Wests Tigers Podcast 0031

Ok, so the Wests Tigers didn’t get the right result against the Storm, but there’s the chance on Saturday night to steal two points off the Rabbitohs.

On this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast we look back at the loss to Melbourne, and disagree over the game deciding Will Chambers try.

Joel and Eddie also look at the latest regarding Wests Tigers recruitment for 2020, including whether we think Corey Thompson should be re-signed.

There’s also discussion around some of the players the club has been linked to in recent times such as Jordon Rapana and Jayden Brailey.

Then the attention shifts to the Souths game with a look at how our style and the weather might be a factor here, potentially in our favour.

And we give our tips for the Round 11 NRL matches too…

Wests Tigers Podcast 0031 transcription:

WELCOME TO THE WEST TIGERS podcast episode number 31 one and no we haven’t dropped the ball like Will Chambers over the try line. Plus Thursday night we’ve been a little bit busy with other things but we’re here now. Eddie, how are you?

Yeah good thanks. Joel interesting you said that I hate to say it but I thought it was a try. I know the ball shuffled in his hands but I thought he regrouped and before he granted it you don’t think so.

Well that’s the end of this podcast. We’ll see picks up. I don’t agree. My goodness it was he had no control over that ball. And even even if I take my my black and orange and white glasses off I couldn’t see how that was a try.

But it was dodgy and yeah I wanted I wanted it to be no trial but I was looking at it with a few mates at the clock and we all thought hey he’s juggled it but he’s regrouped and before it’s hit the ground. So anyway it was it was very disappointing job because I was really encouraged by our display of hope a better side. Pretty much all night.

Well that was going to be my next point Eddie I think that if we’d played like that against any of the probably any of the not three top teams against just about anybody else who would’ve won I think and I think that realistically we’ve played worse than that and won plenty of games over the over the past you know past 20 years so I wasn’t disheartened by the performance I was a bit disheartened by a little bit a lack of skill and a little bit of finesse at times. But we kind of know that’s where we’re at and we pushed one of the best teams in the competition essentially. Well let’s call it 75 minutes and I was pretty proud of the effort.

Yeah absolutely and it probably wasn’t so much. You know we’ve beaten Melbourne Storm in the past and last year and it was more sort of a scrambling effort were you hanging on it never really felt like that 380 minutes I thought we were in control of the game and I guess I wanted to just vital moments that we’d love that back. Of course that I think most them by where he failed the past closing line would have put us 12 ahead with happy if they meant to go on then might the new with that decision to come out of a line. You know it looks like he’s paid the price this week with selection but you’ve sort of got to stick it and stick when you make those split second decisions to rush out of the line.

Yeah I was flashbacks to Kevin Naiqama and especially his first year with us. I think it was the glamour and not all of them are out on the right edge though always running rushing up and not coming up with their man it was just like that and you could kind of see that it was coming momentum was getting more behind Melbourne in some of the calls were a bit questionable and isn’t it funny. Earlier in the game I thought we were we were doing really well with the referees. and you see it in almost every game. Don’t you one team’s getting all the penalties and getting the roll on that they might go ahead 18 points and then later on in the game. It’s like this concerted effort to try and square it all up and that’s how I felt I was like well we couldn’t Melbourne couldn’t buy a penalty earlier and then they were just getting penalties left right and center at the end.

Yeah I think you’re right. I think we see it across the board and it’s sometimes a worry when you’re getting six or seven penalties in the first 25 minutes because you know those two or three penalties later in the game and probably going to be more crucial and they’re probably going to go against maybe five or six up in the penalty count. But in saying that you know we had our chances to win. I THINK MICHAEL MCGUIRE Well seemed really proud of his effort. I think you know the really good times in this competition when you when you’re a top with 10 minutes to go you find a way to close out the Weeden. You know looking at this the ladder at the moment we’re still seven but we’ve let two games just slip away criminally really. I mean Penrith gamely dominated for 80 minutes and now this game. So now we think we’re scrapping so the scrambling team. But it could be looking a whole lot prettier than it is at the moment I think we’re on an upward swing but we’re still in that muddled middle of the table.

