2025 finishing 13th on the ladder. Pass or Fail fro season 2025?

[happy_tiger]

If we win the Cowboys game and Titans game it's a break even season .....even though we still miss the finals
Losing those two games mentioned after having comfortable leads in my eyes makes the season a failure
Benji has half a season to get the side on the 8 ......if not his head should be on the block

 

[tigerman80]

For the first time in ages we were a mathematical chance of making the 8 and had so much to play for against the cowboys. To lose that game after being up by 12 was so disheartening. To then get towelled by the titans was unacceptable. Them two loses = FAIL.

We have the best group of players in a long long time. There will be no galvingate in 2026. I’m not sold on benji as a coach. Do players improve under him? If we don’t start the year strong he needs to go.

 

[shiretiger]

How you see 2025 all depends on how high you set the bar.

For some, given 3 consecutive wooden spoons, coming 16th is winning.

My grade isn't either a pass or a fail.

All I know is that I had stopped wearing the plethora of Tigers gear that I own prior to the start of the season. That stopped.

I know that for the last two seasons I had threatened not to renew my membership, so much so that I removed myself from the auto renew option. I am happy to go on auto renew for 2026.

In 2023 and 2024 I know that there was a period for weeks at a time when I couldn't possibly tip the Tigers in the footy tipping comp at work. That has changed.

 

[TheEnz]

is it fit

I think most on this forum would say our defence at times is terrible, it’s almost like we are gassed , so if u look at teams like panthers and raiders they keep going for 80 minutes.
To loss that last game , was very disappointing, our attack failed to do anything in the 2nd half , then the defence fall away .
We really need another front rower and a class lock , if we don’t address these two spots much won’t improve, but happy to miss the spoon

Is it fitness and attitude or an ordinary bench, it's no coincidence we lost the last 2 games after a key injury and in the back end of the second half...after we looked like certainties when our starting 13 were on the field.

 

[TheEnz]

Those numbers are misleading though. Not to say it wasn't a better year for Tigers injuries, but how do you count "missed games"? It assumes the player would have played if not injured, which is not always true. It also doesn't count matches where players played injured, perhaps where the club didn't have a better alternative.

It also over-represents long-term injury, so if you do your ACL in the pre-season you count as 24 missed matches, no consideration taken of your all-season form. A season-ending ACL is obviously worse for your starting halfback than for one of your backup backrowers.

I would argue that we had most of our injuries in key positions FB (bula) Centre (Toa) 2RF(Samuela) where we have zero depth Pole was out for a few games and Hunt came in and shit the bed. Our depth is the issue, we cannot cover injuries...storm have Wishart, Pezet, Faalago and about a hundred props and 2RF's and so do the Broncos, we have a cupboard that would put old mother hubbard to shame.

 

[crazycat]

Obviously you need the playing group behind the coach, but I think this club is an example of players being too close to the coach. I think Benji sees himself as their mate, just as much as he is their coach. And when he runs around with them in training drills, it just feels like he’s one of the boys. If he ever got injured, did his knee or something, it would make the club look so amateurish.

Craig Fitzgibbon wressles with his side and will tackle anyone at Cronulla... Any time!

Yes Benji seems too soft/too relaxed. Him being able to talk the talk and walk the walk though isn't the problem.

 

[crazycat]

I would argue that we had most of our injuries in key positions FB (bula) Centre (Toa) 2RF(Samuela) where we have zero depth Pole was out for a few games and Hunt came in and shit the bed. Our depth is the issue, we cannot cover injuries...storm have Wishart, Pezet, Faalago and about a hundred props and 2RF's and so do the Broncos, we have a cupboard that would put old mother hubbard to shame.

Look:

Depth only matters once we get first graders starting.
2025 we fired 4 forwards and Benji runs a bench of 2 centers sometimes. Ofcourse loosing a forward like Pole then matters.

Previously depth has meant players like Naden, like Kevie Naquama... A bunch of Fringe grade centers. Just wrong wrong wrong.

Yes we need depth in the Props/second row. They are meant to pound and get pounded.

Yes we need 3 halves, we can't just end the season when one gets injured. Next year we have 4! (AD, Jock, Luai and Fainu).

Centers I normally say we don't need depth. However we will. Toa is recovering from Injury, Taylan is a loose cannon who I am glad to ahve. But we need to count on him doing stupid NRL stuff and dissapearing. Otherwise I would be glad to have 1x outside back as depth and the rest min nrl value contracts...
Why?

So we can spend the money on 1-13, the players that take the field! Let reserve grade and pipelines take care of injures.