Can the WT make the top 8 in 2023

I'd have naden for no 4.I think he'd make a good not great first grade centre .has some pace and size
Yes he was a winger but let's see how he'd go at center has pace and a bit of size .Just hope Douehi agrees to play where we need him most .Throw in a couple of big power forwards and we might just make it
Anyway ill spend off season being hopeful. MOSTLY DEPENDS ON EFFORT !
 
I dont want to speak bad of players or smear names,
but I ran into a recent recruit earlier in the season drunk at the pub, and I was with a bunch of diehard leb doggies and eels supporters and we were bantering with them and my best friend yelled sarcastically to the player 'Why did you sign for the tigers of all teams for braaa?' and the player, who I wont name, said 'why else' and did the rubbing fingers sign, as in 'for money' and the boys started laughing. I asked 'What if Tigers offered the same amount as (previous club) and the player, whom I think assumed I wasnt a tigers fan based on my friends ribbing, did this 'pfft' motion with the face, to roars of laughter from the boys.

Basically 'As if i would go there if not for the extra cash'.

Annoyed me.
 
Barring new recruits which im still hoping for here is my 2023 top 8 side
1.Laurie
2.Nofoaloma
3.Douehi
4.Naden
5.Maumalo /Toa *
6.Brooks
7 .Hastings
8.Utoikimano
9.Korisau
10. Musgrove
11.Papalii
12.Blore
13. Ofengauhe

Bench: Twal ,Ngatkaura ,Pole ,Matamua
I'll spend off season imagining these guys give 100% effort for 80 mins and we make finals .Go tigers
* Kenny must be fully fit
Either I'm an optimist or a foolish optimist but prefer spend next few months feeling positive
 
Well we can only go up but top 8 is a bridge too far.
Personally I just need to be realistic and manage my short term expectations.
As many have mentioned before we can go down further next year... Hope not but it wouldn't surprise
Top 8?
Haha no hope in hell
 
Spine still not sorted and the options still trial and error. The pack strengthened in the DH but is still so lacking in physicality. Blore and Stef have had very little footy to really determine their impact. I expect much of the same consistently inconsistent with more losses than wins and bottom 4 finish again.
 
Naden is not currently a NRL centre/winger and I havent seen signs yet he will be. Why we let Luciana go for no replacement lol. Our forwards are slightly better but not top 8 quality. More 14th. I think if Hunt leaves Dragons we have a hope of beating them on the ladder but not sure who else.

Rough, Tigers were smart not to put Benji in with this team, he will be killed. Hope we get some good forwards, centres and half back, a fullback too for 2024 then we can make 8.
 
Barring new recruits which im still hoping for here is my 2023 top 8 side
1.Laurie
2.Nofoaloma
3.Douehi
4.Naden
5.Maumalo /Toa *
6.Brooks
7 .Hastings
8.Utoikimano
9.Korisau
10. Musgrove
11.Papalii
12.Blore
13. Ofengauhe

Bench: Twal ,Ngatkaura ,Pole ,Matamua
I'll spend off season imagining these guys give 100% effort for 80 mins and we make finals .Go tigers
* Kenny must be fully fit
Either I'm an optimist or a foolish optimist but prefer spend next few months feeling positive
Reasonable team but
1) I’m not sure that Brooks is , or would be looked at as 5/8
and
2)Wasn’t Sheens the one who originally wanted Jacko at 13.
Joffa seems like a decent bloke but having seen him play many games at 13 don’t think that’s his position. Tbh I’m not sure where his best position is ?
I’m also intrigued with this rumour that they are thinking of trying Laurie in the halves ( I have been sprouting that for some time) and whether that means as 1/2 or 5/8.
Will be interesting to see what evolves !
 
Reasonable team but
1) I’m not sure that Brooks is , or would be looked at as 5/8
and
2)Wasn’t Sheens the one who originally wanted Jacko at 13.
Joffa seems like a decent bloke but having seen him play many games at 13 don’t think that’s his position. Tbh I’m not sure where his best position is ?
I’m also intrigued with this rumour that they are thinking of trying Laurie in the halves ( I have been sprouting that for some time) and whether that means as 1/2 or 5/8.
Will be interesting to see what evolves !
Pretty sure Jackson Hastings was signed (before Sheens) to play lock and AD got injured so there was a change in plans
 
For the Tigers to make the Semis in 2023,

We need to improve more than 7 other teams and have one the the top 8 implode.

We were very unlucky in the early part of 2022 and should not have ended up with the spoon.

I feel that management and subsequently players simply gave up on this year
 
At the moment I cant see them in the top 16, a lot depends on two things..
Madge's 2 recruits dragging other players up to their level and not giving into the line of least resistance as so many others have done before them.
And, other recruits who may have a a deep seated reason to achieve where others have failed.
Its clear to me now that Tim and Benji are replicating Maguire's approach without really signing their intended targets of Munster and Moses. The media is helping get the word out that we are waving money around like drunken sailors, and Madge's duo have all but admitted they came for the money. It may not sit too well with existing players?
 
For the Tigers to make the Semis in 2023,

We need to improve more than 7 other teams and have one the the top 8 implode.

We were very unlucky in the early part of 2022 and should not have ended up with the spoon.

I feel that management and subsequently players simply gave up on this year
My take on it is that what a lot of people forget is some teams lose players and other gain them...we are looking for recruits and if we snag a couple to compliment Api,Papi and the rest of the team we could show a marked improvement on this past season...
We had injuries to key players,suspensions and our team for a large part of the season looked like ressie grade...BUT we also lost a few games narrowly to very good teams..

If the team stays fit and together with new quality players,we could get as close as maybe 9/10th,getting in the 8 would be a huge bonus...

Lets stay positive and hope we can rise to the task....
 
All I can say is ..lets see how Sheens,Benji and Farah go with coaching and selections next year...personally Im hopeful for a more stable and harmonious attitude right throughout the club...more focus on a consistent hard playing team on the field week in week out barring injuries or suspensions...As far as the 3 I have mentioned as well as the admin,I only have one thing to say...

RESPECT GIVEN....TRUST IS EARNED....
 
Injuries and suspensions can't be used as an excuse.... We can get a dozen top notch players, if we don't address the slack lazy I give up attitude that rears it's head here often then nothing will change
 
far too early to make a call. plenty to play out with recruitment and the draw, which as we saw this year helped Cronulla and North Queensland immensely. Koroisau improves us and Papali'i gives us strike on the edge, but we're in need of at least one front rower a back rower and potentially a spine player. hypothetically, if we signed Klemmer, Leniu, Bateman and pulled off a miracle and Munster puts pen to paper then I'd say yes, but again far too early to tell.
 

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