Robbie Farah is sunning himself in Bali right now and at the back of his mind must be the knowledge that the longer he stays put the more chance there is that Jason Taylor will need to explain why he should be kept.
"I'm just looking to unwind," Farah said of his getaway. "I've got no real worries because I've got a contract with the club."
Farah is sitting tight he has $2million coming his way. When Farah was told he was not wanted by the club he was devastated. At the same time Robbie was told he was bound for second grade the board were told a few things namely that it would not be a problem for Farah to get another club and importantly that the players didn't like Farah.
Players I have dealt with have nothing but praise for Farah as a person and leader. They say he has developed significantly in the last 12 months.
But here is the untold story of what Farah is like. Sitaleki Akauola was part of the Tigers' top 25 and shares an agent with Farah.
A product of South Auckland, he came to Australia to work and play some footy. He went to a trial and jagged a spot with the Tigers and in their main squad this year.
"It was a real proud moment in my life," said the 23-year-old. "But things were not good for long. I was put in the halves and I am not a half. I play back row and that's it. I was playing in State Cup and I felt terrible I was putting so much pressure on [Josh] Drinkwater.
"I felt terrible. I am not a ball player. I felt terrible. I thought of seeing a counsellor I'd get home from training and I did not want to talk or eat. I would go straight to my room."
Akauola says he was "ashamed with myself" when he was dropped from the 25-man squad.
"I was lucky that I had Robbie at the club and Dene Halatau and Keith Galloway. They noticed a big change and Robbie just would come up and ask talk to me. Same as the other boys. "They knew something was wrong but they didn't understand just how bad it was for me. I eventually saw my brother and just told him that I really needed to talk to him. I was really depressed and felt isolated."
Taylor says the club kept an eye on the young player.
"We monitored his situation through Dene Halatau," the coach said. "It wasn't an official thing but Dene would report back to me on his condition and it was something we kept an eye on because players were concerned about him."
Akauola says he was thankful for his family: "I know there are other blokes at the Tigers who feel the same way ... the lack of communication, the isolation," he said. "They are younger than me and they may not feel able to talk up. I worry about their state of mind. I think now that I am away from the club I will be OK. I have a fresh chance at Penrith. I hope others get the chance for another start."
