'New nightmare' facing Tigers as rivals chase rising star

The besieged Tigers are facing a new nightmare with several clubs, headed by the Eels showing interest in talented young hooker Tallyn Da Silva. In the week in which the club lost brilliant playmaker Lachlan Galvin to the Bulldogs, the battle to retain Da Silva is of critical importance. The problem is that Da Silva knows he has the quality to be a starting NRL hooker - but can't achieve that goal at the Tigers, with veteran Api Koroisau is still playing great football for the club, is the team captain and is currently negotiating a new deal. Parramatta have struggled for a class hooker since losing Reed Mahoney to the Bulldogs in 2022 and Da Silva would be a great addition to their ranks. Da Silva's manager Mario Tartak confirmed to Wide World of Sports that five rival clubs have expressed interest in the classy hooker. "Tallyn loves the Tigers - this isn't a Lachlan Galvin-type situation," Tartak emphasised. "We can't talk to clubs at this stage but five have told me that if Tallyn goes to the marketplace, they are keen. "It's up to the Tigers to decide what they want to do but if Api stays, chances are Tallyn will have to go." North Queensland could also use a good dummy-half after losing State of Origin star Reece Robson to the Roosters.

Farah clone set to disappoint rivals

NRL clubs waiting to pounce on boom Tigers hooker Tallyn Da Silva are set to be disappointed. The talented 19-year-old - whose dummyhalf work is similar to that of Tigers legend Robbie Farah - comes off contract at the end of 2026 and can talk to rival clubs come November 1. But Tigers boss Shane Richardson knows a star of the future when he sees one and he plans to have Da Silva under lock and key on a long-term deal well before season's end. Da Silva combined superbly with veteran Api Koroisau in the upset win over the Dolphins, with both scoring tries.

Benji's Storm Clones

In the early 2020s, one of the secrets behind the Storm's success was the superb one-two punch of hookers Brandon Smith and Harry Grant. Before his move to the Roosters, Smith was among the best dummyhalves in the league and worried teams with his strength and running game. Then when the opposition began to tire, master coach Craig Bellamy would bring in youngster Grant, who would carve them up with his speed around the rucks. Benji Marshall obviously remembers how effective it was - because he is using his two hookers Api Koroisau and rookie Tallyn Da Silva in similar fashion. The pair were outstanding in the win over the Dolphins on Saturday night, both scoring tries and worrying the life out of the Redcliffe defence. Significantly, both scored the final tries of the first and second halves against fatigued opposition - rival coaches beware!

Benji denies pressure amid 21-year unwanted record

Benji Marshall rejected questions relating to pressure about his coaching future after his side's thumping 60-26 loss to Parramatta on Friday night. Marshall became the first rookie coach to claim the wooden spoon in more than 20 years, but remained steadfast in focusing on the club's long-term goals during his post-match press conference. The Tigers played 12 rookies this year, the most of any club, with their spine on Friday mainly consisting of teenagers. Yet Marshall admitted he may not have "time on his side" in turning the club around, but that won't stop him from trying to get the best out of the young players at Concord. "It (time) doesn't worry me because I'm not coaching to keep my job," Marshall said. "I'm coaching to try and make this club better. I'm coaching to try and make these kids better. "I honestly believe I can do that and if that's me for the next two years and we don't get the rewards and I'm not here and someone else does, that's how much I care about the club." Marshall blamed himself for telling his players to "play footy" on Friday night which may have contributed to their poor handling. He believes the club has a high ceiling in terms of their potential, with youngsters Lachlan Galvin, Heath Mason, Tallyn Da Silva and the Fainu brothers giving the joint venture hope for the future, along with the additions of Jarome Luai, Sunia Turuva, Jeral Skelton, Royce Hunt and Jack Bird for 2025. "The thing that people probably look at is success now and having overnight success," Marshall said. "We're looking at trying to have success for a long period of time, not just winning one year and go missing for the next three. "The biggest thing is when you haven't done the job before you think you know what the team needs and then when you've had a season doing it you get a real understanding of what it is. "It's probably my fault today because I encouraged them to play footy and, hence, we had a lot of errors coming out of our half."