Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

derekderekson said:

Wests Tigers issue breach notices to five players who failed pre-season fitness standards​

The Wests Tigers have put their entire playing roster on notice regarding a shift in the wooden spoon winning club’s expectations with five players failing to meet pre-season fitness goals.
Brent Read and David Riccio

​

The Wests Tigers have ushered in a new era of accountability after it emerged that up to five players had been given official breaches for not meeting strict fitness guidelines on their return for pre-season training.

This masthead understands that the entire playing group were given - and agreed to fitness standards - at their exit interviews at the end of last season.

They were expected to meet those standards on their return for pre-season training or face the consequences. The club has been true to its word by issuing official warnings to a handful of players who didn’t meet the expectations required by club officials.

It is understood at least two of the players concerned will be required to front the club’s board to explain why they live up to their end of the bargain.

Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson has made it clear in recent weeks that the club will demand the highest standards from its playing group as they look to avoid a fourth consecutive wooden spoon.

The fact that as many as five players have been given official warnings is confirmation that the club is drawing a line in the sand when it comes to discipline.

While the future of forward John Bateman has been at the centre of much of the off-season debate around the Tigers, the entire playing group have been called on to lift the standards.

As recently as last weekend, Richardson laid a marker for the upcoming season when he told this masthead that players would have to meet expectations or face the consequences.

“Players have to live up to what the standards are of a team that’s going to be successful,” Richardson said.

“There’s no stone unturned about the discipline the club requires to be successful. I’ve got to say overall, I’ve had no major pushback on that.


“So the players have got to understand that Benji’s way is the way. It’s as simple as that. And if they want to play first grade at the club, they have to understand it is under what Benji’s rules are. It’s got nothing to do with between young players and older players.

“We have won three straight wooden spoons. We are just not going to accept anything that is not absolutely of the higher standards for culture and for training and everything else.”

Tigers powerbrokers are confident that the club is heading in the right direction and it is hoped that the imminent arrival of four-time premiership winner Jarome Luai can supercharge their resurgence.

Luai will begin training with the Tigers next month, his arrival delayed because he was in England with the Samoan Test side.

The Tigers are also in the mix for Sydney Roosters forward Terrell May and have spoken to Brisbane forward Kobe Hetherington, who is off contract at the end of next season and has been told he is required for this season by Broncos coach Michael Maguire.

The Tigers had hoped he would be in their ranks this season.
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This is up there with the best news of the off season for the club
 
Jolls said:
I think you are right there and it sort of aligns with my observations. I agree that we need to offload some of the juniors in the short term; but I can't see where our cream forwards are coming from at the moment.

Letting Stef go based on his performances for us and the $ he was chasing made sense. Not sure why ICE did not fit in with the plans going forward. Benji and Richo have to have a plan - buggered if I can figure that part of it out though.
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Reckon Papalii just wanted to go and the club didn't have much choice but to let him, he was wishy washy about coming here in the first place and we didn't cover ourselves in glory once he was here either. Neither party handled it well, best for both to cut losses and move on (wish Bateman would do the same)
 
Jolls said:
You can't take anything from a few training photos on either side of the argument. What is portrayed by the media depends on what the journo/photographer is trying to have you think. Being flogged and having a laugh can happen at the same time.

Having personally done many "Army Camps" at places like Kapooka, Canungra and Tully over 35 years I can tell you that the "floggings" have next to nothing to do with fitness - although you have to be fit as a pre-requisite of you can't complete them. The purpose of the activities is to induce physical stress, to simulate battle stress, in a collective environment in order to develop comaradarie and teamwork. I can tell you from first hand experience that in order to push through humour is key - in order to pick yourself and your mates up when you are at a physical and mental low. Black humour at times; but certainly enough to induce a laugh between periods of extreme physical exertion.

I think part of our problem this season is that we had a programme that focussed too much on the wrong type of fitness. We developed a team that was lean to try and execute a fast paced game. I'll bet there was plenty of running and sprints and puking to get down to a lean team so we could play before the line and blow teams off the park with the pace of the play. This bit us in the arse!

