Help me (and others) keep faith in Madge...

[BZN]

We pulled the trigger too early on Potter & JT. They had us on the right path.

I never warmed to JT but I do wonder how Potter would have done over 4 seasons. The issue is Potter had a 2-year deal and only got as close as 13th, and that's just not going to cut it after you are trying to replace Sheens.

In hindsight however Potter joined with Benji, Farah, Lawrence all entrenched, Woods playing Origin, Tedesco and Nofo's first full season, Brooks and Moses just about to debut. Nathan Brown also debuted in 2013, Galloway was injured a lot that year but still good. Fulton was still going, Koroibete was available.

Move to 2014 and Potter has brought in Taupau, Gavet and Matt Lodge, Moses has debuted. Pat Richards is back. Blake Austin is an astute pickup from Penrith and plays 11 games.

It's not roses obviously, Marshall has been moved on and Braith Anasta was brought in. But just look at that talent in 2014-2015 and the upside of what is essentially a pack of Woods, Fulton, Taupau, Brown, Galloway, Lodge, Farah. Tedesco, Lawrence, Brooks, Moses, Richards, Koroibete in the backs.

Then JT comes in, feels that he needs to shake the roster up - easy to criticise JT here but what is true is that Tigers' haven't got closer than 10th since 2012, after having been genuine title contenders in 2010-2011. There is a reasonable argument that some players need to be moved on, but Farah's managed departure creates a debacle, JT himself only gets 15th in his first season, then he gets it close for 2016 and we come 9th, but the club decides to cut him loose early 2017. Cleary has become available, he's a good coach, Tigers make the move, the big-name players decide it's time to go elsewhere, Roosters swoop on Tedesco, the rest is history.

Also in defence of those coaches particularly Potter, we did not have ourselves together off-field at that time, wrt board clashes, ownership issues, Balmain debt etc. People LOVE slagging off Pascoe, but the reality is since he joined in Sep 2015 the "organisation", i.e. the business, has stabilised and managed the finances well. The board is basically dead-quiet now, some major sponsors are well and truly in the fold, Wests have completed the Balmain take-over (which by default quells the disagreements), we no longer have the "basket-case" tag.

Unfortunately for us as supporters, the period of an emerging highly-talented roster has not coincided with the club getting its off-field together. If we had managed both at the same time, say ~2012-2013, we could potentially have had a top-level squad with a stable coach and newly stabilised organisation. And now we have a stable organisation with improved facilities on the way, but it's the roster that needs a tonne of work, mostly because it's been clumped together from designs of 2 previous coaches, with finances tied up to those 2 previous coaches.

Or if Madge had been the one signed on in 2013...

rant over, sorry

One of the Best articles I have read in a loooong time @jirskyr

 

[steve connelly]

Madge was supposed to fix D ? Look at 2020 our attack not bad scored enough tries to make top 8 but our D terrible

 

[Tigerbuck63]

Madge was supposed to fix D ? Look at 2020 our attack not bad scored enough tries to make top 8 but our D terrible

Well i think part of the problem was Marshall and he has made a statement to others D up or you no longer here.
We also tended to leak lots of points early in the games and came storming home late.
Game management non existent and some brutal forwards that could arrest back the momentum with a solid hit.
Certainly something to work on for next season.

 

[avocadoontoast]

Madge was supposed to fix D ? Look at 2020 our attack not bad scored enough tries to make top 8 but our D terrible


Well i think part of the problem was Marshall and he has made a statement to others D up or you no longer here.
We also tended to leak lots of points early in the games and came storming home late.
Game management non existent and some brutal forwards that could arrest back the momentum with a solid hit.
Certainly something to work on for next season.

To be fair I don't think Marshall was the reason we leaked on average more than 30 points per game for the second half of the season. Something went wrong somewhere. I really hope we are actively looking for a defensive coach.

 

[Tigerbuck63]

Madge was supposed to fix D ? Look at 2020 our attack not bad scored enough tries to make top 8 but our D terrible


Well i think part of the problem was Marshall and he has made a statement to others D up or you no longer here.
We also tended to leak lots of points early in the games and came storming home late.
Game management non existent and some brutal forwards that could arrest back the momentum with a solid hit.
Certainly something to work on for next season.

To be fair I don't think Marshall was the reason we leaked on average more than 30 points per game for the second half of the season. Something went wrong somewhere. I really hope we are actively looking for a defensive coach.

Part of the problem, Agree we need a good defensive coach but someone that will work with Madge.
Unsure who is available but need someone with experience.

 

[Elderslie_Tiger]

There is not another coach in the competition who has so much money tied up in the wrong players.Until it is rectified we are are going to be handicapped. And please don't bring up JT because his roster at the time would run rings around this one. The one thing I think Maguire can lament is BJ - a risk that hasn't paid off at this point.

What about the roster was better? We had Tedesco, that’s it. We also had Lovett, Rankin, Buchanan, Milone, Edwards etc.If I took your post back in time to 2016, people would be splitting their sides.


The value of Teddy to any team is immeasurable - we would be a much better team with him now. Brooks played twice as good with Teddy at the back. We had some go forward with Woods and Tapau ( whom Taylor let go for Balin) JAC Simona and Moses for speed and the nucleus of decent spine to play behind and draw other players to the club - even with the plodders.

Taupau was not here in 2016. Moses was a rookie who was on par with Brooks now. Simona wasn’t better than our current centres. current centres JAC played all of 5 games.

With the job Payten and Holbrook are doing, I wouldn’t have thought any of Maguire’s defenders would have the hide to complain about his cattle.

Simona was a great centre and at one point our winning record was dependant on when he played
JAC only player when he did because Rankin was selected ahead of him. But you can't ignore the Teddy factor and his value to the team or any team
I will defend Maguire while our cap is the mess it's in. As I have said numerous time I can't see one other team in the comp that has there highest money earners as their worst contributers. When that is corrected he will be judged like all other coaches - by results. I will add the Titans pack would eat ours up and spit them out - no surprise at all how Holbrook has got them going.
As for Payten - "jobs for the boys, whiteanter" -
we could have had him, no problem with me.

Hate to break it to you, but all bar Reynolds and Packer, this is Madge’s team. He’s signed them all.

You are not breaking anything to me. Reynolds and Packer are two of our highest earners and yet they contribute squat. It's a massive handicap and no good for balance. The players know what they are on while they cop the hidings for poor performances - these two can barely make the run on squad yet take home the big bucks.

Sorry, but it’s a cop out. Payten has had half his squad go back to NZ, and is using scraps from other clubs, and they are competing every week. But that doesn’t compare to poor Madge who has to deal with 2 players who are overpaid.

It makes it hard when all the team don't have their oars in the water