Jackson_1994
Kennel Enthusiast
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2018
- Messages
- 2,293
- Reaction score
- 7,204
New Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall faces the first test of his career as one of his highest-paid players refuses to turn up to training over a perception of unfair treatment from the club.
Winger David Nofoaluma, a former teammate of Marshall and the greatest try-scorer in the club’s history, has not been to training since last Wednesday in response to what he claims is poor treatment from the club’s football department.
Nofoaluma has also lodged a complaint with the Rugby League Players’ Association over the conduct of the club.
A meeting between Nofoaluma, the RLPA and Wests Tigers was held on Thursday night.
Sources with knowledge of the situation talking under the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of discussions told this masthead that Nofoaluma’s gripe with the Tigers relates to how he has been treated at training.
Nofoaluma struggled physically and with his fitness levels upon returning to pre-season training last month and was one of the team’s least impressive performers in a time trial.
Marshall and his new-look coaching staff are trying to drive a new standard at the club and haven’t shown preferential treatment to the veteran winger.
Nofoaluma reached his limit last week and complained about the communication between him and the football department, as well as the training methods that have been adopted to try and improve his fitness.
At Thursday night’s meeting between the club and the RLPA, Nofoaluma agreed that he would return to training on Monday in an attempt to resolve the matter.
Nofoaluma, the RLPA and Wests Tigers have been contacted for comment.
Nofoaluma still has two more years to run on his deal with the Tigers at about $500,000 per season but has struggled to cement his place in the team recently.
The Tigers have been trying to offload the winger to a rival club for the past two years and even lent him to the Melbourne Storm at the end of 2022 as part of a loan deal for the final few games of the season and the finals series.
Nofoaluma has scored 100 tries from 192 games for the Tigers since his debut for the joint venture club in 2013.
His services have been offered to rival clubs on numerous occasions over the past two years but the Tigers haven’t been able to agree on the amount they would contribute as part of his release.
Nofoaluma has also attracted interest from the Super League.
Winger David Nofoaluma, a former teammate of Marshall and the greatest try-scorer in the club’s history, has not been to training since last Wednesday in response to what he claims is poor treatment from the club’s football department.
Nofoaluma has also lodged a complaint with the Rugby League Players’ Association over the conduct of the club.
A meeting between Nofoaluma, the RLPA and Wests Tigers was held on Thursday night.
Sources with knowledge of the situation talking under the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of discussions told this masthead that Nofoaluma’s gripe with the Tigers relates to how he has been treated at training.
Nofoaluma struggled physically and with his fitness levels upon returning to pre-season training last month and was one of the team’s least impressive performers in a time trial.
Marshall and his new-look coaching staff are trying to drive a new standard at the club and haven’t shown preferential treatment to the veteran winger.
Nofoaluma reached his limit last week and complained about the communication between him and the football department, as well as the training methods that have been adopted to try and improve his fitness.
At Thursday night’s meeting between the club and the RLPA, Nofoaluma agreed that he would return to training on Monday in an attempt to resolve the matter.
Nofoaluma, the RLPA and Wests Tigers have been contacted for comment.
Nofoaluma still has two more years to run on his deal with the Tigers at about $500,000 per season but has struggled to cement his place in the team recently.
The Tigers have been trying to offload the winger to a rival club for the past two years and even lent him to the Melbourne Storm at the end of 2022 as part of a loan deal for the final few games of the season and the finals series.
Nofoaluma has scored 100 tries from 192 games for the Tigers since his debut for the joint venture club in 2013.
His services have been offered to rival clubs on numerous occasions over the past two years but the Tigers haven’t been able to agree on the amount they would contribute as part of his release.
Nofoaluma has also attracted interest from the Super League.
