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‘It shows what type of club you are’: Hurt Nofoaluma breaks silence on Tigers exit
By Adrian Proszenko
February 14, 2024 — 3.45pm
Having fallen out of love with football and Wests Tigers, David Nofoaluma feels parting company was the best move for both parties, although he concedes the manner of his departure still “hurts me personally”.
Nofoaluma last month accepted a $300,000 payout to walk out on the final two years of his contract after falling out of favour, ending an association that spanned more than a decade. It was an ignominious exit for the club’s greatest try-scorer, who opted to move after it became apparent he wouldn’t add to his 192 NRL appearances for the club.
The veteran winger insists there is “no bad blood”, and believes the Tigers can make a run at the finals after a raft of changes on and off the field. However, he feels his reputation took an unnecessary battering during his final days in the black, white and gold.
“Obviously, it’s disappointing. It hurts me personally,” Nofoaluma told this masthead on Wednesday after signing a 12-month deal with the Salford Devils in the Super League.
“A lot of times, people don’t realise we’re humans before athletes. Instead of dealing with it on a personal level … there’s no need to go to the press [to leak negative stories]. I don’t think it’s a nice thing to do.
“It shows what type of club you are. I don’t have to deal with that any more, which is a good thing.”
In the same breath, Nofoaluma said he had fond memories of his time at the Tigers.
“I was the longest-serving player in the team whilst I was there,” he said. “As much as things didn’t go well and they wanted me out of there, it doesn’t take away from the time I’ve been there.
“The last year or two, there were times where I struggled a bit, trying to pull things together in terms of playing. A lot of the Tigers fans still appreciate me and love me because they still remember all the good things I’ve done for them.
“These days, rugby league is a business. If I was to give advice to any young athlete, don’t take loyalty [as an expectation].”
Nofoaluma had wanted to leave the Tigers much earlier. Two years after being named the Dally M winger of the year, he accepted a loan stint with Melbourne.
“Once I left Tigers originally to Melbourne, I felt I had left there,” he said. “As you can see, it brought my footy back to life.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming back, it was sad to come back. Once I left, I felt my time with the Tigers was done.
“Then I eventually came back and it wasn’t the same. When I left the first time, I felt like I left for good.
“I actually didn’t want to come back. With contracts and loan deals, you are obligated to them. I came back and you know how the season went, the team won the wooden spoon.
“Everything seems to have changed now. I’ve moved on, they have moved on.
“I know due to circumstances how things ended with them. It doesn’t take away everything I have accomplished for the club. That will always be there and I wish them nothing but the best.”
Nofoaluma said he held no grudge against coach and former teammate Benji Marshall.
“Me and Benji were really close,” he said. “I still remember he reached out to me when he was at the Broncos’ feeder club to see if he could come back to the Tigers, to speak to the hierarchy at the Tigers to help him come back. I kind of got him back, because we played in the earlier years and when he came over he set up a lot of my tries in 2020 when I got the Dally M winger of the year and player [of the year] for the Tigers.
“There’s a lot of good things we’ve done together. I understand it’s a business and, for me, I do have a lot of respect for him.
“Even though things happened the way they did, at the end of the day, he is a coach who needs to make decisions and I respect that a lot.”
The 30-year-old said playing at a club that had never made the finals during his time there had taken a toll.
“At the time, I was in my 10th year and you ask yourself questions like, ‘Am I ever going to play finals? Will this team ever progress?’” he said.
“That opportunity came to go to Melbourne and play finals, I took it with both hands. To be honest, before I left there, I was playing reserve grade. I was in a similar situation as I am now.
“Then I went to Melbourne and fell in love with the game again and enjoyed my time, because it’s something I always wanted.
“When you are younger, you try to find your feet, your position and then maintain your position in the team. After a certain while, you look towards getting some success, it’s not an individual sport.
“The whole organisation plays a part in that. To be fair, the Tigers seem to have done that. I personally feel they can make the top eight. Honestly, I hope they do. I’ve got no bad blood, I’m not the type of person to hold grudges or anything.
“I’m happy to have parted ways because it was best for both of us.”
Asked what his goal is at his new club, he replied: “Enjoy footy again”.
“You have to go to sleep wanting to go to training the next day,” he said. “For me, I didn’t want to go, I didn’t like going to training because of the things going on, how I was treated in a certain way.
“With anyone, if you’re in a workplace where you don’t want to be, you wouldn’t want to work there. People say it’s a lot of money and you should turn up and do your job, but there’s not much you can say until you’re in that position. That’s a different story.”
www.smh.com.au
By Adrian Proszenko
February 14, 2024 — 3.45pm
Having fallen out of love with football and Wests Tigers, David Nofoaluma feels parting company was the best move for both parties, although he concedes the manner of his departure still “hurts me personally”.
