Podcast: BTR Episode 1 with Robbie Farah

Wests Tigers assistant coach Robbie Farah believes that the club is well-placed for a tilt at the top eight following a much-needed injection of experience and leadership.

Speaking on the first episode of Wests Tigers’ new podcast Behind the Roar, the crafty dummy-half expressed his excitement ahead of the new campaign, where he will be working alongside several former teammates in the coaching and high performance staff.

Behind the Roar is available on Apple and Spotify.

Farah is “very confident” that the additions of Tim Sheens, Benji Marshall and Chris Heighington will lead to success through a return to a familiar style of play.

“For me, there is a certain Wests Tigers DNA because we’ve always been a team that backs ourselves”.

He believes that the joint-venture has tried too hard to emulate the playing styles of successful teams over the past few years, even likening the club’s struggles to those of the Jamaican bobsled team in the film Cool Runnings.

“The coach makes the Jamaicans train and perform like the Swiss, and I think that’s what happened to us over the last few years," Farah said.

"We've tried to play like other teams, like the Storm and the Roosters.

“We’re the Jamaican bobsled team and and we’re going to back ourselves, work hard and play an exciting brand of footy."

While some coaches may be wary of setting expectations too high for their playing group, Farah has no qualms in stating that his team’s goal is to break the club’s twelve-year finals drought this season.

He’s confident that his side has trained well and is capable of leveraging the belief that has been building within the Zurich Centre at Concord.

“I’m not going to sit here and say we just want to be competitive or we want to not finish last. We want to aim big," he said.

People talk about three or four-year rebuilds but if we’re not here to win now, we shouldn’t be here at all.

Robbie Farah

One man that Farah believes can guide the club back to the promised land is hooker and freshly-appointed captain Api Koroisau.

Having played 303 games at the position himself, Farah has been working closely with Koroisau over the off-season and has encouraged the three-time premiership winner to continue playing his natural style of football.

“When a player like Api comes to the club, you’re not reinventing the wheel with him," Farah said.

I’ve said for the last couple of years that he’s been the best hooker in the NRL.

Robbie Farah

“For our forwards and for Brooksy and Adam in the halves, having someone who is always a threat at nine is just going to be massive."

With the pre-season over, all eyes are now on Sunday’s season-opener where Koroisau will lead the team down the famous stairs and onto the hallowed turf of Leichhardt Oval for the first time.

For Farah, the thought of returning to the eighth wonder of the world sparks many great memories, including the first and last matches of his NRL career.

“When I die, I want to have my ashes sprinkled there because I just love the place," he said.

It’s my favourite place in the world.

Robbie Farah

“What a way to start the year with two games at Leichhardt… Bring it on.”