Well, we made a meal of 'Spoon bowl', but new recruit Jack Bird reckons it doesn't matter where you finish if you don't make the finals. We debate that, and everything else going on at Wests Tigers on this edition of the Pod. https://weststigerspodcast.com.au/wests-tigers-podcast-0359/
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
Interesting that Eddie brought up points conceded & the lack of improvement there. This club has never been known for its defence. Even during the successful years (when were they again?) defence wasn’t in the first 2 or 3 teams. We’ve pretty much been in the bottom half of the table for almost every year for points conceded. Why hasn’t a real emphasis been placed on that area of our game? We missed the jump on the wrestle & pretty much been playing catch ups ever since. Now, to me anyway, the game is evolving again towards more mobile middles who can still impact the line but who can help create numbers in the tackle. It’s one reason I like Sam Fainu & Tim Johannssen, they seem to fit the bill to some degree. And maybe Luai can help to some extent with setting standards, like Bird too perhaps. But in my opinion breaking back into the finals is not so much about attack, attack, attack, we need to improve the defence. Do that and the rest will look after itself with the halves we have. Oh, and kicking, please let’s see improvement there. If we improve defence & kicking we’ll be a lot better off.
Yes Joel, fitness, fitness & effin’ fitness. Wests Tigers come on, let’s raise the standards at training to the point we can match the best in this comp for fitness, for when games are decided by the players who can play best under fatigue.
Just continuing to listen and Eddie has hit the nail on the head. No more 2005 mentality please, let’s win games through defence which currently we do about once or twice a year. And it is more than John Morris, you need the players who can lead this mentality and get others to follow. Have fun when you attack in good positions by all means but buckle in and work your backsides off in defence at all times.Interesting that Eddie brought up points conceded & the lack of improvement there. This club has never been known for its defence. Even during the successful years (when were they again?) defence wasn’t in the first 2 or 3 teams. We’ve pretty much been in the bottom half of the table for almost every year for points conceded. Why hasn’t a real emphasis been placed on that area of our game? We missed the jump on the wrestle & pretty much been playing catch ups ever since. Now, to me anyway, the game is evolving again towards more mobile middles who can still impact the line but who can help create numbers in the tackle. It’s one reason I like Sam Fainu & Tim Johannssen, they seem to fit the bill to some degree. And maybe Luai can help to some extent with setting standards, like Bird too perhaps. But in my opinion breaking back into the finals is not so much about attack, attack, attack, we need to improve the defence. Do that and the rest will look after itself with the halves we have. Oh, and kicking, please let’s see improvement there. If we improve defence & kicking we’ll be a lot better off.
Those Stephano comments he made about being in comfort zone says it all.
What an idiot. Just confirms what we knew all along. He wasn't putting in. Hope Bellamy keeps him in reserve grade and then punts him.
Lazy, so and so. So glad we didn't blow all that money on him.
Also agree with Eddie’s points around Benji but I do like that he is different to other coaches however he needs to tone it down a bit. I am, like most here, of the opinion he would benefit greatly by having an assistant who is strong in character & demeanour and experience. Who? No idea.
Also agree with Eddie’s points around Benji but I do like that he is different to other coaches however he needs to tone it down a bit. I am, like most here, of the opinion he would benefit greatly by having an assistant who is strong in character & demeanour and experience. Who? No idea.
Jim Dymock but at the moment you wouldnt be able to tear him from Manly
Yes Joel, fitness, fitness & effin’ fitness. Wests Tigers come on, let’s raise the standards at training to the point we can match the best in this comp for fitness, for when games are decided by the players who can play best under fatigue.
Ive recently had some discussion with people in the game about this. The Bulldogs resurgence has been on the back of defence and the ability to pound with that defence for 80mins. The "incident" that Topine is suing the Dogs for is not unrelated but it is the culture and standards of the club that they are pushed very very hard at all times and you can clearly see it in their play in games. The trainers responsible came to the Bulldogs from Penrith and that is not a coincidence. There is also a link to the trainers at Manly.
This is what other clubs are doing. How does it compare to what we are doing and if its different, what makes us think that we can get away with less?
One more comment on the need to improve defence. I came across a quote today which I've changed to fit with the NRL
"You learn more about character when defending your line than anywhere else in life".
and to think the attacking coach has stood down 🤷♂️… go figure.Just continuing to listen and Eddie has hit the nail on the head. No more 2005 mentality please, let’s win games through defence which currently we do about once or twice a year. And it is more than John Morris, you need the players who can lead this mentality and get others to follow. Have fun when you attack in good positions by all means but buckle in and work your backsides off in defence at all times.Interesting that Eddie brought up points conceded & the lack of improvement there. This club has never been known for its defence. Even during the successful years (when were they again?) defence wasn’t in the first 2 or 3 teams. We’ve pretty much been in the bottom half of the table for almost every year for points conceded. Why hasn’t a real emphasis been placed on that area of our game? We missed the jump on the wrestle & pretty much been playing catch ups ever since. Now, to me anyway, the game is evolving again towards more mobile middles who can still impact the line but who can help create numbers in the tackle. It’s one reason I like Sam Fainu & Tim Johannssen, they seem to fit the bill to some degree. And maybe Luai can help to some extent with setting standards, like Bird too perhaps. But in my opinion breaking back into the finals is not so much about attack, attack, attack, we need to improve the defence. Do that and the rest will look after itself with the halves we have. Oh, and kicking, please let’s see improvement there. If we improve defence & kicking we’ll be a lot better off.
But we have to stand by our defensive coaches for more than a year. John Morris should stay where he is, for all we know he’ll be head coach come rd 10. Heighington will be good value in coming years. But yes another coach in D wouldn’t be a bad thing. Ideally I’d have Marshall as purely our attacking coach. But that’s another story all together.
I believe Benji can get this team into the top 8, however he needs the right mix of players and assistants. Robbie and Heighno are not the answer, as much as I feel our attack did improve it looked like it was off the back of individual brilliance and scramble....very unplanned. We need a more structured approach to break down the defensive line. Benji is a great man manager and mentor, he is also well respected across the NRL, he is invaluable in getting us the right players and keeping the kids enagaged....we just need to support him with some solid career coaching assistants and I'm sure Richo has some lined up.
Respectfully disagree with jack bird. Big difference between 9th and last. 6-8 extra wins each year is 6-8 weekends (2 months!!) where I am happy, my kids are happy and life is better. Even one extra win is extra joy in our sad, sad lives. If we had won spoonbowl, there would have been 17000 people erupting in Campbelltown and countless more around the country celebrating and enjoying a long off season. As I’ve said before, I’m not after grand finals, I just want to follow a team that wins more than it loses.
This ^^^^ But I’m greedy, I want Grand Finals too…Respectfully disagree with jack bird. Big difference between 9th and last. 6-8 extra wins each year is 6-8 weekends (2 months!!) where I am happy, my kids are happy and life is better. Even one extra win is extra joy in our sad, sad lives. If we had won spoonbowl, there would have been 17000 people erupting in Campbelltown and countless more around the country celebrating and enjoying a long off season. As I’ve said before, I’m not after grand finals, I just want to follow a team that wins more than it loses.
Perhaps we could facilitate making roster spaces by following Dragons and Eels lead by announcing the players we don't want to hang on to at the upcoming awards night. 😉
💯 agree with everything Eddie puts across… no sugar coating or anything. Just on point! Well done Mr Otto
