The Wests Tigers have been accused of placing too much focus on outside noise and not enough on their on field performance.
The claim was made on Monday night’s episode of NRL 360 after The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie revealed he was “insulted” over a story written by the Sydney Morning Herald.
The Tigers and Benji Marshall were in the headlines last week when Ritchie penned a column questioning whether the rookie coach’s unique style will work in the NRL.
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The SMH’s Michael Chammas somewhat returned serve which Ritchie claims was behalf of the Tigers on Monday, two days after the club lost their season opener (and Marshall’s coaching debut) against the Raiders 32-12.
Chammas wrote that the timing of Ritchie’s article was poor considering it was just before Marshall’s coaching debut. It also claimed that former Tigers recruitment manager Scott Fulton was trying to undermine Marshall.
In his response to the SMH yarn, Ritchie was particularly miffed that Fulton was “falsely blamed for his alleged contribution”.
“The story said Scott Fulton had influence in what I had written. I found the assumption discrediting to me. Scott Fulton played no role in that story,” Ritchie said on NRL 360.
“For the Herald, via the Wests Tigers, to say that Scott had influenced me is wrong and insulting.
“Scott Fulton’s trying to find a job in rugby league. This is incredibly damaging to him.”
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This led NRL 360 co-host Paul Kent to say that the Tigers look to “blame agendas against them” when external pressure is put on the club.
“I don’t want to keep going down this track, but they have bigger problems than us at the moment,” Kent said.
“This is a common theme out of the Tigers that whenever they start getting criticised, they blame agendas against them.
“The fact is, go and fix up your rucks at the moment. Go and find some intent in your defence.”
Braith Anasta agreed that the Tigers’ focus is misplaced and it has been for “too long”.
“That’s what I take from this. You come off a bad loss, don’t worry about the media, don’t worry about the noise, focus about what’s happening inside the four walls,” he said.
“The Tigers have done that for too long, responding and reacting to stories.”
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“They were skittish before the game,” Kent interjected.
“Bulldog wrote the story before the game and they were reacting to it before the game and even then the stories were getting around about agendas.
“The fact is, their focus is always in the wrong spot the Tigers. It’s always about protecting their backsides rather than going out and getting the work done on the paddock.
“Unfortunately for Tigers fans, this is just more of the same and until they recognise that and look at themselves and go, ‘we are the only ones who can fix this problem, we are the only ones who can turn around this whole interpretation people have got of us’.
“No one else can make you think differently about the Tigers except the Tigers when they start winning. It’s the only think that will work.”
“The fans are sick of this,” The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio added.
Source Agencies
