Blog

It’s been a long time between drinks since Benji’s famous flick pass in 2005. The Wests Tigers have failed to feature in the finals since being self proclaimed Premiership favourites in 2011.

This Club is the perfect definition of a dysfunctional basket case.

Every time a player is on the market, Wests Tigers are always linked. Yet, no player with any ambition wants to play there.

Tevita Pangai Junior is the latest star to choose another club after the Tigers were frontrunners to sign him. Pangai saw more potential at wooden-spoon favourites, the Bulldogs.

The problem revolves around coaching instability with the club board and players having too much say and impact.

The West Tigers have chewed through four coaches since senior players forced Tim Sheens out in 2012.

Mick Potter, Jason Taylor, Ivan Cleary. And now, Michael Maguire is being undermined with the appointment (and return) of Tim Sheens as his boss. There is also a faction wanting Shane Flanagan to be made head coach.

Each time the coach is replaced, the new coach is picking up the pieces from their predecessor and rebuilding the team to suit their coaching style.

Stop gap players. Overpaid players at the end of their careers. Untested players from other teams wanting to play first grade. These are the types of players that will come to a Club like this.

And when they do attract a Premiership winner, like the captain of last year’s grand finalist Panthers, they look to offload them because they are not performing in this environment.

Yet, the Club still persists with Luke Brooks as their half-back and “general”. Brooks has not played a single finals match since debuting in 2013. Next year will mark his decade of Mad Mondays.

There are a lot of playmakers in the market and I believe it would be the best thing for both player and team for new surrounds.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg.

If you haven’t yet watched Wild Wests: Tales From Tiger Town, it is available on Foxtel and Kayo. It is intriguing viewing. The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Kent likened watching this as witnessing Coach Maguire develop an ulcer in front of your eyes.

Fox Spots could not have picked a better Club.