Leilua claims 'speaking up' cost him Tigers gig

2 years ago 382

Exiled Tiger Joey Leilua says his falling retired with the nine was successful portion owed to his willingness to "speak up erstwhile thing is wrong".

Leilua, a two-time Dally M Centre of the Year, fell retired of favour with Tigers manager Michael Maguire earlier his declaration ran retired astatine the extremity of the 2021 season.

After playing 14 games with the nine past year, helium played conscionable 7 games this twelvemonth aft losing his spot successful the side.

The retired of declaration 29-year-old is presently preparing for a boxing bout with erstwhile NRL prima Chris Heighington, but helium spoke contiguous astir his exit from Maguire's side.

Leilua claims it each fell isolated for him the infinitesimal helium spoke up erstwhile things went incorrect for the Tigers, who fell abbreviated again of finals shot with a 13th-place finish.

"I americium a idiosyncratic wherever I've travel to clubs and you talk up erstwhile thing is incorrect – and determination were plentifulness of things going incorrect astatine that club," helium told Fox Sports.

"I spoke up and it benignant of like, got maine successful trouble."

Leilua, who played 91 games for the Raiders, said helium felt much encouraged to talk up portion nether manager Ricky Stuart.

"When I played successful Canberra, we each spoke up, didn't substance if you played 2 games, 1 game, zero games; if you trained with america successful pre-season you had a accidental successful the team… But we didn't person that astatine the Wests Tigers," helium added.

"Nobody truly spoke up and everyone was benignant of hesitant to suffer their presumption successful the team, wherever I was different, I came from a nine wherever everyone spoke up and I ever spoke up which unluckily got maine to wherever I americium now.

"Maybe I should conscionable support my rima unopen a bit."

Barnstorming Tiger bashes done for try

Leilua said the infinitesimal helium got to the Tigers astatine the commencement of 2020, everything felt "totally different" to however it was successful Canberra, a nine that made the expansive last successful 2019.

"(Stuart) was similar the idiosyncratic wherever if you spot something, you speech astir it, everyone spoke up truthful that's wherever I thought I was astatine with the club, you talk up and that's however you got the champion retired of each other," Leilua said.

"When I got to the Wests Tigers it was wholly different, it was everything helium (Maguire) wanted and I americium the idiosyncratic who volition bash it your way, and did it, past it wasn't moving truthful I had to talk up and that's a portion of who I am, I won't fto thing spell connected for truthful agelong if it's not working."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!