New-look Wests Tigers are on the prowl
Josh Massoud
The Daily Telegraph
February 16, 201312:00AM
Mick Potter has joined the West Tigers as head coach for the 2013 season. Photographed at Concord Oval.
THE desire to avenge last year's failure is ringing loudly, but otherwise the volume has been turned right down at Concord this season.
Declared outright premiership favourites 12 months ago, Wests Tigers are no longer the talk of the town following the most radical overhaul since the joint venture was formed in 2000.
Gone is long-serving coach Tim Sheens and a number of support staff, including football manager Brian Hyder.
Then came the stunning defections of club favourites Chris Heighington and Beau Ryan to Cronulla, on top of Gareth Ellis's premature return to England.
Taking into account Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Fifita's departure the previous year, the changes represent the end of an era and the dawn on a new culture under rookie NRL coach Mick Potter.
Understandably, the adjustment has taken some time and still isn't complete ahead of tonight's trial against Parramatta at Campbelltown.
"It's been a lot quieter without those guys here," winger Lote Tuqiri observed. "We still miss them every now and again, but we've had to move on just as they have.
"There's not been as much nonsense around training, even though we've still got a few jokers left like Liam Fulton. There's not as much mucking around as we did before, but in time that will all come."
Under Potter - the coach who returned home eyeing a job in the coal mines after working without pay at insolvent Bradford for much of last season - Wests have embraced a more workmanlike persona.
Equipped with attacking weapons such as Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, Chris Lawrence and Tuqiri, Wests have routinely backed themselves to simply score more points than the opposition.
But this summer the emphasis has been on stopping the points, thus putting less pressure on the usual suspects to conjure victory.
"We've certainly worked a bit more on our defence this year," Tuqiri said.
Potter has vowed not to "re-invent the wheel" with ball in hand, but wants the team's playmakers to be less individually minded.
"They like to play their plays and with guys like Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall, who wouldn't?" he said.
"I don't want to squash that. It's not only entertaining but it also wins football matches. Sometimes they've over-cooked things and we just need to temper what we do.
"We need to keep all things in mind - the scoreboard, the clock, who's just come on the field and what's right for the team."
While Farah, Marshall and star recruit Braith Anasta will undoubtedly be the focus, their talents can't be exploited should the Tigers re-encounter shortages up front. As was the case last year, their engine room appears an experienced big man short of the ideal mix.
Starting front-row combination Aaron Woods and Keith Galloway could well spearhead NSW, but a serious injury to either will expose one of the competition's smaller packs.
Josh Massoud
The Daily Telegraph
February 16, 201312:00AM
Mick Potter has joined the West Tigers as head coach for the 2013 season. Photographed at Concord Oval.
THE desire to avenge last year's failure is ringing loudly, but otherwise the volume has been turned right down at Concord this season.
Declared outright premiership favourites 12 months ago, Wests Tigers are no longer the talk of the town following the most radical overhaul since the joint venture was formed in 2000.
Gone is long-serving coach Tim Sheens and a number of support staff, including football manager Brian Hyder.
Then came the stunning defections of club favourites Chris Heighington and Beau Ryan to Cronulla, on top of Gareth Ellis's premature return to England.
Taking into account Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Fifita's departure the previous year, the changes represent the end of an era and the dawn on a new culture under rookie NRL coach Mick Potter.
Understandably, the adjustment has taken some time and still isn't complete ahead of tonight's trial against Parramatta at Campbelltown.
"It's been a lot quieter without those guys here," winger Lote Tuqiri observed. "We still miss them every now and again, but we've had to move on just as they have.
"There's not been as much nonsense around training, even though we've still got a few jokers left like Liam Fulton. There's not as much mucking around as we did before, but in time that will all come."
Under Potter - the coach who returned home eyeing a job in the coal mines after working without pay at insolvent Bradford for much of last season - Wests have embraced a more workmanlike persona.
Equipped with attacking weapons such as Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, Chris Lawrence and Tuqiri, Wests have routinely backed themselves to simply score more points than the opposition.
But this summer the emphasis has been on stopping the points, thus putting less pressure on the usual suspects to conjure victory.
"We've certainly worked a bit more on our defence this year," Tuqiri said.
Potter has vowed not to "re-invent the wheel" with ball in hand, but wants the team's playmakers to be less individually minded.
"They like to play their plays and with guys like Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall, who wouldn't?" he said.
"I don't want to squash that. It's not only entertaining but it also wins football matches. Sometimes they've over-cooked things and we just need to temper what we do.
"We need to keep all things in mind - the scoreboard, the clock, who's just come on the field and what's right for the team."
While Farah, Marshall and star recruit Braith Anasta will undoubtedly be the focus, their talents can't be exploited should the Tigers re-encounter shortages up front. As was the case last year, their engine room appears an experienced big man short of the ideal mix.
Starting front-row combination Aaron Woods and Keith Galloway could well spearhead NSW, but a serious injury to either will expose one of the competition's smaller packs.
