiming they were “left in the dark” on decisions.
But then in a stunning twist, there were reports on Thursday that O’Farrell and two other directors would return to the Tigers board just 10 days after being axed.
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O’Farrell had previously described the dismissal of himself and the three other directors as a “brain fart” and warned it if “continues to go to hell in a hand basket”, the NRL may be forced to step in.
On the field, there were also concerns high-profile players including Jarome Luai and Jahream Bula could leave if the Tigers moved on from Marshall given both had clauses to leave.
As a result, locking in Marshall will go a long way to also keeping the core members of the playing group together.
Marshall said he sat down with Luai “at length” and admitted the clauses in his deal, which essentially allow him to sign with rival clubs from 2027 onwards, “are not going anywhere”.
“He’s fully committed to the club, like fully committed,” Marshall said.
“He copped a lot of flak for the clauses he had in his contract. I’ll be honest, those clauses are not going anywhere.
“But he’s given his full commitment to our side and if there’s anyone I trust in our team the most, it’s that bloke.”
Marshall also said the club was doing “everything possible” to keep Bula at the Tigers and was “confident” he will stay.
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But Marshall was willing to explain why he signed on for so long.
“Stability for the players, stability for myself. So the noise goes away about you’ve got to make the top eight or you’re getting the sack at the end of this year,” Marshall said.
“Obviously, at the end of the day, if you don’t have performance, you’re probably going to be in trouble anyway.
“But to give that stability to the players and understanding what’s going to happen here in regards to my role and the coaching structure and the plans we’ve made, I think it’s very important.”
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