On Saturday night we were all got an eye-opener into the devastating underlying issues the West Tigers are experiencing, as put by club captain James Tamou.
The Tigers donโt have the personnel to not only win games, but to make the top eight. If it goes how we all think it will, this season marks the 10 years since the Tigers made the finals, and fans all across the NRL are sick of the organisation's poor retention and recruitment over the last 10 years.
Recruitment and Retention
Going into next season, the club should have around $1.4 million left in the cap if they re-sign both Zac Cini and Alex Seyfarth, plus the money from Brooks and Mbye.
Both Reece Hoffman and Kelma Tuilagi will have their deals upgraded, leaving three roster spots.
For this to work, Wests need to commit to their local junior system and invest time into young talents likeย Cini,ย Hoffman, Jock Madden, Jake Simpkin, Tukimihia Simpkins and Kelma Tuilagi.
If we look at past Tigers juniors, these guys have a big shot at becoming elite players and faces of the club. However, that is at least two years away, and they will still need to fix the problems now to play finals football next year.
The Tigers mainly lack leadership and creativity out of the halves. In recent weeks the club has been linked to Mitchell Pearce. Pearce would be great for the club providing both the leadership and dynamic halves play the team needs.
It would also be a nice reunion for the Tigers and the Pearce family, of course, Mitchellโs dad Wayne Pearce was a Balmain Tigers legend.
For his halves partner, I would go after Shaun Johnson to play five-eighth. Johnson in recent weeks has been a man on a mission to earn himself a new deal.
The New Zealand international would buy into what Micheal Maguire is trying to build at the club. Despite these guys being 32 and 30 respectively, signing them on 2-year, $600,000ย deals would provide the club with a fix-it now plan and would furthermore help the juniors develop, particularly young half Jock Madden.
Besides big bodies like Luciano Leilua, Alex Twal and Alex Seyfarth, the Tigers lack stregnth when going forward in the centre third.
I donโt believe the signing of Tevita Panjai Jr is the answer. However, we should look at Dale Finucane. The man brings leadership and skill moving forward, he is also a guy that players want to play with and for and would have a similar effect as Boyd Cordner has had on the Roosters.
These three players will provide the one thing that the playing group lacks the most, leadership. That hole will be filled with the addition ofย Johnson,ย Pearce andย Finucane.
I have to disagree with a lot of this. Getting rid of Brooks would be a big mistake. He has without a doubt been one of Wests top 3 players this season. He had a bad season last year – so what? Everyone has a dip in form. Remember just 2 years ago he was named Dally M halfback of the year. Back when Tedesco and Moses were in the team he was playing out of his skin. All he needs is decent players around him and he’ll fire. You don’t improve a team by getting rid of quality players in a shit team.
As with the paying overs on Mbye, Packer and Leilua, 3 people don’t make a team. Yes, we all know they’re crap and don’t deserve 1/10 of what they’re getting paid, but it’s not like the whole salary cap has gone into those 3 players.
Signing Pearce and Johnson would be a bigger mistake than shafting Brooks. The Tigers are renowned for buying old players past their use-buy date on massive deals. They don’t need 2 old halves who only have another 1 or 2 years in them. That would hugely screw up their roster for years to come.
Jackson Hastings was signed to be a half. To replace Mbye. Not to be a lock. Wests don’t need any more forwards, for the time being, other than possibly Finucane.
Also, I’m not quite sure what you mean when you say the Tigers lack strength when going forward. You have named Luciano Leilua, Alex Twal and Alex Seyfarth. What happened to Blore, Mikaele, Utoikamanu and Ofahengaue
Yes, there are massive problems at Wests. Too many to even write about. But most of this wrong regarding the issues at the club.