Benji advises Farah to leave Tigers

Former premiership-winning teammate Benji Marshall has told embattled captain Robbie Farah it’s probably best he moves on from the Wests Tigers.

Despite new Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe this week saying the club intends honouring the final year of Farah’s $900,000-a-season contract, Marshall believes the 13-year stalwart is better off walking away.

Marshall was forced out of the Tigers in 2013 but, after an unsuccessful short in Super Rugby with the Blues last year, the New Zealand international has thrived again in the NRL this season at St George Illawarra.

Marshall believes Tigers coach Jason Taylor’s ultimatum to Farah that he’d play reserve grade next year if he remained at the joint venture outfit has left the star hooker with little option.

“From my experience, I don’t think you realise how good change can be sometimes,” Marshall told NRL 360 on FoxSports.

“Obviously there’s drama between himself and the coach. It’s never going to be the same. There’s no way they could work together again.

“So my advice to him was: ‘I think you’re probably due for a change for yourself, not only that but for the Wests Tigers as well.”

Cronulla hooker Michael Ennis, who has proven a revelation for the Sharks this season following his move from Canterbury at the end of last year, also urged Farah to make a change.

Ennis says under Taylor, Farah can no longer be the “attacking weapon out of dummy-half that he’d been” for the Tigers.

“I would suggest that if Robbie Farah can go somewhere else, he’ll still always be a Wests Tigers legend but he will enjoy the back-end of his career and get to play the style of football that made him who he is rather than dig his heels in,” Ennis said.

Marshall, 30, and Ennis, 31, finished equal fourth in the Dally M count this season and both agree 31-year-old Farah would benefit from a similar late-career move rather than trying to remain a one-club man.

“When his career his done in three or four years,” Ennis said.

“Wherever it may be, if he does make that move, he’ll look back and go: ‘Those memories from the Tigers, I’m always still a part of it, but geez I enjoyed the back-end of my career, being able to play the footy that I did.'”

Marshall admitted the 238-game Tigers great’s biggest problem may be finding a new club at this late stage, but suspected South Sydney and Newcastle may be options.

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