I would prefer us to have a more balanced approach this coming season - our pigs and juniors need to put on some muscle while having a focus on the fast twitch response with ball and feet. Endurance is also required but it is something you build over a season otherwise burn out will occur. We need to be healthy and ready at the start of the season building to peak endurance around September.

Flogging players for the sake of fitness in the pre-season is counter productive - flogging them to induce stress in a collective environment to develop teamwork is another thing!
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100% Jolls! Absolutely, the underlying benefit of stress is not only increased endurance, but also to produce an instinctive behaviour without thinking consciously. An automatic positive response to prevailing circumstances. The players need to have trust in this process for it to work, they need to have experienced it working.
This is the coaches job to put them there. Give them that mental toughness to prevail as a team. Can’t do that if the coach separates them into groups like young and old etc.
 
twentyforty said:
100% Jolls! Absolutely, the underlying benefit of stress is not only increased endurance, but also to produce an instinctive behaviour without thinking consciously. An automatic positive response to prevailing circumstances. The players need to have trust in this process for it to work, they need to have experienced it working.
This is the coaches job to put them there. Give them that mental toughness to prevail as a team. Can’t do that if the coach separates them into groups like young and old etc.
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Would have thought that the NRL teams would have learnt the lesson from Manly's experience about over-training players to the point of illness.
 
Year_of_the_Tiger said:
Anyone got access to the DT article. We have apparently issued 5 breach notices for fitness standards?
Click to expand...
So.half.the team will.be running around with bleached hair?
Maybe we can have colour coded punishmemts
Bleach: level 1 misdemeanour
Orange: level 2
Black: strike three

Seriously though... Another article with Richo in full support of Benji... Basically putting ALL the pressure on him... So if he doesn't get them performing there's only one person to look at.... Is how I'm seeing it
 
derekderekson said:

Wests Tigers issue breach notices to five players who failed pre-season fitness standards​

The Wests Tigers have put their entire playing roster on notice regarding a shift in the wooden spoon winning club’s expectations with five players failing to meet pre-season fitness goals.
Brent Read and David Riccio

​

The Wests Tigers have ushered in a new era of accountability after it emerged that up to five players had been given official breaches for not meeting strict fitness guidelines on their return for pre-season training.

This masthead understands that the entire playing group were given - and agreed to fitness standards - at their exit interviews at the end of last season.

They were expected to meet those standards on their return for pre-season training or face the consequences. The club has been true to its word by issuing official warnings to a handful of players who didn’t meet the expectations required by club officials.

It is understood at least two of the players concerned will be required to front the club’s board to explain why they live up to their end of the bargain.

Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson has made it clear in recent weeks that the club will demand the highest standards from its playing group as they look to avoid a fourth consecutive wooden spoon.

The fact that as many as five players have been given official warnings is confirmation that the club is drawing a line in the sand when it comes to discipline.

While the future of forward John Bateman has been at the centre of much of the off-season debate around the Tigers, the entire playing group have been called on to lift the standards.

As recently as last weekend, Richardson laid a marker for the upcoming season when he told this masthead that players would have to meet expectations or face the consequences.

“Players have to live up to what the standards are of a team that’s going to be successful,” Richardson said.

“There’s no stone unturned about the discipline the club requires to be successful. I’ve got to say overall, I’ve had no major pushback on that.


“So the players have got to understand that Benji’s way is the way. It’s as simple as that. And if they want to play first grade at the club, they have to understand it is under what Benji’s rules are. It’s got nothing to do with between young players and older players.

“We have won three straight wooden spoons. We are just not going to accept anything that is not absolutely of the higher standards for culture and for training and everything else.”

Tigers powerbrokers are confident that the club is heading in the right direction and it is hoped that the imminent arrival of four-time premiership winner Jarome Luai can supercharge their resurgence.