Yeah. If we’d won those two games it would be completely different. Well I think at the beginning of the year when we were having a frank assessment of where you thought we both thought we were going to go this year always sort of optimistically saying eighth and you yeah but I think we both sort of in our hearts knew if you looked at the squads we’re probably ninth 10th 11 or something like that. Well I think we have improved a bit I think grew up in. I think we’re about where we deserve sixth or seventh and if we just sort of maintain this and go on a bit of a run I think we’re playing well enough that we might be able to string a few wins together especially once we get through this really tough period. The trick here I think is to just grab bag a couple of wins and I think that’s what was so disappointing against that in the game against Melbourne is that if we just jagged that win against the storm we’d be sitting pretty well.

Yeah absolutely I mean that’s the thing it’s almost when you come up against a Melbourne or roosters it’s a free shot to get ahead of those teams in the middle of the competition and sometimes it can. The worry for me is that it can really suck the momentum. Such a devastating loss like that in the last minute I still people go into and skating it s with plenty of confidence based on what we did. But yeah those those close games often decide your season if you finish on the right ladder of games decided between one and six points you often might be eight and if you don’t you often finish ninth or 10th whereas wait which is where we finish a lot over the years so we’ve got to close out some of those close gaps even though I thought it was probably close to our best performance of the year.

Yeah well I think it was it was not as disappointing as the Panthers loss was disappointing because we realistically we we absolutely definitely should want to know about that. So it really heard about that game we really threw that one away. I think just with the Melbourne Storm we played really well and we just didn’t quite have enough class to finish them off so I didn’t quite put as much as at Panthers game Arkan will leave the Melbourne game there now and put it in the consigned to history. We’ll talk about the Souths game very shortly and have a quick talk about some recruitment news video auto.

Recruitment news you might have to fill me in Joel. Something happened in the past couple of days I wasn’t aware of?

Nothing has happened. But there is some talk about Corey Thompson Corey goes off contract at the end of the year and the look I think there’s definitely a concerted effort from his manager to bump up his price a bit but it doesn’t seem like we’re in any great hurry to wrap. Corey Thompson up. Would you be disappointed to see him move on.

Yeah I’d be disappointed if something like like most Target’s fans he’s provided value for money which is what you’re looking for in a s in the salary cap era and I think you know Corey Thompson’s right.

He’s 29 years of age he’s probably played most of his career less money than than what he’s deserved in terms of the performance he’s putting in I’m not saying he’s a marquee player or six hundred thousand a year type player but he’s probably gonna have a few options out there because because good teams you know they like reliable players and I think he’d be a reliable player in pretty much every NRL Take on me a superstar. But. I guess it comes down to Mark McGuire and where he sees it fitting in I’d like to see him stay for a couple more years but I think you have a couple more options than he did last time.

Yeah I think you’re right. There has been a little bit of a Brit raid Roos was reporting that where apparently in the race to sign Jordan Robin maybe we’re waiting on someone does give us a yes or no before we we offer Corey a contract there might be something like that going on in the background then of course you’ve got my half the number of contract as well. You know my who’s got plenty of game time. So you think maybe he’s a chance of getting resigned so that could be a factor then of course you know for Luma who is I think one of the first times this year as part of the squad for this week’s gun but has been well and truly out of favour.

Yeah well it’s interesting I think David Nofoaluma said he signed a four year deal maybe a year or two ago. So he’s still got a couple of years to go.

Yeah. So not Luma as well as Russell Packer and Josh Reynolds they’re contracted all until the end of 2021 which I think the three players that may be surplus to requirements at the.

Yeah well I mean no offense to the guys we got to back but at the moment they’re doing a service or job but it’s a bit of a worry for David not deliver if he can’t force your way into this back line and you know getting back to that point you made about Jordan Rob and I think he’s the style of play we need in the backlog. You see the difference Blake Ferguson’s made to Parramatta. You say the difference any player with a bit of speed and power can make an entire team. He can make plays inside you look a little bit better. He can make you always look better because you’re making more meters out of you’re out in courtesy of a big strong Winger. So if we could never play like that. at the expense of Corey Thompson as harsh as that sounds he’d probably go for if Moses Mbye disappeared.

Let’s not let’s not focus on Moses. Let’s focus on the fallback position if if we had a fullback opening for next year. Would you be willing to give that job to Corey Thompson.

