Best Wests Tigers Team ever

S

SwervinMervin

Well-known member
The current season has lost all interest for me so starting a thread on my best ever Wests Tigers team since entering the NRL in 2000. The only condition I applied is that they played with Wests Tigers and played really good footy at that club (so no Adam Blair, Josh Ado-Carr or Andrew Fifita for example)

FB: Brett Hodgson
W: Pat Richards & Lote Tuqiri (honourable mention Taniela Tuiaki)
C: Chris Lawrence, Terry Hill (bit skinny in the centres. I was left with Tezza!)
5/8: Benji Marshall (I watched his highlight reel on YouTube again the other day. No player has a better one)
HB: Scott Prince
L: Chris Heighington
SR: Gareth Ellis, Todd Payten (I know Todd played mostly front row but suprisingly slim picking in this position, unless I shift Chris L to 2nd row - then I have the same problem in the centres)
Hooker: Robbie Farah
FR: Aaron Woods, Keith Galloway
Bench: Liam Fulton, Dean Halatau, Martin Taupau, John Skandalis

It's a very good team without being a really great one to be honest, which probably explains the number of finals appearances in 23 completed seasons.
Go your hardest on picking a better one.
 
SwervinMervin said:
The current season has lost all interest for me so starting a thread on my best ever Wests Tigers team since entering the NRL in 2000. The only condition I applied is that they played with Wests Tigers and played really good footy at that club (so no Adam Blair, Josh Ado-Carr or Andrew Fifita for example)

FB: Brett Hodgson
W: Pat Richards & Lote Tuqiri (honourable mention Taniela Tuiaki)
C: Chris Lawrence, Terry Hill (bit skinny in the centres. I was left with Tezza!)
5/8: Benji Marshall (I watched his highlight reel on YouTube again the other day. No player has a better one)
HB: Scott Prince
L: Chris Heighington
SR: Gareth Ellis, Todd Payten (I know Todd played mostly front row but suprisingly slim picking in this position, unless I shift Chris L to 2nd row - then I have the same problem in the centres)
Hooker: Robbie Farah
FR: Aaron Woods, Keith Galloway
Bench: Liam Fulton, Dean Halatau, Martin Taupau, John Skandalis

It's a very good team without being a really great one to be honest, which probably explains the number of finals appearances in 23 completed seasons.
Go your hardest on picking a better one.
Click to expand...
I'd swap Heighington and Fulton, but that's it
 
I think not just WESTS TIGERS supporters but anyone who loves watching rugby league we all missed out on watching DWYER'S career, after that massive tackle on JWH in the semi final putting JWH on his ass then struggling after the play the ball, we all were ROBBED of a true champion home grown junior after that bad injury (((
 
SwervinMervin said:
The current season has lost all interest for me so starting a thread on my best ever Wests Tigers team since entering the NRL in 2000. The only condition I applied is that they played with Wests Tigers and played really good footy at that club (so no Adam Blair, Josh Ado-Carr or Andrew Fifita for example)

FB: Brett Hodgson
W: Pat Richards & Lote Tuqiri (honourable mention Taniela Tuiaki)
C: Chris Lawrence, Terry Hill (bit skinny in the centres. I was left with Tezza!)
5/8: Benji Marshall (I watched his highlight reel on YouTube again the other day. No player has a better one)
HB: Scott Prince
L: Chris Heighington
SR: Gareth Ellis, Todd Payten (I know Todd played mostly front row but suprisingly slim picking in this position, unless I shift Chris L to 2nd row - then I have the same problem in the centres)
Hooker: Robbie Farah
FR: Aaron Woods, Keith Galloway
Bench: Liam Fulton, Dean Halatau, Martin Taupau, John Skandalis

It's a very good team without being a really great one to be honest, which probably explains the number of finals appearances in 23 completed seasons.
Go your hardest on picking a better one.
Click to expand...
Heighno was not a true lock! He was often named there - but played on an edge with Fulton - Halatau etc playing in the middle.

Ben Galea was a champion and major reason we won in 2005 - he would be my choice!

As was Laffranchi - who should be starting in the 2R with Ellis! Dwyer next up...

As for Tezza - he played his best footy for us when Sheens put him to lock in 2003!! How about Whatuira or Ayshford??

And Tuiaki's tragically short career was still so much better than either Richards or Tuqiri in Tigers colours!!

Taupau wouldn't make my all time top 50!!

I wonder how many games you fully watched since 2000 and how much is based on stats from Google?

I am a sad case who has seen every minute of every game the Wests Tigers have played - so no offence to you Merv and not a bad team list over all!
 
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Ive overlooked a few great players because their best years were elsewhere, not here.

