After taking the clipboard away from Tim Sheens, the coach of that one-time victory in 2005, in 2024, Marshall rejoins the Tigers in 2023 to supervise his brief apprenticeship.

Marshall was supposed to serve as Sheens’ Second-In-Command until 2025, but his ascension to the top position was hastened by a full year due to poor performance in the previous season.

Actually, even though Tim Sheens was officially still in charge, Marshall assumed the role towards the end of the previous year. Far earlier in the campaign, many conjectured that was the real deal.

But now Marshall is left to handle the enormous rebuilding task alone.

On the pitch, the erratic standoff was renowned for his miracles. To lift his cherished club off the bottom of the standings, he will require comparable abilities in the coaches’ box.

After winning just eight games in their two gruelling seasons (2022 and 2023), the Tigers are coming off consecutive wooden spoons.

The off-field problems that the Wests Tigers have faced in the thirteen years since they last made it to the finals might fill a book.

However, 2024 is a fresh start for the troubled joint venture.

In addition to the new coach, seasoned administrator Shane Richardson took over as CEO in December after Justin Pascoe quit. Richardson led Penrith and South Sydney to premiership victory.

The entire board was removed concurrently with an independent investigation of the club’s culture and governance, and chairman Lee Hagipantelis was replaced by former New South Wales premier Barry O’Farrell.

Even while Pascoe and Hagipantelis had no shortage of detractors, and the Tigers’ on-field performance provided the naysayers with plenty of fodder, they left the team with a multimillion-dollar training complex and a bright young coach.

“I’ve been through trauma in the past at clubs but what I’ve learned is you can’t dwell on the past,” Richardson said upon his appointment.

“[Marshall] is enthusiastic. He wants to win. He wants to be a successful coach … My job is put everything around him to allow him to be successful because he’s the head coach.”

The Tigers have also been buoyed this off-season by the recruitment of three-time premiership winner Jarome Luai from the Penrith Panthers on a five-year deal from 2025.

Although the most controversial player in the NRL will give the team a much-needed boost in confidence the next season, Marshall will need to find some swagger from his revamped locker room in 2024.

Enter veteran halfback Aidan Sezer, formerly of Leeds and Huddersfield (pictured), youthful playmaker Jayden Sullivan of St George-Illawarra, dynamic Storm centre Justin Olam, Queensland Cup graduate Solomona Faataape, and exciting teenage brothers Samuela and Latu Fainu from Manly.

The names that are no longer there should not be disregarded. Luke Brooks, the enduring whipping child who personified the Tigers’ decade-long incompetence, has left for Manly.

Along with him are Tommy Talau, Brandon Wakeham, Aitasi James, and Daine Laurie from Penrith and Shawn Blore from Melbourne, who were recruited by the Sea Eagles; Joe Ofahengaue from Parramatta and Ken Maumalo from Gold Coast departed in the middle of 2023.

Despite having two years left on his contract, Wests also finalised a contentious divorce in January with seasoned winger David Nofoaluma. Since then, he has joined Salford Red Devils of the British Super League.]

Approximately half of the Tigers’ first-choice 17 this season will be different from the lineup that barely made it to the finish line in 2023 when returns from injuries are taken into consideration.

In other words, this is a huge opportunity for Marshall to stamp his authority. 

The new coach hasn’t been shy to reshuffle his back-room staff, bringing in ex-Tiger John Morris and former Cowboy Aaron Payne. 

Even Rabbitohs icon Greg Inglis has been spotted at training mentoring boom fullback Jahream Bula. 

Marshall also adds a youthful energy to a beleaguered environment. 

The 38-year-old only retired from playing in 2021 and is the youngest boss in the NRL this year. By contrast, Sheens is 73, which made him the competition’s second oldest boss (behind Wayne Bennett) in 2023. 

“Although it might seem like a challenge, it’s an exciting one for me and it gives me a purpose,” Marshall said after his first week of pre-season. 

“Every day I come to training excited to be here. When you go from 20 years of playing and you retire, you miss a lot of things about footy, so being involved again and being able to coach and teach the things I learned to a team, it doesn’t get much better than that.” 

Despite carrying two straight wooden spoons into 2024, there’s plenty for Marshall to work with. 

Wests’ spine contains two old heads in three-time premiership-winning hooker Api Koroisau and journeyman Sezer, alongside youngsters Sullivan and Bula, as well as Adam Doueihi returning from an ACL layoff. 

Between tyros Stefano Utoikamanu and Fonua Pole and internationals John Bateman, Isaiah Papali’i, and David Klemmer, the big men offer a solid foundation.

Benji has a lengthy list of new recruits, but two standout players who might be future stars are highly regarded 18-year-old playmaker Lachie Galvin and 19-year-old back Josh Feledy, who made his NRL debut in the final round of 2023.

Every club is full of optimism this time of year. When the Tigers take on the Raiders in Canberra for their season opening in Round 2, that’s when the real test will take place.

Marshall, who hasn’t worn the number six since 2011, isn’t putting any stock in making it back to the championship game.

However, the long-suffering proponents of the merger will be pleased with any improvement over their past poor performances.

“Our goal is to instill pride in our jersey and provide our supporters and members with a team they can be proud to cheer for,” Marshall stated.

“We put a lot of effort into our work and training, and we compete in every play.” Doing all those things contributes significantly to our chances of success.

“We’ll be a process-driven team with a style of play, and if we can get those results every week, that’ll be a pass for us and we’ll see where it leads us. I’m not going to talk about where we finish—top eight, top four.”