I don’t know what’s supposedly going to disappear into thin air. I think I think he’s on a four year contract job but it’s a it’s a hypothetical question I guess. But the. Yeah look I think Moses thereby at his best is probably a better fullback than Corey Thompson now he probably hasn’t shown that this year he definitely hasn’t shown that.

But there were glimpses last week in that game against Melbourne that the spine is starting to get it together and we are actually on track surprising at least we’re on track to average 20 points a year for the first time since 2016. So I think under Michael Maguire if we can get this bind together the rest of this season and by Marshall Farah and Brooks then I think the attacks slowly start to come together.

So to answer your question you wouldn’t be gone for Corey Thompson as a long term fullback because on the forum we’re talking about obviously Phil and Smith and another big young winger whose name I haven’t made in over the winger who apparently are pretty good prospects but I was more than sort of thinking along the lines of Well if Josh Reynolds was to move on at the end of the year and Benji was to retire and you were to move Moses into five eight. That might sort of change the dynamic and change the landscape for a Corey Thompson maybe that’s what I was thinking.

Yeah it’s an interesting point and I’ll ask this question back of you is it. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that we seem at the moment still pretty reliant on Benji Marshall and Robbie Farrow. I want to give him a big rap for the way they play it. I think they play an outstanding football in their mid thirties and it’s not to say I necessarily want them both to play on next year but just saying we look we look a really more structured organized team when Benji’s in the seat.

Absolutely and if you go past this year and you’d presume that Benji retires Josh Reynolds unfortunately 2017 2018 2019 all you know injury plagued unable to string a lot of games together. I think the five position is definitely going to be something that is going to gain a lot of attention heading into the into the new year because at the moment I can’t see a logical replacement unless you’re going to play a Ryan medicine there week in week out or move in Moses Mybe into five eight certainly you know a a fall from the trees still.

I mean it’s interesting because you’ve got yet invite and ran on something going on next year they could be out to highest paid players and probably doubts over whether they’re going to be elite in those key positions at the moment and Josh is probably age and injury related and invites probably more form related moment. But I just get the gut feeling even from the start that Reynolds was is maybe not a style a player McGuire wants in half he’s sort of entered into pre-season and he wants him to improve is his passing game and setting up players so definitely be a wait and see because you know at the moment it’s hard to see Josh getting in any real rhythm this season if Menzies time in the paddock.

Yeah absolutely absolutely. We put the question up on Facebook we put a little diagram there that showed Russell Packer David Nofoaluma and Josh Reynolds all being contracted to the end of 2021 with the Wests Tigers Mitch Kyle Kenny John Oh very quickly said shop them around probably I reckon that would be the consensus among most fans.

Yeah at the moment I mean we can be victims of being prisoner of the moment I mean let’s remember Josh Reynolds to come in and to sort of man in the match performances in those first games get Penrith in Brisbane but now injured again. But obviously it’s Michael Maguire who is a man making the decisions and he’s you know it’s obvious I mean Russell Packer hasn’t been in the side for over a month.

David Nofoaluma hasn’t been on the side all year and Josh was you know playing second fiddle to Benji Marshall and until he got injured. So those players will see the writing on the wall as well although given they’re on the money they are they’re not just going to say Oh we’re out of here. I remember a situation with Greg a at the Bulldogs where he said well you can put me in reserve right if you want but if I’m on seven or eight hundred thousand I’m not leaving less you pay me that money. Yeah.

Yeah which is they’re in the ruck within their rights to do that for sure. Brett Reed little room of the piece that he did talking. Jordan Robert also mentioning Jayden Brailey from the sharks because we were allegedly linked to his younger brother who resigned with the sharks and also Cape Cod Cape well from the sharks as well. Not that fast on Cape will but Jayden Bradley looks like a like a first grade hooker and potentially a good replacement for Robbie Farah.

Yeah I think he’s a good solid player. I think he’s improved this year. His brother’s probably made him improve a bit. You don’t want your little brother sort of go past you in the starting side. And I’ve just resigned the younger brother so be interesting to see because I don’t think Cronulla those two hookers will want to be you know going to be aimed at hookers as this career progresses. So that would be a strong option. I still like Api Koroisau but I’m not sure he where he’s at with Manly they’ve got a young guty who’s sort of doing well at the moment in that position and then you know where does that leave Jacob Liddle he didn’t get on the field on on Thursday night against Melbourne Storm. I don’t know whether that was just the situation at the game and whatnot but at the moment he’s sort of biding his time struggling for a minute.