Hodgson
Richards
Whatuira
Lawrence
Tuiaki
Marshall
Prince
Skandallis
Farrah
Woods
Ellis
O'Neill
Fulton

Brooks
Laffranchi
Heighington
Galloway

I can't believe how few truly great players we've had.
 
These are always tough to do...inevitably someone misses out that shouldn't.

1. Hodgson
2. Tuiaki
3. Lawrence
4. Whatuera
5. Richards
6. Marshall
7. Prince
13. Galea
12. Fulton
11. Ellis
10. Woods
9. Farah
8. Galloway

14. Halatau
15. Lafranchi
16. O'Neill
17. Heighington

Leaving out guys like Tedesco, Simona, Senter, O'Donnell, Nofoaluma, Brooks, Moses, Skandalis, Elford, Dwyer, Tuquiri, Payten, McGuiness x 2, Field, Twal, Korobete.... not easy. Arguments can be made for all of them in their own way.

Revisionist history will downgrade the likes of Twal, Nofa etc. Elijah Taylor was an unsung warrior for the club. But years of lack of success will put them below the guys that won stuff. The McGuiness boys would make most teams if you take away the results in those years. In fact, little Kev McGuiness was probably the best centre the club ever had. Tedesco v Hodgson isn't easy either. Both have been outstanding for the club. Darren Senter battled through years of rubbish but was excellent for the club too.
 
The Chad said:
These are always tough to do...inevitably someone misses out that shouldn't.

1. Hodgson
2. Tuiaki
3. Lawrence
4. Whatuera
5. Richards
6. Marshall
7. Prince
13. Galea
12. Fulton
11. Ellis
10. Woods
9. Farah
8. Galloway

14. Halatau
15. Lafranchi
16. O'Neill
17. Heighington

Leaving out guys like Tedesco, Simona, Senter, O'Donnell, Nofoaluma, Brooks, Moses, Skandalis, Elford, Dwyer, Tuquiri, Payten, McGuiness x 2, Field, Twal, Korobete.... not easy. Arguments can be made for all of them in their own way.

Revisionist history will downgrade the likes of Twal, Nofa etc. Elijah Taylor was an unsung warrior for the club. But years of lack of success will put them below the guys that won stuff. The McGuiness boys would make most teams if you take away the results in those years. In fact, little Kev McGuiness was probably the best centre the club ever had. Tedesco v Hodgson isn't easy either. Both have been outstanding for the club. Darren Senter battled through years of rubbish but was excellent for the club too.
Click to expand...
Really like the look of your backline though !
Some good names there. Whatuwera was an unsung hero imo, was a real winner and skilful to boot. Teddy was great but how do you leave out Hodgson, very resilient for a small man.
Lots of good memories there. 👍🏻
 
How about the worst team you can come up with, it should be easy now with two spoons and most so-called experts are saying a third spoon next year
 
Trevros said:
How about the worst team you can come up with, it should be easy now with two spoons and most so-called experts are saying a third spoon next year
Click to expand...

The worst team is so much harder to pick as there are so many names you can come up with and every name you think of is worthy of selection in the terrible team.I am not just talking about players who played 1 or 2 games but men who where here playing FG for years.I don't want to burst into tears so i won't even try but it would be a truly sad list of talentless blokes but my preference would be to put men in that side men who did not even try,because at least many of the less talented players had a dig each week.
Bwaith would be captain and very few people would disagree with that
 
Snidest 0 said:
Heighno was not a true lock! He was often named there - but played on an edge with Fulton - Halatau etc playing in the middle.

Ben Galea was a champion and major reason we won in 2005 - he would be my choice!

As was Laffranchi - who should be starting in the 2R with Ellis! Dwyer next up...

As for Tezza - he played his best footy for us when Sheens put him to lock in 2003!! How about Whatuira or Ayshford??

And Tuiaki's tragically short career was still so much better than either Richards or Tuqiri in Tigers colours!!

Taupau wouldn't make my all time top 50!!

I wonder how many games you fully watched since 2000 and how much is based on stats from Google?

I am a sad case who has seen every minute of every game the Wests Tigers have played - so no offence to you Merv and not a bad team list over all!
Click to expand...
It was a toss up on not getting Galea or Laffranchi in the side, at least on a bench. Take your point on Taupau, but I do have a recollection of watching him and Gavet cause opposing teams a lot of trouble through the middle, with and without the ball. When they left the field we got lapped for those 20-30 minutes. Couldn't go past Tezza. Maybe he was a bit past his best byt the time he got to Tigers, but one of the few SOO / Kangaroo class players WTs have had. Tuiaki and Dwyer could have been anything, unfortunately we only got a glimpse of it. Richards makes it for that one fend on Jennings and those spiral place kicks he pioneered. Maybe Whatuira in the centres with Tezza, move Chris Lawrence to 2nd row with Gareth.
 
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