Nofoaluma last month accepted a $300,000 payout to walk out on the final two years of his contract after falling out of favour, ending an association that spanned more than a decade. It was an ignominious exit for the club’s greatest try-scorer, who opted to move after it became apparent he wouldn’t add to his 192 NRL appearances for the club.
The veteran winger insists there is “no bad blood”, and believes the Tigers can make a run at the finals after a raft of changes on and off the field. However, he feels his reputation took an unnecessary battering during his final days in the black, white and gold.
“Obviously, it’s disappointing. It hurts me personally,” Nofoaluma told this masthead on Wednesday after signing a 12-month deal with the Salford Devils in the Super League.
“A lot of times, people don’t realise we’re humans before athletes. Instead of dealing with it on a personal level … there’s no need to go to the press [to leak negative stories]. I don’t think it’s a nice thing to do.
“It shows what type of club you are. I don’t have to deal with that any more, which is a good thing.”
In the same breath, Nofoaluma said he had fond memories of his time at the Tigers.
“I was the longest-serving player in the team whilst I was there,” he said. “As much as things didn’t go well and they wanted me out of there, it doesn’t take away from the time I’ve been there.
“The last year or two, there were times where I struggled a bit, trying to pull things together in terms of playing. A lot of the Tigers fans still appreciate me and love me because they still remember all the good things I’ve done for them.
“These days, rugby league is a business. If I was to give advice to any young athlete, don’t take loyalty [as an expectation].”
Nofoaluma had wanted to leave the Tigers much earlier. Two years after being named the Dally M winger of the year, he accepted a loan stint with Melbourne.
“Once I left Tigers originally to Melbourne, I felt I had left there,” he said. “As you can see, it brought my footy back to life.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming back, it was sad to come back. Once I left, I felt my time with the Tigers was done.
“Then I eventually came back and it wasn’t the same. When I left the first time, I felt like I left for good.
“I actually didn’t want to come back. With contracts and loan deals, you are obligated to them. I came back and you know how the season went, the team won the wooden spoon.
“Everything seems to have changed now. I’ve moved on, they have moved on.
“I know due to circumstances how things ended with them. It doesn’t take away everything I have accomplished for the club. That will always be there and I wish them nothing but the best.”
Nofoaluma said he held no grudge against coach and former teammate Benji Marshall.
“Me and Benji were really close,” he said. “I still remember he reached out to me when he was at the Broncos’ feeder club to see if he could come back to the Tigers, to speak to the hierarchy at the Tigers to help him come back. I kind of got him back, because we played in the earlier years and when he came over he set up a lot of my tries in 2020 when I got the Dally M winger of the year and player [of the year] for the Tigers.
“There’s a lot of good things we’ve done together. I understand it’s a business and, for me, I do have a lot of respect for him.
“Even though things happened the way they did, at the end of the day, he is a coach who needs to make decisions and I respect that a lot.”
The 30-year-old said playing at a club that had never made the finals during his time there had taken a toll.
“At the time, I was in my 10th year and you ask yourself questions like, ‘Am I ever going to play finals? Will this team ever progress?’” he said.
“That opportunity came to go to Melbourne and play finals, I took it with both hands. To be honest, before I left there, I was playing reserve grade. I was in a similar situation as I am now.
“Then I went to Melbourne and fell in love with the game again and enjoyed my time, because it’s something I always wanted.
“When you are younger, you try to find your feet, your position and then maintain your position in the team. After a certain while, you look towards getting some success, it’s not an individual sport.
“The whole organisation plays a part in that. To be fair, the Tigers seem to have done that. I personally feel they can make the top eight. Honestly, I hope they do. I’ve got no bad blood, I’m not the type of person to hold grudges or anything.
“I’m happy to have parted ways because it was best for both of us.”
Asked what his goal is at his new club, he replied: “Enjoy footy again”.
“You have to go to sleep wanting to go to training the next day,” he said. “For me, I didn’t want to go, I didn’t like going to training because of the things going on, how I was treated in a certain way.
“With anyone, if you’re in a workplace where you don’t want to be, you wouldn’t want to work there. People say it’s a lot of money and you should turn up and do your job, but there’s not much you can say until you’re in that position. That’s a different story.”
‘It shows what type of club you are’: Hurt Nofoaluma breaks silence on Tigers exit
Wests Tigers’ greatest try-scorer has spoken for the first time about his controversial departure from the club.