Yeah it’s funny isn’t it that you think about what’s going on in the background and all the ducks and drugs and things that are happening. We can only report really on what we hear once it’s finally hit the media and in some way shape or form so. But if anybody else has got any tips or any inside information they’d like to feed to us so we can discuss on on on the podcast you can do that feedback at West Tigers podcast dot com dot a you can be completely anonymous if you like as well and you can also send us a message on Facebook and you know I’m just happy to hear things and most importantly happy to hear our listeners opinions. That’s the most important thing as well. Again feedback at Wests Tigers podcast dot com dot a you maybe talk about some of the players you’d like us to target. Who do you think we should shop and we’ll talk about it on the next edition of the podcast but that seems to be about all that is going on in regards to recruitment for 2020. The game this week against Souths probably the sum of the selections might show you a little bit about where things might be on the bigger picture. As you said earlier my fans were left out of the squad. You’ve got former morosely finally there in the centers again. Really it’s Paul’s opportunity isn’t it to take it and run with it.

Yeah well I mean he’s got the opportunity now and it’s a tough game to come into against a South Sydney side that’s flying but I haven’t seen a lot of the reserve grade the last month. But you know from all the reports Bruce’s he’s a fairly solid defensive player and maybe he’s been boarding more and those qualities that sort of attacking qualities but yeah for newer to me he’s just paid the price for making a decision that was maybe not in the game play Michael Maguire shine all year. He’s not afraid to drop senior players and on the roster he gets his chance.

Yeah absolutely well I hope he takes it with both hands because we need another centre and a bit of a gold kicker as well. So it’ll be interesting to see if he gets those duties I don’t think he’s necessarily much better than he’s on masters but you never know it might give his opportunity there as well.

And Shaun Jennings on the wing I think that’s a good move moving him out of the centres Yeah and up against his old club I think I think we’ve started to look better in attack the past few weeks I was a little bit you know Penrith almost seemed too good to be true because of how bad Penrith were but then I thought we backed that up last week I thought particularly inside the opposition 20 the combinations looked a lot more in sync and a little bit more variation as opposed to Ivan Cleary sort of side that last year we had where we tended to be scrambling and and whatnot not I think Maguire starting to get a little bit of shape to his attack and now moving Jennings to that left wing I think has helped Yeah I agree I think that’s where he needs to be said that all year.

The Rabbitohs of course there are they are one of the best teams in the competition very forward orientated dominant game you’re happy. I’m really happy with how the forwards are going at the moment I think we’ve got a good mix and a fair amount of thrust off the bench a little bit just I’d like one more sort of big guy on the bench which is sort of the disappointment that Russell packages can’t get it together because of that I think that’s probably the only area really where if I could wave the magic wand at the moment just a bit more muscle off the bench would be good McCallion cause he’s had a fantastic year but you know it’s very hard a lot to ask for a young man who’s playing his first year first group it is and you often see that with young players they sort of.

You know can hit the wall a bit midseason and yeah get Souths it’s going to be a big challenge up front because I think that’s where their strength is obviously they’ve got to go halves or playing really well but if you don’t meet the challenge of Sam Burgess Damian Cook and George Burgess and Cameron Murray then you’ve got no hope in this game and we saw at the back end of last year and that was the last round we had nothing to play for but they completely steamrolled us in that game but eight weeks earlier where we met them physically and we were really you know in their face then you can you can ratably Yasuni side because I don’t think they’re despite being on top of the ladder and nine and won a lot of their wins have been close. And I don’t think it’s the worst time to plan because I think they are due for a loss.

Yeah I think you’re right. The only thing that I could factor in counter that would be the two halves for sale Sue been talking it talked about. Even Bennett said. I mean obviously he is their coach but I’d be seriously looking at at the two Southside to spook the New South Wales team that they might be out for a particularly strong performance ahead of the team the Blues team being that they could counter the fact that I agree that Souths are probably due for a loss and may have their attention other way. Otherwise somewhere else.

Yeah well it’s going to be very interesting. I think the fact that Damian Cook plays is a certainty for the Origin team.

The temptation would be to have three SAS guys in the spine for Brad Fittler but you could possibly pick the Penrith asked Could you.

