The tragedy of the Wests Tigers

Last week, the equal second-worst loss of the NRL era was handed down, and if you didn't know who copped it, you could probably guess because it was the team in dead last.

The Wests Tigers ran onto the SCG pitch against the Sydney Roosters and got hammered in every conceivable way, and their captain still tried to blame the ref; it was utterly shambolic and ended with a 72-6 scoreline.

There was once a proud club in the inner west for the NRL, boasting two of the most exciting halves the modern game has ever seen in Scott Prince and Benji Marshall. In 2005 those two men combined to win the merger's only premiership, and they looked set for years to come.

What we have now is barely even a husk of that side, more just the ashes. Of course, none of the old players are still around, but nor is any of the passion or drive; As a club, they have forgotten how to win so much that they don't believe they can anymore.

Many still blame one of their only prolonged loyal players in Luke Brooks, who has never been given a proper partner since Mitch Moses. That is until the club inexplicably signed both Adam Doueihi in 2020 and Jackson Hastings at the start of this season and couldn't decide which one to play next to him between their constant injuries.

The club itself blamed the coach, sacking premiership winner Michael Maguire, a man who bleeds passion and love for the game. In his place, they brought back Tim Sheens for next season, who they sacked back towards the start of this mess in 2012.

I don't mean to insinuate that the players don't care. They do. James Tamou does; that's why he accosted the ref. Of course, he shouldn't have said what he said, but on the field facing the massacre he was, I can see why.

I believe Brooks cares too, and I think him leading the Tigers to a finals series would be one of the best feel-good stories to come out of the NRL should he ever do it - I hope he does.

Sheens, too, will do all he can to get the club back on track, especially with Marshall by his side, perhaps the man who wants a return to the glory days more than anyone else.

But, everyone knows the issues mainly revolve around terrible recruitment. It looks better with the incoming Isaiah Papali'i and Api Koroisau, but before them, things were bleak.

This lack of care was created by the club a decade ago, when they decided it was time to rebuild with no real plan on how to do so.

Their haphazard approach led to deals for players who didn't perform and had passed their heydays. Players like Joseph Leilua, Josh Reynolds, Russell Packer, and Moses Mbye and James Roberts who are both still there.

These were nothing signings that the club pretended were lifelines. Making matters worse, the litany of great players they've let go to free up space for the above feels unending, capped off this year when they released Luciano Leilua early to North Queensland after failing to re-sign him.

Tigers fans have every right to be angry at such incompetence - I am, and I don't even support them.

There remains a chance that the Tigers will avoid the wooden spoon, but I can't say they deserve to. After what happened on Saturday, they have earned the spoon.

Considering they've never held the spoon, it will sting, but maybe it's the jolt they need to wake up and start playing with a bit more pride again next season.