Before we remove the King, he needs his Aces

Last night, Wests Tigers fans, was embarrassing for us all. The players and coach should all feel partly responsible today, one way or another.

But as a multitude of people are calling for our king and coach, Benji Marshall, be replaced (including one of us), I myself can’t bring my biased brain to think we are extremely unlucky.

Before I come to agree with removing the greatest player in our franchise’s almost-three decade history from the manager role. I want him to have the four aces up his sleeve in the spine. Jahream Bula, Latu Fainu, Jarome Luai and Api Koroisau together in their rightful positions. On the field together for an entire game.

We saw it briefly last week and in those minutes we looked to be on top of one of the premiership favourites in the Canberra Raiders.

We waited for Latu to come back from injury and be off a minute restriction. But before we got a chance to finally see him play 80, Bula would do his hamstring on a desperate post-siren play. Jarome ended up in hospital with an infection. Api Koroisau, a tackling machine, gets a horrible concussion.

Latu should be ready to roar again next week. But Bula remains out, Api will be under protocol and Jarome most likely will be in Origin camp.

The best we can hope for is fight wounded through road games against Roosters and Warriors and get what we want to see at Leichhardt Oval against the Titans.

As Wests Tigers fans we’ve been patient for over a decade. Every July in the past several years we’d been hoping for another reset button.

For me, I want to see our future four in the 1-6-7-9 and see what we do from there. Will Benji Marshall’s shortcomings be removed? Will we see our lower salary players around them play a better small role? I have faith they will.

Are there better coaches out there? Well, considering ours is a rookie who’s only just turned 40. Of course there are.

A fully licensed vet leading the team would work better than one with his coach L plates. But you have to take into consideration that you cannot for one second say that all (current) players are going out on the field and doing their best. You can’t deny that there are players out there, despite the wooden spoons, that want to come play for him.

The team first mentality is there. We just need them all be able to lace up the boots at once.

This kingdom doesn’t need a rebuild, we’ve merely put up the scaffolding.

Wests Tigers fans, check out our episode where we draft the greatest players in the club’s history with the boys from Wests Tigers podcast: