Would love to know what the deal is with Matamua. Unsighted so far then named in the number 20 jersey.
Agree that Toa needs to put in, his end of season form last year was woeful as was his trial appearance...
Named at #13 in NSW Cup
Would love to know what the deal is with Matamua. Unsighted so far then named in the number 20 jersey.
Agree that Toa needs to put in, his end of season form last year was woeful as was his trial appearance...Named at #13 in NSW Cup
I’d love to know what the issue is with him - skill, size, attitude, fitness? Got to be make or break for him this year.
Also noticed Kit is on the bench for this game, he’s fallen down the pecking order a bit by the looks of it.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
I support Bud and Galvin given first crack
Sezer obviously provides insurance of needed
but Benji needs a game plan to use Sezer, assuming Bud and Galvin are doing well
My guess plan A - is Sezer to come on to replace Seyfarth as ball playing 13.
Api to play 80 as captain.
hopefully we are playing well and sezer does go to ball playing 13 role and plays around 20 to 30 mins.
Agree Api should try and play the 80
Canberra will play well in the forwards and rely on bombs to score. Ethan strange is a massive liability in defence for them.
Thought initially we would get beaten by 30 but with the halves pairing I think we have some points in us, maybe we only just lose this by 10
expecting us to ambush sharks at LO in round 3
Would love to know what the deal is with Matamua. Unsighted so far then named in the number 20 jersey.
Agree that Toa needs to put in, his end of season form last year was woeful as was his trial appearance...Named at #13 in NSW Cup
I’d love to know what the issue is with him - skill, size, attitude, fitness? Got to be make or break for him this year.
Also noticed Kit is on the bench for this game, he’s fallen down the pecking order a bit by the looks of it.
Agree it's odd that he didn't make the trial teams, and didn't rank a mention in doing so.
That said, I think the club totally stuffed his development around over the last year or so. He was probably elevated to FG too soon in 2022, and then played out of position (on an edge) to exacerbate the issue.
And then last season he didn't play nearly enough football - was 18th man multiple weeks through the early part of the season, when he should have been playing big mins in NSW Cup.
To be honest we've mismanaged a fair few of the kids at that level over the recent years, so he's not alone there.
We are likely going to have 1-2 of our 4 halves playing in NSW cup each week. Matamua should play 80min at lock in cup every week and develop into a player to demand a NRL spot in that vacant position
Would love to know what the deal is with Matamua. Unsighted so far then named in the number 20 jersey.
Agree that Toa needs to put in, his end of season form last year was woeful as was his trial appearance...Named at #13 in NSW Cup
I’d love to know what the issue is with him - skill, size, attitude, fitness? Got to be make or break for him this year.
Also noticed Kit is on the bench for this game, he’s fallen down the pecking order a bit by the looks of it.
If we are developing from within, Matamua is a prime candidate. He showed he has plenty of talent. Play him at 13 in Cup and give him coaching, mentoring, opportunity. Surely he is halfway there already.
Benji sets the record straight ...
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...h/news-story/a938aebd5e656632c8e33cfe7bb518f6
Benji Marshall has bristled at suggestions he does not work hard enough to be an NRL coach ahead of his first official match in charge.
Reports surfaced this week taking umbrage with Marshall’s different approach to coaching. Marshall made no apologies for prioritising his family time but took major offence to any rhetoric surrounding his commitment to the role and was “disappointed” it had occurred just days out from his first match.
“I don’t want to justify the way I do things,” Marshall said. “What I don’t like is when things are told that are not true.
“Ask anyone in the building, I’m in here at 5:45am training with the staff before the players get in. They see us doing the hard yards before they come. You don’t play 347 game if you have a poor work ethic.
“Coaching wise, I know I have a lot to learn. I know I have to work hard. I do my best. It’s annoying because it isn’t true [about work ethic].
“What’s a 24/7 coach? Who says I don’t (live and breathe coaching). I come into work early before the players, work as hard as we can to until we get what we need done, and then we go home.
“Because I prioritise my family between 5 and 8pm every night to find that work-life balance, it doesn’t mean I don’t care about my job or working hard.
“I don’t get it …. The bottom line is it’s not true.”
