It's been pretty much a decade of frustration for Wests Tigers fans as their team promises plenty at the start of each season but has invariably failed to deliver.
It could be more of the same in 2022 but there are two promising signs - the return of 2005 premiership-winning coach Tim Sheens and the signing of former Super League Man of Steel Jackson Hastings.
Read on for Wide World of Sports' season preview of last year's 13th-placed finishers.
Gains: Jackson Hastings (Wigan), Oliver Gildart (Wigan), Tyrone Peachey (Titans), Junior Tupou (rugby union), Starford To'a (Knights)
Losses: Moses Mbye (Dragons), Billy Walters (Broncos), Joey Leilua (Featherstone), Michael Chee Kam (Rabbitohs), Russell Packer (retired), Tom Amone (Leigh), Zac Cini (Sharks), Reece Hoffman (Bulldogs)
Best 17: 1. Daine Laurie 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Oliver Gildart 4. Adam Doueihi 5. Ken Maumalo 6. Jackson Hastings 7. Luke Brooks 8. James Tamou 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Stefano Utoikamanu 11. Luke Garner 12. Luciano Leilua 13. Tyrone Peachey 14. Zane Musgrove 15. Joe Ofahengaue 16. Alex Twal 17. Tom Mikaele.
Greatest strength: A willing pack that if they can get on the front foot, could ambush some more fancied opponents.
Biggest question mark: Playmakers Luke Brooks and Adam Doueihi - the former has struggled for consistency in recent seasons while the latter is coming back from a second knee reconstruction.
Man under pressure: Hastings really is the Tigers' great white hope - he killed it in England but as we know, the NRL is a totally different arena.
Biggest loss: Moses Mbye wasn't a standout for the Tigers but he was a cool head in a crisis and a leader on and off the field - the type of player you want in your club.
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Pure fantasy… Biggest loss … hahahahahahahaha I can’t stop laughing.
Mbye is the exact player you want at your club if you are paying him 150k. We were paying him something like 800k. That there is a club killer.
Apart from that though that article is pretty spot on. We are definitely a bottom 4 team unless Hastings is really special and/or a bunch of players come on and prove themselves to be quality first graders.
Mbye is the exact player you want at your club if you are paying him 150k. We were paying him something like 800k. That there is a club killer.
Apart from that though that article is pretty spot on. We are definitely a bottom 4 team unless Hastings is really special and/or a bunch of players come on and prove themselves to be quality first graders.
Agree with the “club killer”sentiment whole heartedly.Ivan Cleary vandalism put us in the doldrums and did we pay hyper inflated overs for what amounted to be the biggest broken down crocks.
Honestly don’t believe we’re bottom 4,and call me deluded,but I think we’re a massive chance to come away with Storm scalp for the season opener.That would be a massive shot in the arm and give us what we’ve lacked for years.Confidence!
so where do you think we will finish?
I think we should be finishing on top of both the dragons and the cowboys.
so minimum 14th
but I think we can compete with knights, broncos, bulldogs, warriors, raiders, titans.
so maximum 8th
I think storm, panthers, manly, roosters, are all locks for top 4.
cronulla, souths and eels will likely make up 5-7 but one could drop down into the bottom 8 pack.
Having AD out does hamper us - but the good thing is, assuming he's back by rnd 10,we kinda have a tough draw while he's out
- playing 2021 top 8 teams 6 times in the first 10 games
but have our more winnable games when hes back
- playing 2021 bottom 8 team 8 out of 14 times + the bye
Top 8 2023
