The Tigers have made changes at every level ahead of the 2024 season and now it’s up to Benji Marshall to deliver after being thrown in the deep end.
The 2005 premiership winner was originally set to take the reins ahead of the 2025 season but after Tim Sheens was axed, Marshall was tasked with sparking a Leichhardt revolution a year early.
Not only has the coaching structure changed, with John Morris, Robbie Farah and Chris Heighington joining Marshall, but the entire board was wiped.
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Following an internal review into the club ordered by the Holman Barnes Group, the board was axed and both Justin Pascoe and Lee Hagipantelis departed.
A fresh start can be as good as a holiday and rugby league legend Cooper Cronk believes it’s now time for the NRL’s cellar dwellers. to improve.
“I think the thing with the Tigers is they are coming from a low base, back-to-back wooden spoons,” Cronk said.
“They made all these changes off field like the chairman, CEO, the board and Tim Sheens so if all that was part of the issue of why they got two wooden spoons, it’s out of the road.
“They’ve made those decisions to help the on field performances. Now it’s up to Benji Marshall and that coaching crew to start winning games.
“In their final trial (against the Dragons), not jumping the gun or anything but they conceded 34 points and they had 50 plus tackles in the red zone to score points.
“And they looked ineffective at different stages. So it’s a huge challenge for that coaching group to now win games at football because ultimately that’s the decision that we all sit by.
“All those other things are taken care of, decisions made off field to get rid of all that stuff that was a distraction. Now it comes back to coaching and the players winning games.”
But can the Tigers instantly climb up the ladder?
The last time the merger club played post-season football was back in 2011 and Cronk doesn’t believe success is too far away.
“I don’t buy into the whole ‘it’s a long process’, how long is a piece of string right?” Cronk said.
“I think if you can defend well, if you are in sync and hold on to the footy and you compete on every play, you will win more games than you lose.
“I think it doesn’t matter who you are, whether you’re the best coach in the game or you’re rookie, you need to be able to coach, you need to see improvement, you need to improve the individuals and therefore the team performances and win games of football.”
A pre-season win over the Warriors was followed with a disappointing loss to the Dragons and Marshall has already swung the axe.
Aidan Sezer was handed the No.7 in the trials but has been demoted to the No.14, with Lachlan Galvin and Jayden Sullivan the preferred halves pairing.
Having spent four seasons in the Super League, Sezer looked to be the man tasked with turning the club around.
However, he was ultimately beaten out by a rookie that shone bright off the bench in pre-season, making his debut at only 18 years of age.
So what do we know about Galvin?
He captained the 2023 Australian Schoolboys team and in years past was let go from the Eels junior system for being too small.
But after a growth spurt he stands at 193cms and weighs in at 91 kilograms, with the ability to potentially even play as a forward.
Galvin won a Harold Matthews premiership in 2022 but it remains to be seen whether he will withstand an NRL baptism of fire.
Meanwhile Sezer, 32, has played 155 NRL games across stints for the Titans and Raiders, but the upcoming campaign will be unlike anything he’s experienced before.
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The merger club are reeling off the back of back-to-back wooden spoons and rugby league has evolved in Australia since 2019.
That’s why rugby league legend Cooper Cronk believes Sezer needs to prepare for a baptism of fire, especially in an unknown role off the bench.
“Look, the Tigers had to make moves, they had to make changes particularly in the halves,” Cronk said to foxsports.com.au.
“The thing about me, for Aidan Sezer, he last played in our competition in 2019. He played four years in the Super League and the game has changed a lot here in the NRL with a lot of real changes over that period of time.
“Now he’s come to a club that’s had two wooden spoons and he’s expected to be elite.
“He had one year in Canberra where he got them to a grand final, so it’s a huge challenge for Sezer because it’s going to be the biggest test of his career.”
Meanwhile, fellow recruit Jayden Sullivan has been handed even more responsibility when he wears the No.7 against the Raiders.
During his stint at the Dragons Sullivan played off the bench and at five-eighth but was largely a stand in for either Ben Hunt or Junior Amone.
For Cronk, Sullivan’s best attributes come when he’s attempting to take on the line. So it remains to be seen whether the responsibility of being a chief playmaker will stifle that aspect of his abilities.
“I liked what I saw when he came back on the field in the second game in the second portion of the Dragons game because he started running the football,” Cronk said.
