Betterdays22
Well-known member
Think Brian may have put some teammates offside of late...
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
- Start date
GNR4LIFE
Well-known member
This Brian May?
BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...s/news-story/16f4cf99e47c5064a14bf86d03364d8e
The new Buzz Rothfield at DT @Joel Helmes 🙂
The new Buzz Rothfield at DT @Joel Helmes 🙂
BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
Code Sports no BS – Fan view: Why good times are finally here for Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers fans have been through it all. But with stability in the front office and improvement on the field, it is finally a very different time to be a supporter of the club, writes JOEL HELMES.
Give up? Raise the white flag? Walk away? Most reasonably-minded Wests Tigers fans have likely contemplated finding an escape hatch at some point in the past decade.
Consistently losing on the field, the desertion of generational talent to other clubs, having a coach walk out mid-contract to win four straight premierships elsewhere, archaic home grounds, and never-ending boardroom and ownership turmoil would test the most patient and loyal sports fan.
We Wests Tigers fans have been through it all. You name it, we’ve probably experienced it. We’ve been to Hades so many times it feels like we have a standing reservation!
Yet despite all the setbacks and challenges, we’re still here and Wests Tigers remain the undisputed sleeping giant of the NRL.
Wests Tigers are the NRL’s sleeping giant. Picture: NRL Photos
In 2025, despite another season that ended with the club not playing finals football (a record that now stretches a bewildering 14 seasons), few would argue that the giant has at least started to stir.
The season began with hope and promise (something every fan has before a ball is kicked), with some classy new imports coming to hopefully help out a new generation of promising young stars.
Unfortunately, one of those stars was already looking for one of those aforementioned escape hatches, Lachlan Galvin.
The messy Lachlan Galvin divorce derailed the Tigers’ finals fairytale. Picture: NRL Photos
What played out during our messy divorce from the highly-touted young playmaker halfway through the year derailed those hopes of an almost unheard of last place to finalist fairytale.
It was just the latest in our history of copping something on the chin and carrying on.
Despite this, we could see some genuine change in the confidence and camaraderie of the team in the second half of the year.
There were some really satisfying wins, including toppling eventual semi-finalists such as the Roosters and Sharks. Wests Tigers also went toe to toe with the high-flying Raiders on their home turf.
But proving that the squad, while being much more competitive, isn’t quite there yet, the boys went down to the lowly Cowboys and Titans in games that probably should have gone into our win column.
Still, breaking a run of three straight wooden spoons is at least something to (sort of) celebrate, isn’t it?
The Tigers celebrate after beating the Roosters in Round 18. Picture: NRL Photos
What does 2026 promise for our club?
Well, things are different. We have arguably the best CEO in the game at the helm in Shane Richardson (“Richo” as he’s widely known), and many of his moves over the past 18 months have helped give us the first thing any organisation needs to succeed, stability.
We have one of rugby league’s best CEO’s in Richo. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard
After a fan revolt (led, I’m proud to say, by us), Wests Tigers now have, for the time ever, an independent board (almost completely) free of the ghosts of our long past.
Our coach, Benji Marshall, has moved on to his green P plates and has shown he’s likely to prove himself a competent NRL coach moving forward. While our squad, echoing perhaps the stability being found in the Wests Tigers’ back office, looks settled with very few alterations likely to come over this off-season.
This is a very different place to be, as for years we’ve had consistently high player turnover, which has never produced any real or tangible success for the team.
We will be boosted by the consistent Kai Pearce-Paul in 2026, along with returning halves option Jock Madden, and some other promising youngsters. Most fans probably believe we might still be one dominant prop forward short, but fingers are crossed another Terrell May will fall into our laps over the warmer months.
Speaking of Terrell, it is impossible not to love what he produces for us week after week. To then add his brother Taylan, a high-quality player himself, helps to cancel out the disappointment of some of those player departures in recent years that have stung the fan base.
Another positive, and certainly something to look forward to for us, is that those substandard home grounds finally look set to enter the 21st century. Strong lobbying from Richo helped secure funding for much-needed upgrades from all three levels of Government.
