Benji Marshall has officially begun his tenure as head coach at the Tigers.
As a player, there was no one quite like Marshall, and the Concord legend insists that the same will be said for his nonconforming coaching style.
"I'm just not really a typical head coach, I don't reckon," Marshall told media.
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"I do like time away from [the club]. I'm not 24-7 coaching.
"I like people to be themselves. I just want to create an environment where people want to be themselves and they want to play for you and give their best.
"That's probably it. The Xs and Os to me, don't matter as much as making the players feel confident in their ability and wanting to play for the club and doing their best every time they put the jersey on. That's probably more important for me."
In discussing how he would approach his first year at the helm, Marshall said he would heed the lessons from his former coaches and 364 NRL games worth of experience but acknowledged that he would forge his own path
"That's what I mean about 'different' … I don't make it about me, everything we do is about the team. When I said I'm not your normal coach, I don't feel like I am. I retired two years ago," Marshall said.
"I've come from playing 20 years in the NRL and got a lot of different ideas and I'm gonna do things a little bit differently to probably what most coaches do. But, at the end of the day, it's all about team first."
With a focus on building a competitive halves pairing in 2024, Marshall has signed youngsters Jayden Sullivan and Latu Fainu.
Under his guidance, Marshall wants to foster an environment where his recruits feel comfortable to be themselves and express their personality.
"When you sign players, you're always looking for that X-factor, looking for what they can do a little bit differently or how they create space for others or how they run the footy," he said.
"With both of those guys, they both have a lot of talent, a lot to offer. I think probably they are only at the beginning of what they've been able to give so far.
"I think it's really important we create an environment where they can not only grow as players but be themselves and come out of their shell. If they're cocky and confident, be cocky and confident. But work hard.
"That's basically all I'm looking for from those guys; it's to be able to be themselves, take their strengths as players and implement it into how it fits into our team."
The Tigers will be hoping to avoid a third consecutive wooden spoon next season as the club also marks 13 years since their last finals appearance.
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