Yeehaw, we are back in Tiger Town!
Here is a recap of the Season 2 Finale. It saves me rehashing the same old, same old.
In 2023, the future of Tiger Town is reviving the Class of ’05 to retake the reins almost 20 years after they last found success.
It is a desperate move to excite long suffering fans and to catch the imagination of the league community.
So after five weeks, what have we learnt about the 2022 wooden spooner’s prospects?
Let’s start with the obvious.
After five rounds the Tigers are anchored at the bottom of the ladder winless.
The Wests Tigers were gifted a dream start by the NRL with two winnable games against the Titans and Knights both at the Tigers’ spiritual ground Leichhardt Oval. Followed by the Bulldogs at Belmore.
The focus and promise of a new style of attack during the offseason hasn’t eventuated. It feels like there isn’t a clear direction or message amongst the coaching staff.
Having the worst defensive record, maybe they should have spent some time on that?
But remember, Tim Sheens is also here to mentor Benji to succeed him after two years. So Benji has that time to learn a coaching style from a coach who hasn’t been involved in the NRL for a decade.
The upcoming draw also looks very daunting. They face the Eels next week before heading into the bye.
Coach Sheens jokingly stated, “Hope we beat the bye”.
Well un-jokingly, the Tigers following win could be when they face the bye again in Round 13.
The Brooks Conundrum
I cannot understand the West Tigers’ determination in keeping half Luke Brooks. He is the most maligned player in the league and should be allowed to move on with a fresh start.
The Newcastle Knights have reportedly been chasing Brooks for the last couple years only to have their request denied. The Tigers let go of Jackson Hastings to the Knights and rising star Jock Madden to the Broncos. Jackson Hastings had the last laugh in the Knights Round 2 win.
Now there are reports the Tigers have approached Mitchell Pearce to return from Super League. Pearce’s response? “No”.
The West Tiger five year plan is looking very… acrobatic.
Wests Tigers fans need to trust in Sheens. If you see improvement this year, there is hope.
What else can you do?
Pingback: S3 EP2: Wails From Tiger Town – Footy Tipper