News 2024 wests tigers billy slater comments benji marshall coaching future exclusive 20240909 p5k95y.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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EXCLUSIVE: Billy Slater's plea to Tigers over Benji Marshall's future after another dreaded wooden spoon

Lachlan Harper
Lachlan Harper

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League great Billy Slater has called for patience with the Tigers and coach Benji Marshall despite another wooden spoon.

After losing to the Eels in round 27, the Tigers were handed the dreaded title yet again in Marshall's first year as head coach.

While it was another failed season, the club did show glimpses of promise as young stars like Lachie Galvin and Latu Fainu gave fans something to be excited about.

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Marshall will also be buoyed by the arrivals of Jarome Luai, Sunia Turuva, Royce Hunt, Jeral Skelton and Jack Bird next season.

Billy Slater believes Benji Marshall will be a "wonderful coach".  Getty

Slater believes the young players and new signings provides the Tigers with a promising future.

"There's some excitement coming to the club and some experience and some successful players," he said on Nine's The Billy Slater Podcast.

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"I think Jarome Luai is a huge inclusion, Sunia Turuva is a great pickup as well, I think he's a great little winger. And then we've seen some green shoots come through this year.

"At times there's been four or five teenagers playing on the field at any one time for the Tigers. Lachie Galvin is a wonderful player, I love the way he plays with a smile on his face, I love the way that he attacks the game, you put some experience and successful players in and around him (they'll do well).

"Jahream Bula, he missed the back end of the year with a shoulder injury, he's going to be much stronger, much fitter, to go through another pre season and much more experienced.

"They've got some quality to work with."

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While Marshall is only in the embryo stage of his coaching career, the Tigers icon will want to see improvement next year.

The coach said after the Eels result that any pressure around his role "doesn't worry me" with Slater putting his full support behind him.

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"Benji Marshall, I love the fact he's leading this young Tigers team forward," he said.

"He's going to be a wonderful coach, they need to be patient and I think we'll see an improvement next year because you get another year under these young guys belts, put some good players in and around them.

"Benji Marshall will be another year more experienced, stick with them if you're a Tigers fan."

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