It has been reported that the reason behind David Furner losing his job at the Wests Tigers was due to a serious falling out with fellow assistant coach Robbie Farah.
The former Canberra Raiders coach was brought into the coaching staff by Tim Sheens but would ultimately be sacked from the club one year before the end of his contract following the departures of Sheens and Warren McDonnell.
The reports emerged from The Sunday Telegraph, with Phil Rothfield clarifying that Farah and Furner "almost came to blows" during the Round 24 game against the New Zealand Warriors on Sky Sports Radio, several weeks before he was terminated from his Tigers contract.
“There was some sort of heated disagreement between Robbie and Furnesy,” Rothfield said.
“I'm glad it didn't get physical for Robbie Farah's sake because I've watched and I'm told of players from different eras and nobody could fight like Furnesy. He was a threshing machine as they say.
“Robbie is obviously close to Benji. He's got strong roots at the Wests Tigers that are obviously stronger than Dave Furner.
"I think Benji, Justin Pascoe and Lee Hagipeltallis had to make a decision there. The one thing this club doesn't need right now is coaching staff not getting on with one another. So Dave Furner's gone.”
Furner's departure has allowed club legend and an ex-teammate of Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall, Chris Heighington, to fill the vacant assistant coaching position at the club.
It will also likely see Furner link up with Jason Demetriou at the South Sydney Rabbitohs as an assistant coach if previous reports are anything to go by.
Previously working there, he remains popular with the players and will be a suitable replacement for the departing Sam Burgess and John Morris.