After a few months of absolute mayhem, we have reached a climax with Robbie Farah set to stay with the Wests Tigers. Given how crazy this whole situation was in the first place, what I saw as the inevitable result of Farah staying put only increases the weirdness of it all and while a resolution has been found it remains to be seen how the Tigers and Farah will go next season.

Let's remember how this all started as coach Jason Taylor dramatically outlined his plan not to play Farah in the NRL if Farah didn't leave the club. The Tigers are in a well known spot of bother with their salary cap so getting Farah off their books would have been welcome relief to cap pressure, especially as they have also released Pat Richards, Keith Galloway and Martin Taupau this summer. 

When you openly state your intentions, as Taylor did, you are also opening a can of worms. With Farah set to see out his contract with the Tigers, no one knows whether Taylor will honour his word and force Farah to start the season in the NSW Cup or if he will bend over backwards to welcome Farah into the mix to start the season in the NRL. Taylor is effectively up shit's creek at the moment as a poor start to the season without Farah, will only result in greater pressure on Taylor to call Farah up. If Taylor decides to go back on what he said, then he's conceding defeat or conceding that he may have been a bit dumb.

Then again, it might not be Taylor's decision to make. As the Tigers will be paying Farah's hefty wage they might have a quiet word to Taylor about getting the money's worth.

A few months ago when this all started, I struggled to find an NRL club who could make a play for Farah. Even though the Roosters and Dragons and a few other NRL clubs apparently came close, signing Farah would have only created more drama for that club as they would have alienated their starting hooker (like Jake Friend at the Roosters) and struggled to the financial side of the deal sorted. There wasn't much of a market for Farah, especially not in October/November.

Further complicating Farah's position with the Tigers are Matt Ballin and Manaia Cherrington, two hookers who deserve NRL game time. If you asked me who I would rather have right now between Farah and Ballin, I'm rolling with Ballin who had a better 2015 season than Farah and is a steady hand for a young spine. Cherrington is the future and if he doesn't take the next step or should I say, if Cherrington is offered the next step of more game time and greater responsibility then other NRL clubs will come sniffing.

The Tigers basically have three hookers who should be playing in the NRL. At best they can squeeze two of them in, although both Farah and Ballin are 80 minute hookers so that's another spanner in the works.

Also offering a spanner in the proverbial works was the decision from Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses to push back a date to negotiate a new deal with the Tigers. This could be looked at as a low key influencing factor - which I think it was - as the Tigers may have been spooked by this and quickly tried to get Farah on board. From all reports Brooks and Moses quite like Farah so if the Tigers were to continue to treat Farah poorly, it could have resulted in Brooks and Moses looking elsewhere ... for a more stable club.