“But why didn’t he do that from the start? Benji Marshall was one of the best halves this game has seen in the last 20 years.
“So it is up to Benji to pass on those lessons and coach these two players in particular.
“Benji could pass on all the knowledge in the world, at the end of the day, it’s up to Sullivan to practice that knowledge and then implement it in the game.”
Here foxsports.com.au breaks down all the key factors for the Tigers heading into the 2024 season!
STRENGTH
Their forward pack. On paper the Tigers boast a very impressive pack filled with experienced stars. John Bateman, during his time at the Raiders, was one of the NRL’s best backrowers and showed glimpses of that ability in his first season back in Australia in 2023. Isaiah Papali’i was also a revelation during his stint at the Eels but failed to recapture that form in 2023 for the merger club. David Klemmer is another impressive player who contributes heavily in the middle, while Stefano Utoikamanu has also played for NSW. At lock the Tigers have Alex Seyfarth at their disposal, while Justin Matamu, Fonua Pole, Samuela Fainu and Alex Twal are also solid forward options. Then there’s the star of this pack in Api Koroisau who is arguably the best hooker in the competition and has multiple premierships under his belt. This pack has the makings to lay a very solid platform for the Tigers, but it remains to be seen whether they can deliver in 2024.
IT’S A BIG YEAR FOR
Jayden Sullivan. He get his move away from the Dragons to seek regular starting football and now it’s on him to perform. The 22-year-old will has been handed the reins, wearing the No.7 jersey against the Raiders. He’s already played 27 games across four seasons at the Red V but hasn’t experienced responsibility like this before in his career. Alongside rookie Lachlan Galvin, Sullivan will be expected to do the bulk of kicking and organise the Tigers line and it remains to be seen if the former Dragon has the skills to lead a struggling outfit. One thing is for certain though, Sullivan is incredibly talented. His running game is dangerous and he’s shown before he can create points out of nothing. Marshall could be the perfect mentor for the ‘eyes up’ halfback who has shown flashes of brilliance.
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WHO’S UNDER PRESSURE
Benji Marshall. It’s by no fault of his own, but the Tigers head coaching job comes with an immense amount of pressure. A number of factors only add to it, like his status within the club, winning a premiership in 2005, as well as his succession plan being fast-tracked. Tigers fans and especially powerbrokers need to give the rookie coach time to find his feet in 2024 and improve the squad. Whether that takes seasons or only a few games remains to be seen, but with so many sweeping changes it’s only a matter of time before some positivity creeps back into Leichhardt and gives the fans something to be proud about.
THE RISING STAR
Lachlan Galvin. He was a surprise pick from Marshall, but this 18-year-old has beaten out a Super League recruit with over 150 games of experience in Aidan Sezer. Marshall clearly sees something in the young gun and his pre-season challenge displays were impressive off the bench. We’ve seen several young playmakers thrown into a baptism of fire, and some have excelled, namely Nathan Cleary and Isaiya Katoa in recent years. Cleary has gone on to win three premierships while Katoa himself is still only 20 years of age himself so has years to develop ahead of him. Galvin will be hoping to get a good stint of games under his belt now to get a feel for the speed and brutality of first grade and Marshall is the perfect man to oversee his transition into the NRL.
THE UNLUCKY ONES
Tallyn Da Silva and Jake Simpkin. Both players would have thought they had a chance of playing off the bench this season under Benji Marshall. Both players are hookers by trade and have shown glimpses of talent in their short careers. But instead, Marshall decided to spring a selection shock and throw Lachlan Galvin in at five-eighth, demoting Aidan Sezer back to the utility role. It remains to be seen whether Sezer is the man who will play off the bench as a hooker or whether Jayden Sullivan or Galvin will shift into the role and Sezer into the halves. But either way, Simpkin and Da Silva will have to wait for first grade minutes.
ROUND 2 TEAM
1. Jahream Bula
2. Charlie Staines
3. Starford To’a
4. Solomona Faataape
5. Junior Tupou
6. Lachlan Galvin
7. Jayden Sullivan
8. Stefano Utoikamanu
9. Apisai Koroisau
10. David Klemmer
11. Isaiah Papali’i
12. John Bateman
13. Alex Seyfarth
14. Aidan Sezer
15. Fonua Pole
16. Alex Twal
17. Samuela Fainu
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