It should be, but not yet. The clue is in the word team. Not playing as a team yet, still to gel.When was the last time the Wests Tigers won a game with Brooks at 7?Soon I hope.I sahre everyones disappointment, frustration and anger, but IMO the fact is this WT team is a better team than last years and I believe we will see that.
sure, the sky may be falling, but lets be real....
2023 RD3 2022 RD3
Staines 1 Laurie
Nofa 2 Nofa
Naden 3 Garner
Toa 4 Gildart
Tupou 5 Toa
Doueihi 6 Madden
Brooks 7 Brooks
Stef 8 Tamou
Api 9 Liddle
Klemmer 10 Stef
Blore 11 Seyfarth
kepaoa 12 LL
Pole 13 Joffa
Wakeham Peachey
Twal Twal
Joffa Musgrove
Tumeth Simpkin
Imo this years team flogs last years team and that is without IP and Simpkin and TT etc. Benchs cancel each other otherwise.
Is it a better team or not?
Agreed. IMO we are already out of the running for the 8 but the next month will tell if we are going to turn it around and build a platform for 2024 (which is all I expected for this year TBH).
In my opinion, no. That's more believing in fairytales.I don't think anyone is disputing that this team, on paper, is "better" than the team from 2022. Of course they are.I sahre everyones disappointment, frustration and anger, but IMO the fact is this WT team is a better team than last years and I believe we will see that.
Which then beggars the question, how can the "abysmal"* results from Rounds 1 and 2 be explained?
I 1000000% support the theory that the club is "abysmal" due to the Chair, CEO and Board. But, guess what, they were the same Chair, CEO and Board last year and they were equally as inept and incompetent then. That hasn't changed.
What has changed? To me it's obvious.
That same inept and incompetent grouping of Chair, CEO and Board, threw all their faith in somehow believing that a discredited relic of a bygone era in Tim Sheens (and his chosen band of compliant sidekicks), should be entrusted to secure the services of Wunderkind Ciraldo as head NRL coach. Sadly (but unsurprisingly) despite numerous visits to the CoE and overtures for his signature, he promptly told them "No thanks". And signed with Gould and the Bulldogs.
So, it was time to resort to Plan B. Except there wasn't one.
So reluctantly (by his own admission) Sheens is thrust into the role of head NRL coach on the basis of ....what? Being out of NRL for at least a decade and being sacked from two ESL clubs in the interim. And then, of course, emboldened by the unfettered power provided to him by Chair, CEO and Board (and I suspect genuine self-doubt on his capacity to do the job), HE determined that Benji Marshall (i.e. Mr 50% - please don't expect me to tackle, my role is to thrill the crowds) should be the one to take this organisation into the brave new world of professional NRL from 2025.
It is farcical. It is unbelievable. But yet again, it is true of the WT led by this Chair, CEO and Board.
In my opinion, there is no way out of this apart from believing in fairytales. I don't know how a coup of a sporting club can happen when the supposed "leaders" are the key (and unaccountable) lead characters of that same fairytale.
It is that grim (no, not Grimm, those were fairytales that offered hope) already, in 2023.
* "abysmal" is the word used by reporters from NRL.com in describing the WT efforts thus far in 2023.
Is it not an as equally rational explanation that with such a massive turnover in our squad, it will take time to gel and form these combinations?
In my opinion, no. That's more believing in fairytales.I don't think anyone is disputing that this team, on paper, is "better" than the team from 2022. Of course they are.I sahre everyones disappointment, frustration and anger, but IMO the fact is this WT team is a better team than last years and I believe we will see that.
Which then beggars the question, how can the "abysmal"* results from Rounds 1 and 2 be explained?
I 1000000% support the theory that the club is "abysmal" due to the Chair, CEO and Board. But, guess what, they were the same Chair, CEO and Board last year and they were equally as inept and incompetent then. That hasn't changed.
What has changed? To me it's obvious.
That same inept and incompetent grouping of Chair, CEO and Board, threw all their faith in somehow believing that a discredited relic of a bygone era in Tim Sheens (and his chosen band of compliant sidekicks), should be entrusted to secure the services of Wunderkind Ciraldo as head NRL coach. Sadly (but unsurprisingly) despite numerous visits to the CoE and overtures for his signature, he promptly told them "No thanks". And signed with Gould and the Bulldogs.
So, it was time to resort to Plan B. Except there wasn't one.
So reluctantly (by his own admission) Sheens is thrust into the role of head NRL coach on the basis of ....what? Being out of NRL for at least a decade and being sacked from two ESL clubs in the interim. And then, of course, emboldened by the unfettered power provided to him by Chair, CEO and Board (and I suspect genuine self-doubt on his capacity to do the job), HE determined that Benji Marshall (i.e. Mr 50% - please don't expect me to tackle, my role is to thrill the crowds) should be the one to take this organisation into the brave new world of professional NRL from 2025.
It is farcical. It is unbelievable. But yet again, it is true of the WT led by this Chair, CEO and Board.
In my opinion, there is no way out of this apart from believing in fairytales. I don't know how a coup of a sporting club can happen when the supposed "leaders" are the key (and unaccountable) lead characters of that same fairytale.
It is that grim (no, not Grimm, those were fairytales that offered hope) already, in 2023.
