Robbie Farah is the greatest player in the history of the Wests Tigers' franchise. Yesterday he turned out in front of a packed house at the hallowed Leichhardt Oval in peak fitness and raring to go. His team was set to take on the third-placed Canberra Raiders in their final game of the regular season with a chance to make the finals series if they could win. There should have been no greater honour for Farah, a NSW origin great and rare one-club man for the Tigers. Farah grew up in Leichhardt, played for the Leichhardt Wanderers as a junior, and helped take his local NRL team the Wests Tigers to their first premiership in 2005. He has broken the Wests Tiger's all-time record for matches as captain, he is the most capped in the franchise's history at 247 games, and has represented both NSW and Australia.There was only one problem. Farah wasn't named in the side yesterday. He was unceremoniously dumped halfway through the season by Tiger's coach, Jason Taylor, kicking off one of the great player vs coach feuds in recent NRL history (which you can read about in full detail here).He was wheeled out at halftime in yesterday's clash for a lap of honour, holding back tears as the capacity Leichhardt crowd chanted his name and unfurled banners in support while others called coach Jason Taylor "A Dog.""Sorry mate just trying to keep it together. It's obviously a bitter-sweet day but the support is amazing once again. I've had enormous support right through my career, I love these fans, every time I run out here I play with them on my mind and try to give 100% for the jersey and that's something I've prided myself on," he told Fox Sport's, Andy Raymond, during his lap of honour.
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The short of it is Coach Taylor thinks the team functions better without Farah in it. It's nothing personal, he says. Rather the young and exhilarating halves and fullback trio of Luke Brooks, Mitchell Moses, and James Tedesco cannot reach full potential with Farah's domineering presence during the games and on the training paddock. The rift was blamed on his "abrasive" character by former teammate Benji Marshall and his tenure at the Tigers, which has outlasted two previous coaches of the club, might have led him to a sense of control and ownership over the playing group that doesn't sit well with today's mercenary playing culture.After attempting to drop him unsuccessfully at the start of the season, Taylor succeeded followed the origin series, leaving Farah stranded high and dry on 247 career games - three short of the historic 250 milestone, which he was set to bring up at the Tiger's spiritual home of Leichhardt Oval against the Cowboys a few weeks ago.Instead the Origin and Australia hooker was sent back to suburban park football (and even then couldn't play in the finals due to ineligibility because of lack of games played).
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Despite having everything to play for, the Farah-less Tigers turned in one of the worst performances in the franchise's history. They were smashed at home in front of a capacity crowd by the travelling Canberra Raiders. Despite having everything to play for, including vindicating their coach's decision to sack Farah, the was game over by halftime as the Green Machine cruised to a 52-10 victory.Farah watched on and when the game was over he climbed up the scoreboard on Wayne Pearce Hill to drain a couple of tins of beer with the Tigers' faithful. He is likely to sign with the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the coming coming days but home will always be where the heart is, he said.
"This is a goodbye today but I'm sure I'll be back here at this club in some capacity in the future. I'm a Tiger for life mate and I've made some great friends and great memories at this club. It hasn't ended the way I liked but I just like to remember all the good times and thank all the fans for supporting me right throughout my career. They've seen me grow up from a young kid to what am I today and this is what makes it so special you know, seeing the support I get form them," he said.