Luai will begin training with the Tigers next month, his arrival delayed because he was in England with the Samoan Test side.

The Tigers are also in the mix for Sydney Roosters forward Terrell May and have spoken to Brisbane forward Kobe Hetherington, who is off contract at the end of next season and has been told he is required for this season by Broncos coach Michael Maguire.

The Tigers had hoped he would be in their ranks this season.
Click to expand...

This Masthead can reveal the boys came back 3kg overweight 😁😁😁🏋🏽‍♂️
 
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innsaneink said:
So.half.the team will.be running around with bleached hair?
Maybe we can have colour coded punishmemts
Bleach: level 1 misdemeanour
Orange: level 2
Black: strike three

Seriously though... Another article with Richo in full support of Benji... Basically putting ALL the pressure on him... So if he doesn't get them performing there's only one person to look at.... Is how I'm seeing it
Click to expand...

Galvins hair looks mad 👏
 
JB9918 said:
It is amazing how people find it hard just to do their job.

You are early 20s getting paid $100K plus for most of them & all they have to do is keep fit.

As a young man you pride yourself on that but even more so as a professional athlete.

That would be attitude of Penrith or Melbourne. Just do your job!
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Payne Haas came out and said the Bronco's training standards had dropped in 2024, they went from grand finalists to missing out on the 8 completely. Fitness is everything it's why Penrith are so good. And to the bloke who said imagine being told by Richo you're not fit enough when he looks like a walrus, what absurd logic.
 
upthetigers said:
Payne Haas came out and said the Bronco's training standards had dropped in 2024, they went from grand finalists to missing out on the 8 completely. Fitness is everything it's why Penrith are so good. And to the bloke who said imagine being told by Richo you're not fit enough when he looks like a walrus, what absurd logic.
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Everything?

We should hire 30 marathon runners then.

'What absurd logic'.
 
innsaneink said:
So.half.the team will.be running around with bleached hair?
Maybe we can have colour coded punishmemts
Bleach: level 1 misdemeanour
Orange: level 2
Black: strike three

Seriously though... Another article with Richo in full support of Benji... Basically putting ALL the pressure on him... So if he doesn't get them performing there's only one person to look at.... Is how I'm seeing it
Click to expand...
I have thought this since day 1 of Richo’s appointment. He has always put it on Benji. I believe Richo knows or feels Benji is not up to the job (how can he be). I reckon Richo will look to replace Benji at some point.
 
Nonotmeagain said:
Would have thought that the NRL teams would have learnt the lesson from Manly's experience about over-training players to the point of illness.
Click to expand...
I would have thought Manly training and coaching staff would have been professionally qualified to monitor and control the situation.

deprivation of water and electrolytes in a closed environment with someone who hasn’t had food nourishment or access to fresh oxygen is stupidity.
and its not the right way to induce stress. It’s unprofessional.
players should also be responsible and plan ahead for a gruelling session.
 
upthetigers said:
Payne Haas came out and said the Bronco's training standards had dropped in 2024, they went from grand finalists to missing out on the 8 completely. Fitness is everything it's why Penrith are so good. And to the bloke who said imagine being told by Richo you're not fit enough when he looks like a walrus, what absurd logic.
Click to expand...
Richo is doing his job.

Players are not.

Simple logic
 
So with these new standards does that mean BENJI fill fall on his sword if we do not win the first 6 games next season?? or Richo finally admit the experiment did not work??
 
JB9918 said:
Richo is doing his job.

Players are not.

Simple logic
Click to expand...
Really what has Richo done , and I am not saying about months ago , I am more interested in the last couple of months , yes he picked up bird and hunt , but really they are not high work rate forwards , so many forwards have come and gone in the last couple of months , but we haven’t snared any , if we don’t get MAY or lodge I just wonder what the he’ll is he waiting for , pay out the kids who hold spots and won’t ever make 1st grade and start getting in some heavy duty forwards
 
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