Benji Marshall has been warned not to have his “power stripped” after the Tigers made the unusual decision to advertise their assistant coach role on LinkedIn.
With the position coming into the spotlight, former Dragons head coach Shane Flanagan publicly stated he had interest in joining Marshall’s coaching team.
“I want to coach. I’m not worried about being a head coach, I’ve had my time there,” Flanagan said on Triple M.
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“Whether it’s an assistant coach or whether it’s in the admin side of things, I want to be involved, I love rugby league. I have done it my whole life.”
He also heaped praise on the Tigers’ squad, which he believed had a “lot of class” players, and many that were “young” and full of potential.
“An enormous amount of young talent. Samuela Fainu, Bula at fullback, they have some class players right through the side. Young, a lot of youth,” Flanagan said.
“Even Api (Koroisau). He can be one of the best hookers in the game and has had moments where he has been.
“I just think, Benji is working really hard and trying hard, but maybe he is on his own and needs some help.”
However, according to Fox League’s Paul Crawley, hiring Flanagan could undermine his position as the club’s leader.
“One of the concerns I would have is that Shane Flanagan has been a head coach always, you see him as a head coach,” Crawley explained on NRL360 on Thursday night.
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“He went to Manly as an assistant, but if you look at Benji you also need someone that you get along with.
“You need someone who challenges you, but you also need someone you trust, I don’t care what anyone says.”
He also believed the fact the club posted the assistant coach’s role on LinkedIn was a “red flag” that indicated Marshall was losing control.
Instead of the embattled coach making the decisions on who works alongside him, it was instead the club’s powerbrokers pulling the strings.
“At the end of the day all this talk about Benji having his power stripped, that’s just a red flag to the players,” he explained.
“If there’s a sign of weakness in the coach, the players will grab hold of it. By the club doing what they are doing and taking responsibility away from Benji, it create a sign of weakness for Benji.
“The same people who are doing this, are the same people who gave him an extension at the start of the season. So how can you trust the judgement at that club?”
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But The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie was of the belief that the Tigers were in desperate need of a new voice in their coaching ranks.
“If Shane Flanagan is the right man to come in and change the culture, whether Benji likes it or not, Flanno is the man,” he explained.
However, the fact Marshall has been appointed the head coach of the club means he should be able to choose who helps him steer the Tigers back to the finals, according to Crawley.
“That’s not how the world works in coaching. Do you think Don Furner tells Ricky Stuart who will be his assistant coaches?” Crawley replied.
“People will say he hasn’t got the runs on the board… but you have chosen him to be your head coach, surely you have faith in him leading the club and making the right decisions.
“I just think at the end of the day it has to be Benji’s call, because if he doesn’t make it, he is just giving away power.
“It will undermine him, he has to be the one that makes the call.”