That funding means that the Wests Tigers can continue to call Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown Stadium home for years to come. Again, this provides some always welcome certainty and stability for fans, and that can’t be discounted.
While the club tells us sponsorship incomes are up, and membership numbers (now accurate) are trending north.
So, while it has been a really hard slog to be a Wests Tigers fan in recent years, there are some signs that we are finally being set up for genuine and sustained success. Given what we’ve been through, I don’t think any rival NRL fans would deny we deserve at least a peek at heaven.
Wests Tigers fans have been through it all. But with stability in the front office and improvement on the field, it is finally a very different time to be a supporter of the club, writes JOEL HELMES.
Give up? Raise the white flag? Walk away? Most reasonably-minded Wests Tigers fans have likely contemplated finding an escape hatch at some point in the past decade.
Consistently losing on the field, the desertion of generational talent to other clubs, having a coach walk out mid-contract to win four straight premierships elsewhere, archaic home grounds, and never-ending boardroom and ownership turmoil would test the most patient and loyal sports fan.
We Wests Tigers fans have been through it all. You name it, we’ve probably experienced it. We’ve been to Hades so many times it feels like we have a standing reservation!
Yet despite all the setbacks and challenges, we’re still here and Wests Tigers remain the undisputed sleeping giant of the NRL.
Wests Tigers are the NRL’s sleeping giant. Picture: NRL Photos
In 2025, despite another season that ended with the club not playing finals football (a record that now stretches a bewildering 14 seasons), few would argue that the giant has at least started to stir.
The season began with hope and promise (something every fan has before a ball is kicked), with some classy new imports coming to hopefully help out a new generation of promising young stars.
Unfortunately, one of those stars was already looking for one of those aforementioned escape hatches, Lachlan Galvin.
The messy Lachlan Galvin divorce derailed the Tigers’ finals fairytale. Picture: NRL Photos
What played out during our messy divorce from the highly-touted young playmaker halfway through the year derailed those hopes of an almost unheard of last place to finalist fairytale.
It was just the latest in our history of copping something on the chin and carrying on.
Despite this, we could see some genuine change in the confidence and camaraderie of the team in the second half of the year.
There were some really satisfying wins, including toppling eventual semi-finalists such as the Roosters and Sharks. Wests Tigers also went toe to toe with the high-flying Raiders on their home turf.
But proving that the squad, while being much more competitive, isn’t quite there yet, the boys went down to the lowly Cowboys and Titans in games that probably should have gone into our win column.
Still, breaking a run of three straight wooden spoons is at least something to (sort of) celebrate, isn’t it?
The Tigers celebrate after beating the Roosters in Round 18. Picture: NRL Photos
What does 2026 promise for our club?
Well, things are different. We have arguably the best CEO in the game at the helm in Shane Richardson (“Richo” as he’s widely known), and many of his moves over the past 18 months have helped give us the first thing any organisation needs to succeed, stability.
We have one of rugby league’s best CEO’s in Richo. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard
After a fan revolt (led, I’m proud to say, by us), Wests Tigers now have, for the time ever, an independent board (almost completely) free of the ghosts of our long past.
Our coach, Benji Marshall, has moved on to his green P plates and has shown he’s likely to prove himself a competent NRL coach moving forward. While our squad, echoing perhaps the stability being found in the Wests Tigers’ back office, looks settled with very few alterations likely to come over this off-season.
This is a very different place to be, as for years we’ve had consistently high player turnover, which has never produced any real or tangible success for the team.
We will be boosted by the consistent Kai Pearce-Paul in 2026, along with returning halves option Jock Madden, and some other promising youngsters. Most fans probably believe we might still be one dominant prop forward short, but fingers are crossed another Terrell May will fall into our laps over the warmer months.
Speaking of Terrell, it is impossible not to love what he produces for us week after week. To then add his brother Taylan, a high-quality player himself, helps to cancel out the disappointment of some of those player departures in recent years that have stung the fan base.
Another positive, and certainly something to look forward to for us, is that those substandard home grounds finally look set to enter the 21st century. Strong lobbying from Richo helped secure funding for much-needed upgrades from all three levels of Government.
