Another day, another round of bad news coming out of Tiger Town. Yesterday (Monday) there were reports of fans crossing the line in showing their anger towards Mitch Moses.
Those responsible for throwing beer cans at Moses, or anyone, should be banned for life, no questions asked. There is no excuse for such an idiotic act which could have had severe consequences.
That said, Tigers fans have every right to be upset, and even angry.
Those who have continued to pay their money to turn up despite their side becoming regular media whipping boys over past seasons deserve far better than the tripe that has been dished up on and off the park.
I am no Tigers fans, and my life will go on whether the Tigers finish a distant last for the next decade, or if they shock the world and capture a title, but the public finger pointing and shifting of blame has gotten under even my skin.
Club captain and local boy Aaron Woods was ridiculously frank in his interview across multiple media platforms after officially announcing the worst kept secret in NRL history, his move to the Bulldogs.
Whoever green lighted that hot mess should be in line for unemployment benefits, or at least forced to walk around with the word "dumb" on their forehead for a few days.
Given the goings on of the club over the opening two months of the 2017 season, why a club captain would come out and say he's "sick of missing finals" is beyond belief. Tigers fans could be forgiven for inferring this to be a sign both that Woods had already moved on, and also leads fans to believe he has already given up on 2017.
Can you imagine Cameron Smith or Johnathan Thurston making such a ridiculous statement with less than ten NRL rounds played?
Why can't the Tigers make the finals? Of course, I'm of the belief that they won't, but I'm also not the highly paid captain of the club.
Woods also said he was let down by the club after they removed Jason Taylor as the coach, not sending him a text to ask how he was doing? The only person who needed a text was Taylor, who was thrown under the bus (funny aye?) at every opportunity and blamed for all the horrors on show.
Comically Woods also said he wasn't spoken to or told in advance who the incoming coach would be, despite the fact that those residing on the international space station could see Ivan Cleary was the man for the job.
Woods ill-timed tell all comes just a week after an e-mail was sent to Tigers fans asking for them not to boo the man who has genuinely given his all to the club he has represented. I'm not huge on booing players, but how about rather than asking paying members not to boo a player exiting the club, send an e-mail thanking those who continue to pay their money to turn up and watch a team that is the sporting version of a Fast Forward sketch?
Promotions all week across social media urged Tigers fans to "get on the bus", which is a "clever" marketing term that roughly translates to "we have no idea what we are doing but hey, buy the new jersey."
Don't get me wrong, fans should support their team through the best and worst of times, and every club goes through these times, but a better promotion would have been highlighting the three big name signings the club has made and urge fans to get excited about the future.
There is talk from some in the media who have urged the Tigers to let Mitch Moses, who is Eels-bound next season, off the supposed bus.
The general feeling across fans of the club is that Moses should be kicked off the bus and his bus pass binned.
For the record, I find it very hard to believe Moses is worth anywhere near the figures that have been thrown around. He is a player of potential and may end up a genuine star, but right now his being referred to as a star is the same as my helping a friend move over the weekend and then calling myself a removalist.
Let him go the Eels. A few weeks ago I asked why the Tigers should let Moses go given he would help the Eels in their tilt toward the finals, to no benefit for the Tigers. Brooks is back now, let him leave. Wish him luck. If 2017 is a write-off, and reading between the lines of comments made by their captain, it is, then focus on 2018 and beyond.
Lolohea anyone?
The other player supposedly moving on next season is the real loss in James Tedesco. I've said it before and I certainly don't mind saying it once again, I am a massive fan of Tedesco. If he had stayed on the pitch last Saturday, the Tigers would have won that game. Talk of anyone else starting in the number one for the Blues is insanity.
The club was right to make him their priority, and his loss will be impossible to compensate for, at least in the short term. That said, he has acted with dignity, avoiding the media circus, and has shown zero indication of a drop off in form.
How the club let their prize asset even enter into a final year of his contract before he turned 32 is beyond me. His contract should have been extended last year. Forget the talk of salary cap uncertainty, offer him 1.5 million a season and figure the rest out later.
Media have alleged that Tedesco's move is purely motivated by wanting to get the best out of himself, and that involves moving to a winning team.
Tigers fans can take great joy in the fact that another young star once left a struggling club and ended up at the Roosters whilst not hiding the fact he was doing so to chase a premiership. Those in the Shire who continue to celebrate their win last season are still drinking from the cup of tears shed by the player in question.
Perhaps Tedesco, who should also note that the club stood by him despite a horror run of injuries and the fact he signed for the Raiders a few years ago, will be watching on in a few seasons as the Tigers celebrate a title win?
Despite the joking tone throughout this I fully understand the anger within the Tigers fan base. I strongly encourage them not to lash out as some did on Saturday night but instead look to what may be a bright future.
Josh Reynolds is an upgrade on Mitch Moses as far as I am concerned. Getting two rep forwards for the price of one? Bargain. Re-signing the player I believe is the second best player at the club in Nofoaluma is a huge step forward.
Also, Lolohea anyone?
As to just who is to blame for the mess at the joint-venture club right now? WHO CARES!? For mine its a mix of deplorable management, an all too powerful player agent, short term vision by the players, and a string of ridiculous decisions made at board level.
You know who isn't to blame? THE FANS!!!