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

If they'd won 3 of the last 4 I could've given it a pass by the skin of their teeth but nah we get yet another fail. Getting 24 put on you in the last half of the last game of the season by the at the time spooners is a kick in the guts. I have no expectations of anything near top 8 next year unfortunately.
 
Absolute fail. Nearly every opportunity they had to prove something eg. 2nd Parra game, the Cowboys game at LO, the Titans game, they fluffed it.

The club is on the up but the season was a complete disappointment.
 
Squater said:
Not at all. Your forgetting theses guys were not even trying last few years. At least benji has them competing. Its not about games won, that was shit but they at least put effort now which us the first step to getting on track.

Not that long ago we were rewarding nofa fir turning up pissed to training. We are still trying to clear out our shit from top 30. Because we signed kids who looked half good cause we couldn't get players to come to us. Ie mason
That's why I said pass because of the basket case we were not that long ago
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Everything you have said here is indeed true. I however would suggest that it makes last off season a pass, not the actual season that followed.
 
Squater said:
Not at all. Your forgetting theses guys were not even trying last few years. At least benji has them competing. Its not about games won, that was shit but they at least put effort now which us the first step to getting on track.

Not that long ago we were rewarding nofa fir turning up pissed to training. We are still trying to clear out our shit from top 30. Because we signed kids who looked half good cause we couldn't get players to come to us. Ie mason
That's why I said pass because of the basket case we were not that long ago
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There’s some things to like about 25.
There’s just as many things to hate.
I’m not handing out a pass to this mob for doing their job and trying to win games.
Certainly not a “massive pass”….
They failed this year. Benji failed again this year.
They lost 2/3rds of their games. It’s not good enough.
 
Realistically, unless you have been absolutely decimated by injuries like Souths this year, any year you don’t make finals should be considered a failure. The last 3 weeks really killed the enthusiasm regarding where this club is heading in the short term. Our soft underbelly was as strong as ever. And that’s the main thing that needs to be rectified if we ever want to turn things around.
 
Jolls said:
We didn't make the eight so from a results based perspective the season is a fail. However, Pass/Fail is subjective and depends on what your outlook was at the start of the year - predicting Top 8, 10 wins or in my case 12th means the season is still a failure. One win more and the latter two would be considered pass marks.

For me I think we need to look at the season in more depth to understand if it is an abject failure or if it is on the growth pathway.

Stats​

  • Finish: 13th
  • Record: 9–15 (3 byes), PF/PA: 477–612, Diff: −135 → 19.9 points scored & 25.5 conceded per game (24 matches).

Key Issues​

  • Mid-season volatility in the spine: Galvin released (30 May), Sullivan loaned out, Doueihi moved around then suffered a fractured cheekbone late; Luai missed time (suspension/shoulder).
  • Close-out pain: The Cowboys’and Titans combacks over the last fortnight sums up the game-management issues.

Roster balance & overall talent — PASS (long-term), FAIL (2025 impact)​

  • Blue-chip arrivals (Luai/Turuva/May brothers) add genuine ceiling, but so many changes over the last off season affected the middle/edge balance - which was still below FG standard (Seyfarth/Sukkar)

Spine stability (1/6/7/9) — FAIL​

  • Frequent reshuffles + Galvin’s release + Luai’s suspension + Doueihi/Latu rotation = poor cohesion.

Middle/ruck control & yardage platform — FAIL​

  • Lack of depth in the pack was evident throughout the season and is reflcted int he defensive performance (25.5 ppg conceded).

Edge defence & connection — FAIL​

  • Weak edge defence as a result of changing combinations and a lack of quality edge defenders. Seyfarth/Toa have been caught out on many occasions.

Attack/points creation — FAIL​

  • 19.9 ppg isn’t finals-level output with the current defensive profile (25.5ppg). This is linked to spine stability; however, our ability to create shape is limited. There are moments where we are excellent but for the main we lack attacking flair.

