Interesting read
The Wests Tigers finished the 2018 season in ninth place, just short of featuring in finals football. They came into the 2019 season with premiership winning coach Michael Maguire and the hope of playing past September.
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Last year they finished with 12 wins outside the top 8, with the next club (Warriors) on 15 wins. At round 18 of the 2019 season, they sit 11th place with 7 wins.
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It is clear the Tigers have improved drastically since last season however, the results haven’t particularly shown to the extent they would hav3 liked. At this stage I have them missing the finals, although there is some real positive signs for the Concord based club.
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Last season, they ranked last in decoy runs. Their attack was boring & predictable under Ivan Cleary. This was one of the first things Madge worked to improve.
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The Tigers now rank first in the NRL for decoy runs & are clear by more than 100. Decoy runs play a vital part in rugby league. Essentially, it holds the middle defence tight & allows more room outside for the halves & backs to capitalise on without inside pressure.
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The results have translated in this instance. Last year they scored the least amount of tries however, this year they sit in ninth place in that department. That's a pretty handy improvement as far as offence is concerned.
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Defensively, they have also significantly improved. Last year they ranked first for missed tackles with an average of 38 per game. This season they sit dead last for missed tackles on only 21 missed per game.
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They have literally gone from seemingly the worst defensive team, to the best as far as statistics show us.
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When you combine those factors together the question must be asked, why haven't these results impacted their ladder position?
The Wests Tigers finished the 2018 season in ninth place, just short of featuring in finals football. They came into the 2019 season with premiership winning coach Michael Maguire and the hope of playing past September.
_
Last year they finished with 12 wins outside the top 8, with the next club (Warriors) on 15 wins. At round 18 of the 2019 season, they sit 11th place with 7 wins.
_
It is clear the Tigers have improved drastically since last season however, the results haven’t particularly shown to the extent they would hav3 liked. At this stage I have them missing the finals, although there is some real positive signs for the Concord based club.
_
Last season, they ranked last in decoy runs. Their attack was boring & predictable under Ivan Cleary. This was one of the first things Madge worked to improve.
_
The Tigers now rank first in the NRL for decoy runs & are clear by more than 100. Decoy runs play a vital part in rugby league. Essentially, it holds the middle defence tight & allows more room outside for the halves & backs to capitalise on without inside pressure.
_
The results have translated in this instance. Last year they scored the least amount of tries however, this year they sit in ninth place in that department. That's a pretty handy improvement as far as offence is concerned.
_
Defensively, they have also significantly improved. Last year they ranked first for missed tackles with an average of 38 per game. This season they sit dead last for missed tackles on only 21 missed per game.
_
They have literally gone from seemingly the worst defensive team, to the best as far as statistics show us.
___
When you combine those factors together the question must be asked, why haven't these results impacted their ladder position?