That funding means that the Wests Tigers can continue to call Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown Stadium home for years to come. Again, this provides some always welcome certainty and stability for fans, and that can’t be discounted.
While the club tells us sponsorship incomes are up, and membership numbers (now accurate) are trending north.
So, while it has been a really hard slog to be a Wests Tigers fan in recent years, there are some signs that we are finally being set up for genuine and sustained success. Given what we’ve been through, I don’t think any rival NRL fans would deny we deserve at least a peek at heaven.
Betterdays22
Well-known member
The fourth May brother. Went in a very different direction to Terrell, Taylan and Tyrone. Think he would of been a slick fullback.
Marky, now has serious competition for a wing spot within the wallabies squad! Starting wingers are Jorgensen, and O’Toole currently. Then waiting in wings are Potter, Kellaway, Daugau, pietsch, then pushing but not named in the squad are Ryan and Anderson.
He is certainly not assured of selection - identified rugby weakness are tackling ability, defensive reads and workrate of the ball.
He'd sure be good under pressure, especially in attack where he'd always wanna break free ...... 😉
BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
Can anyone tell me why we wouldn't make a play for Siliva Havili for '26 & '27?
He wasn't extended by Souths due to Brandon Smith, Peter Mamouzelous, Bud Sullivan & Jamie Humphrey covering hooker.
Yes he's 33 next season but he has a tank and can play both dummy half & middle so is ideal as a permanent bench utility.
Look at these stats: https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/south-sydney-rabbitohs/siliva-havili/
Surely conditions of a 2 year deal with us & not having to move to the UK is more attractive! Maybe not?
He wasn't extended by Souths due to Brandon Smith, Peter Mamouzelous, Bud Sullivan & Jamie Humphrey covering hooker.
Yes he's 33 next season but he has a tank and can play both dummy half & middle so is ideal as a permanent bench utility.
Look at these stats: https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/south-sydney-rabbitohs/siliva-havili/
Surely conditions of a 2 year deal with us & not having to move to the UK is more attractive! Maybe not?
T
Isnt that what Charlie Murray offers though? Is he really any better?
crazycat
Well-known member
Maybe
But you watch his mind tick "hey I could have gotten an extra 100k".
Yes, he may stay.. but we will have rocked that boat and disturbed that team.... Which if Unkle nick is slipping payments under the table, deserves to be disrupted.
TheEnz
Well-known member
I'm fairly certain there will be conga line of clubs willing to pay more than $500k for Mark. Let Richo focus on getting us a decent middle and perhaps a backup outside back on the cheap. Making a less than committed play for another premier winger will just rock the boat with the guys that are there already.
crazycat
Well-known member
I think Silvia H is slightly better. ...
But how much do you back your own vs upgrades?
weststigers
Well-known member
Havili is actually quite tough to put down and as you say he offers options, experience and a low price tag in a position we need.
In saying that, we really struggled on the edges this year with depth. Despite getting KPP, I think we need another backrower because next man up or bench spot goes to Seyfarth and honestly, I've had enough of making excuses for him. He is a state cup player only.
BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
Much bigger and stronger & more experienced.
BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
Let's just say our pack next season is something like this ...
13 Twal 12 KPP 11 Samuela 10 NEW PROP 9 Api 8 Terrell
then our bench covers all bases with this ...
14 Doueihi (lock + backline cover) 15 Pole 16 Sione (also covers backrow) 17 Havilii (hooker + another middle, allows Api to play 60 mins)
Hunt & Seyfarth become depth.
upthetigers
Well-known member
Why is that mate?
Tiger_Fanatic3
Well-known member
Panthers take action after Brian To’o’s lewd social media posts about teammates’ partners
Panthers take action after Origin star’s lewd social media posts about teammates’ partners
www.foxsports.com.au
weststigers
Well-known member
Made some comments on social media as a joke and in this hyper sensitive world, some people got offended...it's not even sure that the teammates were offended.
I might add, it wasn't very funny from a comedic point of view, but typical male banter. Mainly women offended and male feminists.
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