No no not unless you wanted to lose the series three nil.

But yeah I mean looking at their back line it’s not a star studded as you think. I mean I think there’s you know in the past Sydney you’ve had the integrating less fully feed and I look at that back line.

I think there’s some players you could get at.

I mean cordiality young player they’ve got a young guy on the wing. ETHAN In is not a natural Santa Diego’s good player but can be a big limousine defense so I’m quietly confident about this game. Joel and I probably scared either because whenever I’ve set up quite a couple of easy get ups.

Yeah yeah. You you’ve been the kiss of death no more than once so that that really does worry me. I think that we are also you know a good chance I’ve got confidence in a ever not not a win. I’ve got a confidence in another strong performance. I think that if if between now and the end of the year we don’t have any more capitulations like we did against Parramatta I’d be a very happy person. I think that’s the consistency the Michael Maguire is starting to build. I think he’s starting to shape the roster of the team a little bit and starting to look a little bit towards the future. I’m expecting another strong and solid performance Souths theoretically should have too much class for us. But I think that if this is the kind of game where we probably have a good chance of it’s at night it’s eight go against the team that’s forward orientated type team you know this is definitely a game that if we are going to knock one of the big guys off this could be the one who I think you make good point about the night games this year we’ve been a lot better and I think the slightly you know Juhi or Wakefield helps us condense that defensive line and would probably not the team with the most amount of speed.

So you know I actually think we match up fairly well with Souths as long as we can contain Sam Burgess. Damien Cook You can’t give David Cook space and time in a dummy half and you know there’s there’s interesting subplots to this game of course. Robbie Farah coming up against Damien Cook Michael Maguire coming up against a team that sacked him. So I think the great thing I like about matches is widely you know last year went around and Cleary It felt like we started well and I’m getting worse and worse sort of as a year progressed. Now we bounce back at the end whereas this side I think he’s improving them as the year goes on. Like you said I’m expecting a strong performance but I think Maguire’s a sort of coach that he’s not going to be content with close enough is good enough. So if we’re leading his game or in it we’re 20 minutes ago we got to find a way to win it.

Yeah and I’m pretty sure the coach would love to get a win here. It would mean something to him I’m sure.

Absolutely. Do you want to give me a score prediction for Saturday night.

Look I’m not writing them off. I think that we are in with a good chance but I am going to go for a 24 18 loss against says. I think we can win this game I think we could jump in early we’ve got a good record against Souths as an adult the past four or five years I reckon we’ve beaten them at least once the past four or five years I reckon will lead 12 nil early and I reckon we get a hold of 2018 2018 all right well fingers crossed I certainly hope that’s the case it’s round eleven in the NRL cos as I mentioned our game at ANZ Stadium 735 on Saturday he got to go to the game any yeah probably well not my favourite ground in the world ANZ Stadium I actually thought this game was at Bankwest but that’s our home game against Souths I think comes up fairly quickly in about three or four weeks time so probably not going to be quite the atmosphere out there at ANZ but that might be an advantage given it to a satisfying round 15 we take on Souths at the Western Sydney Stadium 750 PM It’s a Thursday night game so that’ll be around very quickly and then I’ll be off to Italy a couple of days after that so there may be a small break in the podcast we have to talk for a couple of weeks but you never know I might be able to dial in from from overseas so yeah there’s always a way to find a game some way Joel if you’re desperate enough to follow the Tigers even in Italy I don’t know what talk may be kicking off for me three in the morning I said you want to quickly go through Give me a tick for some of these games around a that’d be good go for it.

All right. Thursday night’s Western derby at Bankwest stadium Parramatta against the hapless Penrith Panthers.

Now the Eels of. Though the wheels have fallen off haven’t they. They patrol Paramount or else I’m loving it. It’s fantastic. And Penrose continues to bump belong on the bottom which is even better. I’m predicting a pretty close game here and I think there’s much between the two. I’m gonna go paramedic is that the bank with stadium. By bye for.

I thought you were going to predict that a draw near shots was your joy in pulling off I guess I Parramatta’s wheels are falling off I don’t know how you describe parents. Everything’s for long.

I just can’t see him when he get out so I’m gonna go with you I’m going to go to Parramatta yeah friday night. Manly house the Titans I just know you’d hate to be a Titans fan if you like Canterbury sixteen nil and you still can’t win. So how could you possibly do that.