After a week one bye, Marshall will coach the Tigers for the first time against the Raiders on Saturday. Despite a decorated playing career, it will be the first time he has been a head coach at any level.
“I’m actually a little bit nervous now,” Marshall said. “It’s just a lot of unknowns. It’s our first real competition game. I know we played two trials, but it’s hard trying to prepare with the bye in round one.
“You’ve got to flog the players longer, and then freshen them up later. In our trials, our boys were very tired. We had to, we had to prepare for round one. I’m looking forward to seeing them fresh.”
One of Marshall’s first big selection calls was handing a debut to rising star Lachlan Galvin. Galvin will be one of the Tigers’ brightest prospects to debut since Luke Brooks. Brooks was ironically just one day older than Galvin when he played his first game.
Marshall said he became teary when Galvin and fellow rookie Solomona Faataape were handed their jersey’s at captain’s run on Friday morning.
“One thing I made clear with the squad at the start of pre-season was it doesn’t matter who you are or how old you are, if you earn the opportunity, you’ll get it,” Marshall said. “Lachie is one of those guys who just plays footy, he plays what he sees, he’s not overawed by situations. There’s no fear in what he does.
“He trains hard, he won every test in the pre-season, fitness wise, and as an 18-year-old kid, you want to see how they go defensively, and in the wrestle room he was outstanding as well.
“We’re looking forward to seeing him play. He’s a big kid, and he’s also a really good kid, that’s what we love about him the most.”
I know we played two trials, but it’s hard trying to prepare with the bye in round one.
“You’ve got to flog the players longer, and then freshen them up later. In our trials, our boys were very tired. We had to, we had to prepare for round one. I’m looking forward to seeing them fresh.”
oooh interesting. One of the pod guys (Steve?) had this theory that the boys may have been flogged before the Dragons game. Turns out its likely true. Lets hope that "fresh" Tigers look better.
I know we played two trials, but it’s hard trying to prepare with the bye in round one.
“You’ve got to flog the players longer, and then freshen them up later. In our trials, our boys were very tired. We had to, we had to prepare for round one. I’m looking forward to seeing them fresh.”
oooh interesting. One of the pod guys (Steve?) had this theory that the boys may have been flogged before the Dragons game. Turns out its likely true. Lets hope that "fresh" Tigers look better.
Yes that was Steve.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
I know we played two trials, but it’s hard trying to prepare with the bye in round one.
“You’ve got to flog the players longer, and then freshen them up later. In our trials, our boys were very tired. We had to, we had to prepare for round one. I’m looking forward to seeing them fresh.”
oooh interesting. One of the pod guys (Steve?) had this theory that the boys may have been flogged before the Dragons game. Turns out its likely true. Lets hope that "fresh" Tigers look better.
Yes that was Steve.
he might have been right Garry, make sure you bring that up at the next pod 😉
I know we played two trials, but it’s hard trying to prepare with the bye in round one.
“You’ve got to flog the players longer, and then freshen them up later. In our trials, our boys were very tired. We had to, we had to prepare for round one. I’m looking forward to seeing them fresh.”
oooh interesting. One of the pod guys (Steve?) had this theory that the boys may have been flogged before the Dragons game. Turns out its likely true. Lets hope that "fresh" Tigers look better.
Yes that was Steve.
he might have been right Garry, make sure you bring that up at the next pod 😉
I really hope he is right. It doesn't happen often though.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
If Steve was right then I doubt he will need anyone else to bring it up on the pod! 🤣
I know we played two trials, but it’s hard trying to prepare with the bye in round one.
“You’ve got to flog the players longer, and then freshen them up later. In our trials, our boys were very tired. We had to, we had to prepare for round one. I’m looking forward to seeing them fresh.”
oooh interesting. One of the pod guys (Steve?) had this theory that the boys may have been flogged before the Dragons game. Turns out its likely true. Lets hope that "fresh" Tigers look better.
Yes that was Steve.
he might have been right Garry, make sure you bring that up at the next pod 😉
I really hope he is right. It doesn't happen often though.
I had your back Steve!
It's so sad that some need to bring others down to build themselves up 😜
