Wests Tigers fans have reportedly had 'offensive' banners taken down on the hill at Brookvale as they watched their club concede 50 points and lock up a second straight wooden spoon during the final round of the season.
AAP are reporting that the club's disgruntled fan base were told to take down banners by security at the venue, with the fans also distributing a chant sheet for what ultimately turned into a Manly Sea Eagles' driven comedy show.
Angry Tigers fans protest, have banners taken down at Brookvale Oval after they are deemed โoffensiveโ. These sheets were circulated on the hill before 54-12 loss. Story on @AAPSport https://t.co/JA8C4Vtx7T pic.twitter.com/7RfjQlRvLR
— Scott Bailey (@ScottBaileyAAP) September 1, 2023
The joint-venture watched on as Manly were able to pick and choose who scored tries in the 54-12 beatdown.
It follows banners being hauled down by security a fortnight ago during the Tigers' final home game of the season against the Dolphins.
Zero Tackle spoke exclusively to the fan behind that banner, with suggestions they would continue over the final two weeks of the season as the club's fan base calls for accountability at all levels of the joint-venture who haven't played finals football in more than a decade.
On that occasion, the fan told us that the sign, which read "End the Pascoe Fiasco" - which now seems to be a running theme for the club's fans - was folded up and taken down on security's request, before the same security returned to confiscate the banner which was later 'misplaced'.
Other groups of fans, led by the Wests Tigers Podcast have launched a petition for a full external review of the club with that now gaining over 2100 signatures.
It comes with Friday's loss to Manly ensuring the Tigers have picked up their second straight wooden spoon, despite internal noise from inside the club promising fans they are 'on the right track' at all levels.
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The loss on Friday looked anything but on the right track though, with the Tigers defence crumbling at regular intervals, particularly during a second half where Manly on two occasions gifted tries to Jake Trbojevic and Gordon Cham Kum Tong, such was the time and space available.
Incoming coach Benji Marshall, who has been handling media commitments at the Tigers since a recent announcement that Tim Sheens would depart a year ahead of planned at the end of this season, said the blame for the wooden spoon fell on everybody at the club, Justin Pascoe and himself included.
โWe are all guilty of the wooden spoons, everyone that's involved in it,โ Marshall said during the post-match press conference when asked.
โI guess we all have a part to play and Justin Pascoe is as much a part of it as I am, and as this bloke (Api Koroisau) is.
โAs a club, that's where we have to be, we have to be better. That's as far as I'll go on that.โ
The Tigers will be hopeful that a change in the spine next year having recently signed Jayden Sullivan and Aidan Sezer as their new first-choice halves combination, combined with the continued emergence of Jahream Bula at fullback and this year's group of signings in the forwards - Apisai Koroisau, David Klemmer, Isaiah Papali'i and John Bateman - will be enough to turn things around under Marshall in 2024.
The Tigers finish the 2023 season with just 4 wins from their 24 games.