Yeah they certainly are struggling and you can’t see anything but a badly win here surely.

I’m only doing a good job with two of their best players and I think they certainly to my top I see a big game on Friday night. My second time in Newcastle with one or in a row job. They’re on fire although probably haven’t played the strongest opposition.

I get a stern test against the Roosters allow a big crowd. I’ll be in Newcastle. I’m not.

Yeah the roosters don’t often lose two in a row I think. I think the new the night school will will put up a pretty good fight but I think the roosters by 10.

Yeah I think this will be like a grand finals for the Knights but like you said the Roosters were flat last week. I don’t expect them to lose two in a row Saturday afternoon. Canberra hosted north Queensland. I thought Canberra didn’t really lose any admirers last week and I went down narrowly the South but they really took it to them.

Cowboys got a scratchy wheat over over Parramatta. They hang in there.

But you know in cow camera on Saturday I think North Queensland struggled to bring the Cowboys in an upset even upset a guy a drops said in the week outside warriors Broncos in New Zealand the Broncos have won two in a row starting to build some momentum on the Warriors I can’t get my head around the warriors I reckon every game this year I’ve got on the wrong end of the team but the Warriors involved so I’m going to to win here at home I think they played really well last week and I was Penrith but now I’m not convinced about the Broncos I’ve got the Roosters we’re all flashpoint.

Kudos to you for having a little bit of faith in the Warriors despite the fact that but you consistently. I think the Warriors will win as well. Maybe just the Nick Arena. Thank you. We want to get some revenge on the Broncos.

Yeah that’s fair point and I think they’ve looked better since he’s come into the side. Our game of course Saturday night then Saturday afternoon returned to Belmore Bulldogs would need to pull out their best performance a year you think to beat the storm.

Yeah I can’t see the storm losing that one. Of course the Bulldogs pushed them pretty pretty much to the end of that game. Dan and Amy Park earlier in the year.

But I think the storm are playing amazing football but they should have too much for the Bulldogs.

They just want side Melbourne. They like you know so frustrating last week that probably the second best side of the field that they find a way to win and final game around the southern Sydney derby. Both sides struggling from on particularly the Dragons. They’re 4 and 6 am I lost four in a row in Cronulla five and five. Little bit disappointing last and manly too.

Yeah I watch their game. The the sharks and manly game and I thought the sharks are they looked so bad in patches and a lot of the weeks where they have a bad 20 or 30 minutes they’re able to sort of get it together and come back and win the thunder a few times this year. But mainly we just shut them out of the game. How can you tip the Dragons after that performance last week. It’s all I can say is that these two teams they love playing each other it should be a great game and I’m going to go for the Dragons just.

Yeah I think they’ll be embarrassed by their performance hates Newcastle because that was a really uncharacteristic of St George. Given the past couple of years on the MacGregor look you couldn’t tip him with any confidence but more the fact they’re bouncing back there at home against a Cronulla side that still got injuries and are inconsistent. So I think it’ll be close but I’ll go with you I’ll go to George Illawarra to win.

Good. Well that’s it.

That’s it. That’s right. So Saturday night in the West Tigers ANZ Stadium will be a big credit and should get 20000 out there. It’s a nice night at ANZ. I’ve been out there this year it’s a bit unusual not flying home.

Yeah I haven’t been out there since last year the game against Parramatta. So I might might get out there myself as well see how the day goes. But I think at least 17 or 18000 maybe up to 24000. So yeah should be pretty good. It’s a shame that even if you attract a decent crowd like that at ANZ It’s still not a fantastic atmosphere at which you know if you played that at the football stadium well they will be at the football stadium is gone. Yeah the atmosphere would be sensation.

Yeah I think it could be ground. I know it’s being redone and it would be on the way out if Bankwest continues to pull crowds in and then more teams go. I mean we used all that.

Absolutely. Once again follow us on Facebook just look for the Wests Tigers podcast. You can follow the link over from West Tigers podcast dot com dot a you feedback of West Tigers podcast on commentary and also live questions and comments on the West Tigers forum. And I’m always having a look at the forum and reading everybody’s comments about different things so make sure you send us a message through there as well. Eddie have a good weekend and fingers crossed for a win over those awful rabbitohs.