As long as this club continues to let the world refer to them almost singularly as, “The Tigers” and wraps itself in Leichhardt Oval mythology, why would a talented kid like Miller feel any affinity to the club. He can’t play for his local NRL club because he doesn’t really have one.
The south-west of Sydney, the Magpie junior reps, they are a feeder club for the entire NRL, not the Tigers.
This stuff will keep happening while the Wests Tigers continue to try to be all things to a number of divergent regions. Grow a pair and base the club in Campbelltown (as was agreed in the joint venture discussions 22 years ago) and things will undoubtedly change.
I'm sorry I agree with Earl, this is a load of ancient baloney.
No offence but I am going to guess you are comfortably older than 22 years old and were a long-term Magpies supporter. I'm 42, I supported Balmain in my formative years.
Every kid in the Magpies and Balmain junior ranks knows they are in the feeder system for Wests Tigers. Not one of these kids is pinning their final hopes on being a Magpie - that is merely a stepping stone to first grade. Most of these kids are only in Magpies jerseys for a few years anyway, because prior to this they were playing for Eaglevale or Minto Cobras.
Case in point: Tedesco himself said was a fan of the Roosters because Camden Rams wear Roosters colours, even though his family supported Tigers and he's a local kid. Although Tedesco emerged via Wests Tigers pathways and gave us many good seasons of play, in hindsight we also know he manoeuvred to leave the club every time his contract was up. He wasn't a Magpie, he was a Tedesco - he's only interested in his own brand.
The idea of kids aspiring to play for their local club - I honestly think that idea is mostly dead. Geographical boundaries for clubs are not what they used to be. Maybe if the family were club supporters it adds some charm to play for their childhood club, but we also know such things are easily discarded once young kids become young men within the first grade club they first join. For example there are countless examples of people who supported Balmain as a kid who are instead deeply associated with other first-grade clubs - the Johns brothers, Ivan Cleary, Josh Addo-Carr etc. etc. There are also countless examples of Balmain stalwarts who did not grow up in the Balmain districts - Blocker Roach, Garry Jack, Olsen Filipaina, Arthur Beetson etc.
Furthermore, any kid who is a decent footballer knows they may have up to 9 potential suitors for senior contracts without having to leave Sydney, and 11 if they stay within NSW. They will take the best deals available to them.
Not one of these kids was close to being alive when Wests Magpies last played in the top tier competition.
We also have countless examples within our own club to illustrate how it is more important to develop your first-grade culture, than have unrealistic expectations that local kids are died-in-the-wool club supporters. For example Stefano and Alex Twal - Parramatta juniors. Zane Musgrove who is a Kiwi. Tamou who is also a Kiwi and came to Sydney to play in the Roosters juniors. Laurie and Blore from Penrith. Jake Simpkin is from QLD and Jacob Liddle is from Terrigal. Jackson Hastings is a Wollongong junior.
There are only a handful of legitimate all-Tigers juniors - Nofoaluma and Doueihi are the prominent ones. It must be supremely evident that whilst the local districts are very important, more important than this is to sign the best players from anywhere, and then develop a first grade culture that encourages those players to stay and contribute.
