‘What’s a 24-7 coach?’: Benji Marshall hits back at criticism of coaching style

New Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has scoffed at any suggestions he doesn’t have the work ethic to be successful, declaring “you don’t play 347 games with a poor work ethic”.

Marshall, who has the job of leading a team he guided to a premiership in 2005 out of the mire as coach, was bemused at talk he doesn’t do the long hours required and defended his willingness to prioritise family time.

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He denied he arrived later to the club than players on training day, but said the hours worked by a coach didn’t define how much they were invested in success while conceding he still had a “lot to learn”.

“I didn’t want to have to justify the way I do things, but what I don’t like is when things are told that are not true,” Marshall said in response to some of the reports ahead of his first game in charge, going up against veteran coach Ricky Stuart and the Canberra Raiders on Saturday in the nation’s capital.

Marshall’s relaxed coaching approach was discussed in a Daily Telegraph column and on NRL 360 this week. You can watch that discussion in the video player above.

“You ask anyone in the building, I’m in here at quarter-to-six training with the staff before the players get in so they see us doing the hard yards before they come,” Marshall said.

“Coaching-wise I know I’ve got a lot to learn and I have to work hard.

“What’s a 24-7 coach? Who says I don’t (live and breathe the job)?

“I come into work early before the players, work as hard as we can until we get what we need done, then we go home.

“Because I prioritise my family between 5-8pm every night to find a work-life balance, that doesn’t mean I don’t care about my job or care about working hard.

“I don’t get it.”

Marshall, who unofficially coached the Tigers in three games last season after Tim Sheens handed him more power, is still viewing the Raiders clash as his first game in charge.

He admitted he had first-game jitters comparable to that time of his own playing career.

“I’m actually a little bit nervous now. It’s just a lot of unknowns,” Marshall said.

“It’s our first real competition game. I know we played two trials, but it’s hard trying to prepare with the bye in round 1.

“You’ve got to flog the players longer and then freshen them up later. In our trials, our boys were very tired.

“We had to, we had to prepare for round 1. I’m looking forward to seeing them fresh.”