Kicking game (long, contestables, exits) — FAIL​

  • May be linked to spine instability; however, more likely this is a significant shortfall in our attacking capabilities. Our inability to win territory the territory game combined with average to poor end of set execution hampers our ability to apply and maintain pressure.
  • This is a significant shortfall that needs to be addressed over the off season.

Goal-kicking — PASS (just)​

  • Doueihi kicking below 75% and Api kicking at 80% has Wests Tigers down the bottom of the gola kiker rankings. Work required in this area.

Discipline & availability — PASS​

  • Penalties and sin bins significantly reduced in comparison to 2024. This is a double edged stat - improvements here usually reflect a less effective middle defence (lack of ruck control)
  • Availability of playing group best in the NRL.

Coaching — MIXED → PASS (culture/attitude), FAIL (systems & game management)​

  • Early signs of defensive improvement under Benji were noted, but season-long numbers and late-game control lagged behind top-8 standards.

Recruitment/retention process — PASS​

  • Contine to recruit well; however, we are still light on in forward quality.
  • Retentained talent that align with develoment aspirations. Had to make some hard calls: Api over TDS and early release of Galvin. Despite the drain there appears to be the required depth to cover the losses.

Fan engagement & home environment — PASS​

  • Strong attendances (avg 15k+, 26k peak) show buy-in and a platform to leverage with improved on field results.

What moves 13th → Top-8 in 2026 (priority order)​

  1. Lock the spine and live with it (Luai-Fainu/Doueihi-Koroisau-Bula). Identify it, develop it, protect it and live with the benefits of a stable spine. Develop the kicking game and strong kick-chase rules.
  2. Rebuild the middle rotation profile (one elite post-contact carrier, one high-motor link, one enforcer) to stabilise ruck speed and lower PA < 21 ppg. Failure to recruit a dominant middle and either develop AD or identify a quality lock will see us struggle again in 2026.
  3. Edge D system tune-up (compressed-then-release principles, clearer assignments for centres/wingers). The Cowboys/Titans collapse is the cautionary tale.
  4. Late-game scripts — we need to learn how to manage and close out games. Develop set packages to close out games.
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Great analysis as always Jolls.

IMO not being able to ice games against comparable teams was the difference between a pass/fail.

Not being able to knock off the Knights in round 1

The total self-combustion against the Titans and Cowboys

The Galvin choke against the Bunnies. A really insipid performance against Manly mid season.

How do we consistently bank wins against equivalent and lesser teams? Is it an attitude thing? IMO the best performances of the season were against the Dogs, Sharks and possibly the Raiders or Roosters. All top 8 sides.

Dogs seem to have figured out a way of putting away the bottom sides based off high energy, effort and fitness.
 
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Tucker said:
There’s some things to like about 25.
There’s just as many things to hate.
I’m not handing out a pass to this mob for doing their job and trying to win games.
Certainly not a “massive pass”….
They failed this year. Benji failed again this year.
They lost 2/3rds of their games. It’s not good enough.
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Agree but we came from the lowest base of any team in the league. I'm trying to say the shoots are there. All teams look back and see games they should of won. Bet the Roosters are still scratching thier heads. We have a long way to go. But I see signs of improvement. Yes the season ended like shit but thats because we don't have depth. I see signs they are working on that.

I see a light at the end of the tunnel. But then agian it might be a freight train coming towards me?
 
Squater said:
Agree but we came from the lowest base of any team in the league. I'm trying to say the shoots are there. All teams look back and see games they should of won. Bet the Roosters are still scratching thier heads. We have a long way to go. But I see signs of improvement. Yes the season ended like shit but thats because we don't have depth. I see signs they are working on that.

I see a light at the end of the tunnel. But then agian it might be a freight train coming towards me?
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Yeah I think it might be a freight train.
We are a bottom 4 side or thereabouts again next year if we don’t bring a top middle in to help May and a halfback to steer the ship.
 
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