'What the f***': Wests Tigers savaged over 'embarrassing' move
Rugby league legend Benny Elias has taken a stunning swipe at his beloved Wests Tigers over the "embarrassing" move to appoint five captains for the 2022 season.
The Tigers raised eyebrows this week when they announced that a five-man group would share the captaincy duties for the new season.
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Incumbent Tigers captain James Tamou will be joined by Luke Brooks, Adam Doueihi, Ken Maumalo and Tyrone Peachey as co-captains for the NRL side in 2022.
Coach Michael Maguire has a history of selecting multiple leaders after appointing five captains - Michael Crocker, Roy Asotasi, Sam Burgess, John Sutton and Matt King - when he started at South Sydney in 2012.
Sutton was the sole captain when Maguire and the Bunnies won the NRL premiership in 2014 but the coach also employed multiple leaders during a successful spell with Wigan in England's Super League.
“It’s about sharing the workload, they’ve all got their strengths, captains play a part on game day, but a lot goes on in the background, and there is a good group of leaders who will take us forward,” Maguire said on Tuesday afternoon.
However, Tigers club great and current board member Elias says he's been left baffled by Maguire's call.
“I can’t work it out for the life of me,” Elias said.
“I was very vocal on Doueihi being the captain. I just can’t believe there are five different people.
“There should be a leader in any organisation, especially a football side where you have a captain that you respect and follow through good and bad.
“When you go into a board room to make a decision, you look for your CEO to make the decision. When the referee wants to talk to the captain, who’s he going to talk to - the five of them?
“Why is it five captains? Why not three or nine? How did we land on five? It’s embarrassing.”
Maguire has indicated that he would be open to reverting to a one-captain approach after Tamou suggested that he was happy to pass the mantle over to a younger player.
Former Wests Tigers utility surprised by captaincy call
Former Tigers utility Michael Chee Kam - who joined South Sydney after seeing his opportunities limited under Maguire - said he was also surprised by the captaincy call.
“Five captains? Five is a surprise,” Chee Kam said ahead of Saturday's Charity Shield clash against the Dragons, in what will be his first game for the Rabbitohs.
“You have your natural leaders, but you want one guy as a captain ... you want that guy who leads you on and off the field. Jimmy (Tamou) is a natural leader. He’s a massive leader. He’s a good captain.”
The Tigers were belted 28-4 in their first trial match against Manly last Friday and Elias says he finds it hard to be optimistic that the club can end its decade-long finals footy drought in 2022.
“They say it’s only the trials but if it’s only the trials, why play them,” Elias said.
“We got dusted up in the second half against Manly, our performance was okay in the first half but look I struggle to continue to be positive.
“It breaks my heart and I can imagine how the supporters are, but you stick strong.
“I’m a big believer in sticking strong to my club which I love and I continue to support them but sometimes I just pull my hair out thinking 'what the f*** is happening'".
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