* "abysmal" is the word used by reporters from NRL.com in describing the WT efforts thus far in 2023.
Is it not an as equally rational explanation that with such a massive turnover in our squad, it will take time to gel and form these combinations?
Time will tell.
Is it not an as equally rational explanation that with such a massive turnover in our squad, it will take time to gel and form these combinations?
Except Dolphins have a completely new squad and are top of the ladder.
Top 8 2023
Is it not an as equally rational explanation that with such a massive turnover in our squad, it will take time to gel and form these combinations?
Except Dolphins have a completely new squad and are top of the ladder.
and they havent had half their squad used to playing with each other and then half their squad new.....who knows? Time will tell with us.
I agree, will take time but I think we’ll see some very good footy this year.I sahre everyones disappointment, frustration and anger, but IMO the fact is this WT team is a better team than last years and I believe we will see that.
@mercy-rule Much of what you have written is to the point …after over a decade of non success in any form this club would rate as one of the worst sporting clubs for success in the nation.There is a reason for this and that is from the top down there is NO desire to be successful!! If success is demanded everything is done to acquire it plain and simple .
The club has no identity for a start and moving into next season plans for playing out of two home grounds proves this .Every player in the league loves playing at Leichhardt sure great atmosphere but GOUGING the supporter base will only get you so far.. Campbelltown to far to travel for inner city fans entrance fees / tolls ect the locals want nothing to do with the club (ask the Magpies) . The club needs to rid itself of the joint venture anchor , ONE home ground has to be prioritised immediately there are three modern stadiums to chose from time has come to create your own identity and the GOUGING of its supporters has to stop just to break even at these grounds .. bigger stadiums offer better value than run down relic suburban grounds .. watched the fans this week complaining about the cost to stand on a grassed hill ! The home ground situation is just one of the problems that face this club , I do not like the way this club is heading it is being run by individuals that just cannot or will not see what the problems are . This club has been in decline for over a decade , still dividing the supporter base at ever opportunity.. the board seems to be clueless and just following anything that a couple of individuals offer up time and time again . I would like to know who put forward to the board that the principal sponsor should become the Chairman WOW that was a good one ! Why has the CEO still got a job? after season on season of failure which continues today can someone explain this … if the top of your organisation wants success I would of thought this situation would of been rectified by know , so my question is do the board want success? . I have been saying for years there needs to be a total reboot of the club in many ways , the past has to stay in the past a new future needs to be brought to the fore. The dolphins a brand new franchise has hit the ground running and in a few seasons will be a top 4 club how sad that is for the supporters of the Tigers the club that lives in the PAST and thrives on failure !
@mercy-rule Much of what you have written is to the point …after over a decade of non success in any form this club would rate as one of the worst sporting clubs for success in the nation.There is a reason for this and that is from the top down there is NO desire to be successful!! If success is demanded everything is done to acquire it plain and simple .
The club has no identity for a start and moving into next season plans for playing out of two home grounds proves this .Every player in the league loves playing at Leichhardt sure great atmosphere but GOUGING the supporter base will only get you so far.. Campbelltown to far to travel for inner city fans entrance fees / tolls ect the locals want nothing to do with the club (ask the Magpies) . The club needs to rid itself of the joint venture anchor , ONE home ground has to be prioritised immediately there are three modern stadiums to chose from time has come to create your own identity and the GOUGING of its supporters has to stop just to break even at these grounds .. bigger stadiums offer better value than run down relic suburban grounds .. watched the fans this week complaining about the cost to stand on a grassed hill ! The home ground situation is just one of the problems that face this club , I do not like the way this club is heading it is being run by individuals that just cannot or will not see what the problems are . This club has been in decline for over a decade , still dividing the supporter base at ever opportunity.. the board seems to be clueless and just following anything that a couple of individuals offer up time and time again . I would like to know who put forward to the board that the principal sponsor should become the Chairman WOW that was a good one ! Why has the CEO still got a job? after season on season of failure which continues today can someone explain this … if the top of your organisation wants success I would of thought this situation would of been rectified by know , so my question is do the board want success? . I have been saying for years there needs to be a total reboot of the club in many ways , the past has to stay in the past a new future needs to be brought to the fore. The dolphins a brand new franchise has hit the ground running and in a few seasons will be a top 4 club how sad that is for the supporters of the Tigers the club that lives in the PAST and thrives on failure !
Fantastic post, so true. No one is saying extinguish the past, most of us are just saying let’s get today and our future settled.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
Clearly someone could keep their collective mouths shout.Unpleasant reading:
Is it not an as equally rational explanation that with such a massive turnover in our squad, it will take time to gel and form these combinations?
Except Dolphins have a completely new squad and are top of the ladder.
and they havent had half their squad used to playing with each other and then half their squad new.....who knows? Time will tell with us.
No, they have been taken from many different systems and moulded into an attractive attacking team in one off season. Infinitely harder. The “need time to gel” offering is an excuse only.
If I was Sheens, I'd be pasting that article in large font in the shiny new CoE.
See if the players have balls to walk past it daily and still play as badly and collect the paychecks.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
……
That is intriguing. 🤞
This is really interesting, I am wondering if someone has decided to walk or if they have been pushed.
