‘Individual mindset’ slammed amid latest Tigers ‘debacle’

Billy Slater has slammed the Wests Tigers “debacle” after the side’s 56-10 loss to the Raiders on Saturday, saying players at the club need to stop playing with an “individual mindset” as their slim finals hopes fade away.

The drama surrounding Adam Doueihi has added to the unrest at the club, his choice to make himself unavailable for selection causing uproar from experts.

“I think the performance and the result on the weekend reflects where the club’s at,” the Maroons coach said on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.

“I think Benji’s probably looking after his player there a little bit. I think you’ve got a duty to play. If you wait until you feel exactly right and in the right headspace and you feel your body’s always right, you’ll never play the game.

“You’ve got a duty to play. I totally understand where Adam Doueihi’s coming from and feeling disappointed about moving positions, but when you’re a part of a team, you’ve gotta have a selfless mindset.

“And there’s too many individual mindsets at the moment at the Tigers.”

After it was reported that the playmaker was unhappy with being shifted to play at lock, Benji Marshall stood behind his player, saying he still had hope his team will turn their season around, something Andrew Johns found “ridiculous”.

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“I just find it absolutely ridiculous. We’ve all played at a time in clubs where things weren’t happy and you were busted, you were sore and you were flat,” Johns said.

“You get out there and play. It just seems like every couple of years, there’s some sort of drama like this at the Wests Tigers.

“I don’t know whether it’s the senior players or it’s people high up at the club or it’s a collection of everything, but what we’ve seen is nothing short of a debacle.”

The club had refused to comment on the matter in the build-up to their 46-point thrashing; however, Marshall told reporters post-match that he was confident the club would come to a resolution with their disgruntled star soon.

Marshall expects that Doueihi’s management will attend their crisis meeting on Monday along with the club’s chief executive Shaun Mielekamp.

While Doueihi has been heavily criticised for his choice, Marshall made clear that he fully understands and respects the thought process of his playmaker.

“As a coach, I always try and make decisions on what I think is best for the team to try and win,” Marshall said in his post-match press conference.

“For Adam, I can understand his disappointment with me asking him to play a different role. I will always try to make the best decision for the club - it’s my job.

“But at the same time, Adam is a human, and he feels how he feels. We are in the world where if you don’t feel mentally right to play, you can’t make them play.

“He wasn’t in a good headspace to play this week. You have to respect that, which we did. We will try and get to a resolution next week and put the talk to bed.”

Marshall dismissed reports other players had approached him disgruntled about the situation, admitting he only had his talent come to him asking for clarification on what was unfolding with Doueihi.

He then recognised that the past two years have been tough for all fans, players, coaches and club staffers due to on-field woes and off-field battles.

But Marshall has not lost his love of the game or his passion for the job.

“I love my job and I love doing it. I love the impact of trying to turn this club around,” he continued.

“We’ve had a shitload of noise over the last two years. We are trying (to turn things around), but what we are doing at the moment isn’t working.

“This is the toughest thing I’ve been through. I am a human too, I have feelings. I have kids who feel it, they go to school, and it gets talked about.

“It is a stressful job - it comes with the territory. We just have to keep fighting, stick together and push through it.”

Steve Roach and Josh Morris admitted pre-game on 2GB’s Continous Call Team that if the Tigers were to be demolished by the Raiders, Marshall could find that his playing group could turn their backs on Doueihi.

“I don’t see how he walks in there on Monday and it being all chummy,” Morris said.

“If they have a loss and get flogged, they will all turn their backs on him and say ‘we don’t want you here’. You weren’t there for us when we needed you. Are you only going to be there when it suits you or are you going to be here when we are in trouble?”

Roach agreed, adding: “I don’t know what happened in the dressing room with him and Benji, but you can’t let your teammates down.”

Marshall was not worried when asked if that could be the case post-match.

“I can’t answer for them, but the most important thing is that this is their job,” he replied, recognising that statement also applies to Doueihi.

“They have to go out there and do their job. Whether you respect it or not, you have to.”

Morris questioned the professionalism of Doueihi, given former coach Brett Kimmorley revealed this is not the first time the playmaker has pulled this stunt.

“It is going to make it so hard for him to come back (if they lose),” Morris said.

“If you want to be on a successful team and be the player people want to be - he is a senior player. You might not like it but you have to get on with it.

“You have to be professional about it, get out there and perform, no matter what number is on your back.”

The Tigers will host the Eels next Sunday.