Shock split at TigerTown as pressure grows on Benji, Blues star optimistic about injury

Two of Wests Tigers club legends are splitting with Robbie Farah leaving Benji Marshall’s coaching staff.

The long-time mates have decided the club needs to get more experience on their coaching staff so Farah will no longer be an assistant to Marshall in 2025, as first reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Farah was charged with running the team’s attack with former Sharks coach John Morris looking after their defence.

The Tigers have had a few encouraging wins but are still on track for their third straight wooden spoon with a 4-13 record heading into their Round 20 clash with Souths at Accor Stadium on Saturday.

Marshall is feeling the pinch as coach in his rookie year and last week blasted his side’s performance in a record 58-6 loss to Cronulla. 

Over the last three weeks the Tigers have conceded 138 points and are bottom on the NRL ladder.

Marshall was clearly furious in the aftermath of the defeat, apologising to Tigers supporters in a tense and prickly post-match press conference that lasted less than three minutes. 

“We talked all week about having a defensive attitude and it was nowhere. This is the first time we’ve had that attitude all year, in most games we’re in there competing but today we weren’t.

“There’s no one in our team that could say they played well.”

Edwards hopeful about knee damage

A modest Dylan Edwards has played down his man-of-the-match heroics after playing out NSW’s State of Origin series-clinching win with a knee injury.

The Blues star returned to Sydney on Thursday without visible sign of damage after being hurt early in the second half of NSW’s 14-4 victory at Suncorp Stadium.

The initial prognosis for the Penrith fullback was a PCL injury, that usually rules players out for close to a month.

But Edwards seemed optimistic about his recovery.

“Yeah, it’s alright,” he told AAP. “I’ve got to get a scan, just a precautionary scan in the next couple of days. It hurt a little bit, but that’s footy.”

The fact Edwards finished the match is a promising sign as he praised the NSW team effort.

“I got strapped up and I was good to go,” he said.

“Everyone digs in, digs deep and fought for each other, which is what we needed to do to get results like that.”

The NSW No.1 was hurt early in the second half but remained faultless at the back and ran 243 metres with ball in hand during the game.

Edwards was already set to miss Penrith’s NRL clash with the Dolphins on Sunday, with the majority of the Panthers’ five Origin stars not expected to back up.

Isaah Yeo was already omitted by Penrith earlier this week, while Jarome Luai, Brian To’o and Liam Martin were only listed on an extended bench.

Penrith have traditionally taken a cautious approach with their Origin players after the series, and the quintet were not due back at Panthers headquarters until Friday.

Any injury to Edwards would further prolong Penrith’s run without their full first-choice spine, just as Nathan Cleary returns from injury at halfback on Sunday.

Edwards’ injury comes at the end of a dramatic series for the NSW rookie.

Named to debut for Origin I ahead of James Tedesco, Edwards was ruled out when he went down with a quad injury four days before the match.

He then scored a try, set up another and bust eight tackles on debut in the Blues’ 38-18 win in Melbourne, before starring again at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.

with AAP