Just pick one: How Wests Tigers got their captaincy call so wrong

OPINION

If ever a football club needed firm, decisive and strong action, it's Wests Tigers.

Finals strangers for the past 10 years, leading a nomadic life at various home grounds and with a coach under the pump before a ball is kicked in 2022, some sort of muscle flex is needed to instil belief.

Yet, in the Tigers' first big decision of the year, they went all Sam Walker on us and ran away from the defensive line.

The move to appoint five co-captains - James Tamou, Adam Doueihi, Luke Brooks, Tyrone Peachey and Ken Maumalo – in a leadership group is a cop out.

It's telling the rugby league world we don’t have one true leader among us so we're going to share the responsibility.

It's not wanting to upset anyone but pleases no-one.

It’s led to more questions than answers for a club already under intense scrutiny.

Tigers fan will tell you there is nothing to see here and other clubs do it so why not us?

They will tell you it's Tiger-hate, it’s clickbait, it’s distorting the facts.

They'll tell you they’re not all co-captains but Tamou, Brooks, Peachey and Maumalo are simply keeping the chair warm until Doueihi's return from injury mid-season.

Fair enough.

But if that's the case, why wouldn't the club state that?

Probably because it's not.

Five players to 'share' Wests Tigers captaincy duties

The official press release confirms the Fab Five will each have a turn at passing the parcel.

It reads: "The five players, who were appointed to the leadership group by their teammates, will share the captaincy duties throughout the 2022 NRL season."

It's interesting to note coach Michael Maguire has not been quoted anywhere on the captaincy issue.

Make of that what you will.

The Tigers reportedly employed team building guru Dan Haesler, who wrote The Act of Leadership and has mentored Shaun Johnson and key figures at the Canberra Raiders, as part of the leadership process.

You can only assume he had a fair say and recommended the five-man set-up – selected by the players - was the way to go.

Perhaps even he – an expert at identifying leaders - couldn't find a stand-out candidate among the group?

Asked he thoughts about leadership groups, Phil Gould said: "One little ship, one little captain … That’s my old-fashioned view."

Tigers fans are desperately hoping season 2022 is more QE 2 than Titanic.

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