The in turmoil Wests Tigers have rushed to extend head coach Benji Marshall through to at least 2030 in a bid to avoid a mass player exodus that had been brewing at the joint venture through its December civil war.
As many as seven Tigers players had been threatening to quit if Benji became the latest unplanned scalp in the whole Holman Barnes Group saga, including star halfback Jarome Luai and young gun fullback Jahream Bula.
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Tigers had been deep in negotiations with Marshall since the civil war first spilled out into the media some weeks ago. Club brass are now hoping Benji will speak to the wantaway players, ranging from Luai and Bula, to Terrell and Taylan May and the Fainu brothers, Sione, Samuela, and Latu, about the long-term plans at Wests and why they should stay signed on.
HBG confirmed Shaun Mielekamp would be stepping in as interim CEO at the same time.
“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.
“Locking in Benji is a cornerstone of our long-term plan – he is a brilliant coach. Full credit to all parties involved for… this outcome in a challenging environment, and I thank the Holman Barnes Group for their leadership and urgency. My focus over the next couple of months is to work closely with our staff and ensure we’re in strong shape heading into the 2026 campaign.”
All Marshall said on Friday was, “I’m really excited about the potential of this group and the direction we’re heading.”
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It remains to be seen if giving Benji the reins for that long will pay dividends for the struggling Tigers beyond guaranteeing their star players stay short-term. The Tigers came in last in 2024 and won the wooden spoon under Marshall, before rising to 13th in the season just gone; some credit has gone to Benji for his ability to bring star talent to the club.
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Luai even recently said Benji was the reason that he had signed with the Tigers in the first place. The May brothers, Terell and Taylan, and Sunia Turuva have also been quite vocal about the former Wests champion swaying their decisions.
Heading into 2026, the Tigers are paying $3.40 to make the finals and $7 to win the spoon.
