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The Tigers legend Michael Cheika thinks would be the perfect next coach of Lebanon

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Nicolussi, C. (2026, October 19). The Tigers legend Michael Cheika thinks would be the perfect next coach of Lebanon. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/the-tigers-legend-michael-cheika-thinks-would-be-the-perfect-next-coach-of-lebanon-20261020-p616pt.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

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The Sydney Morning Herald · collected 2026-10-19 · by Christian Nicolussi

Quick Summary

Michael Cheika, returning to rugby league with the Waratahs after coaching Lebanon in the World Cup, believes his assistant Robbie Farah is well-suited to become the next coach of the Lebanese national team. Farah, a Wests Tigers legend and current assistant at the club, expressed openness to taking on the role while crediting Cheika for his mentorship. Farah emphasized his passion for coaching Lebanon and helping more Lebanese players succeed in the NRL.
Written by AI on 2026-10-19, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Michael Cheika, former assistant coach with the Sydney Roosters, has backed Robbie Farah to succeed him as Lebanon's rugby league coach. Cheika, who recently helped the Roosters win the NRL premiership and will soon return to the Waratahs in rugby union, believes Farah is well-suited for the position due to his extensive experience with Lebanese teams. Matt King, another assistant coach, plans to lead the NSW Origin team next year, leaving Farah as a potential successor. Cheika highlighted Farah's passion and knowledge about Lebanon's team, suggesting he could take over after the World Cup. Farah, an assistant at the Wests Tigers before stepping away in 2024, expressed openness to the role but noted that Cheika remains the current coach.

Written for “Michael Cheika As Next Lebanon Coach” on 2026-11-05, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Michael Cheika As Next Lebanon Coach
Sports · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

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Claims extracted
20
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 20 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
61/100
The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Sports
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1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
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Publisher

The Sydney Morning Herald · 6149 article(s) · 15 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 15 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Christian Nicolussi
46 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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Also by Christian Nicolussi
What was Payne Haas doing in Kangaroos camp?
2026-11-02 · The Sydney Morning Herald
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 46 articles by Christian Nicolussi →

Topics

Cedars Lebanese Lebanon NRL Tigers

Subjects

Cedars ORG · 5× Lebanon GPE · 5× Lebanese NORP · 4× NRL ORG · 4× Tigers ORG · 4× Cheika PERSON · 3× Farah PERSON · 3× Michael Cheika PERSON · 1× Waratahs ORG · 1× Wests Tigers ORG · 1×

Narrative

I’m quite inexperienced when it comes to coaching, so to spend the 2022 World Cup with ‘Cheik’ in the UK, now this World Cup, he’s a wealth of knowledge, and there’s no better person to learn from when you see his resume in both codes. “I love coaching Lebanon, and it’s something I’m super passionate about.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-19
🔮 Fresh from celebrating the NRL premiership with the Sydney Roosters, where he was an assistant to Trent Robinson, Cheika will finish up in rugby league at the end of the World Cup.
2026-10-19 · The Sydney Morning Herald
The Tigers legend Michael Cheika thinks would be the perfect next coach of Lebanon · assertive framing

Claims (20 extracted, 0 hedged)

Michael Cheika is heading back to the Waratahs, but has backed his assistant and Wests Tigers legend Robbie Farah to succeed him as Lebanon coach. asserted
assistant → head → coach
Fresh from celebrating the NRL premiership with the Sydney Roosters, where he was an assistant to Trent Robinson, Cheika will finish up in rugby league at the end of the World Cup. asserted
Cheika → celebrate → Cup
Matt King, another Lebanon assistant who was also involved with the Roosters, will quit to lead the NSW Origin team next year, which leaves Farah to take the reins with the Cedars moving forward. asserted
which → involve → Cedars
“We’ll decide all that once we’re finished, but Robbie is a guy who is here, he has a nice balance between doing some consulting coaching, he wants to be involved in coaching here, he’s very passionate, and he’s the best equipped around the Lebanese team, per se asserted
he → decide → team
,” Cheika said on Monday. “I see him as a guy who definitely in the future can be in charge of this team, without a doubt.” asserted
who → say → doubt
Farah, who worked under good friend Benji Marshall as an assistant coach at the Tigers before stepping away at the end of 2024, said he was open to taking on a role like the Cedars position. asserted
he → work → position
“It’s humbling to hear Cheika say that about me, but he’s still the coach, and I haven’t given it much thought,” Farah told this masthead. asserted
Farah → ’ → masthead
“If Lebanon asked me to run the water, I’d run the water. asserted
I → ask → water
It’s about giving back. asserted
It → ’ → ?
I’m quite inexperienced when it comes to coaching, so to spend the 2022 World Cup with ‘Cheik’ in the UK, now this World Cup, he’s a wealth of knowledge, and there’s no better person to learn from when you see his resume in both codes. “I love coaching Lebanon, and it’s something I’m super passionate about. asserted
I → ’m → Lebanon
I was an assistant at the Tigers for a while, but I went straight from playing to coaching, and I thought the time was right for me to step away from the Tigers and freshen myself up, and just get away from footy. asserted
me → go → footy
“But being here in camp, it’s something close to my heart. asserted
it → ’ → heart
I got my chance to play for the Cedars as an 18-year-old, and it springboarded my career because I was playing in the NRL within six months. asserted
I → get → months
I’ll forever be in debt to the Cedars, this jersey, and what it did for me. asserted
it → do → me
“I’d love to help out where I can, and see more Lebanese kids coming through – not just for the Cedars, but in the NRL. asserted
kids → love → NRL
“When I first started, it was Benny [Elias] and Hazem [El Masri], then myself, Tim Mannah, Michael Lichaa, Adam Doueihi and Mitch Mose. asserted
it → start → ?
Now it’s [Tigers prop and Lebanon captain] Alex Twal, Jordan Samrani, Jacob Kiraz. asserted
it → ’ → ?
They are growing, and there’s no reason by the next World Cup we can’t have double the amount of Lebanese players in the NRL. asserted
we → grow → NRL
Twal took to the stage at a fan day in Burwood on Monday, smiled, then told the vocal supporters: “There is one thing Lebanese people have – big hearts, and big hair. asserted
people → take → supporters
We won’t let you down on Friday night.” asserted
We → let → night
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