Pre-season 2020

[TheDaBoss]

New ?


Interesting if he's part of the 17 or not. I guess if there's no reserve grade then he has to be there somewhere.

Guessing it'll most likely be one of Reynolds/Walters that misses the 17.

Gonna be a task for the coaches trying to keep everyone happy, healthy and match fit.

Agree. Wonder if the NRL goes with the proposed combined team trial idea

Hopefully they do

 

[WT2K]

New ?


Interesting if he's part of the 17 or not. I guess if there's no reserve grade then he has to be there somewhere.

Guessing it'll most likely be one of Reynolds/Walters that misses the 17.

Gonna be a task for the coaches trying to keep everyone happy, healthy and match fit.

Agree. Wonder if the NRL goes with the proposed combined team trial idea

Hopefully they do

Stream it on the NRL website. Id watch it ?

 

[gallagher]

New ?


Interesting if he's part of the 17 or not. I guess if there's no reserve grade then he has to be there somewhere.

Guessing it'll most likely be one of Reynolds/Walters that misses the 17.

Gonna be a task for the coaches trying to keep everyone happy, healthy and match fit.

Agree. Wonder if the NRL goes with the proposed combined team trial idea

Hopefully they do

I reckon the coaches will push hard enough for it to happen

 

[TheDaBoss]

New ?


Interesting if he's part of the 17 or not. I guess if there's no reserve grade then he has to be there somewhere.

Guessing it'll most likely be one of Reynolds/Walters that misses the 17.

Gonna be a task for the coaches trying to keep everyone happy, healthy and match fit.

Agree. Wonder if the NRL goes with the proposed combined team trial idea

Hopefully they do

I reckon the coaches will push hard enough for it to happen

Hopefully we see a article soon saying that its either going ahead, or that all coaches r in support

 

[Tigerwould]

:flushed:

oh my, someone has been doing well during quarantine

I know our pack isn't small but Newcastle did made us look small when we took the field. they have some big units and dominated up front first before carving up our RHS. Good to see Twal putting on some bulk.

 

[Guest]

:flushed:

oh my, someone has been doing well during quarantine

I know our pack isn't small but Newcastle did made us look small when we took the field. they have some big units and dominated up front first before carving up our RHS. Good to see Twal putting on some bulk.

That was interesting, I thought our pack was looking ok too as we didn't look undersized against the Dragons but the Knights definitely boast some tall timber. They'd have one of the bigger packs for sure.

 

[Madge]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=DTWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailytelegraph.com.au%2Fsport%2Fnrl%2Fteams%2Ftigers%2Fwhy-the-wests-tigers-have-backflipped-on-star-fiveeighth-josh-reynolds%2Fnews-story%2F9914cbb05ca4b0980224ef28178b763f&memtype=registered&mode=premium


https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=DTWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailytelegraph.com.au%2Fnewslocal%2Finner-west%2Fsport%2Fnrl-2020-wests-tigers-teen-jake-simpkin-a-rising-star-of-rugby-league%2Fnews-story%2Ffc66e17b036cd75acdfb36a7945ba9e8&memtype=registered&mode=premium


If someone could post these articles, that would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[Guest]

The race that officially welcomed Grant to Wests Tigers
Author - Dan Talintyre
Timestamp - Thu 7 May 2020, 05:52 PM

Josh Aloiai says it himself: "You're not really a part of Wests Tigers until there's a 10-metre dash and an Instagram shout-out."

New recruit Harry Grant can now officially call himself part of the club.

Run by the Samoan international himself, the unofficial test of joining Wests Tigers has been in operation since the start of the 2019 pre-season when Aloiai took on arguably the fastest player in the club in Jacob Liddle over ten metres... and won.

We know what you're thinking. We have pictures to prove it.

Since then, the 108-kilogram forward has gone self-claimed undefeated over the distance — taking out a number of high-profile teammates along the way in David Nofoaluma and Corey Thompson as well as former teammate Esan Marsters.

New recruit Billy Walters also came up short — leading to Aloiai's next target in rising star hooker Harry Grant after training on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Aloiai helped set the scene of today's event.

"I go after the fast backs because they underestimate us hard-working forwards," Aloiai said in a serious tone that didn't quite encapsulate the jovial question.

"No-one has got me yet."

"When Harry got to the club, I started to hear that he was asking around as to the fastest was over a short distance. I was nominated by my peers and I could just tell that Harry was lurking around at training looking for a race.

"I told him if he wanted it he could come and get it.

"The challenge was for a week of coffees in the morning, and an Instagram post. Once he heard that I think he became a bit reluctant and he heard my resume and became a bit intimidated, but the boys starting to get him fired up for it."

After a bit of back-and-forth, Thursday would eventually set the gauntlet thrown down by Grant in a brazen attempt to stake his claim at the club.

"To be fair, he smoked me in the conditioning today and thought I'd be a bit tired so he called me on it," Aloiai reflected.

"But I had a little bit extra in the bank... a little side account.

"Our Head of Physical Performance Andrew Gray was on the camera so there could be no disputing it. Assistant Coach Andrew Webster was also there, and there's no doubt that. Ask whoever you want — it was a win fair and square."

Quiet up until this point in the story, Grant chimed in with a different version of events that could cause some controversy but ultimately accepted his fate.

"There were definitely some suggestions of a false start," the rake admitted.

"And they didn't come from someone who wanted me to win — they came from Chris Lawrence who we all know is one of the most honest blokes you'll ever meet.

"But I guess it's good for Josh.

"He’s been my conditioning partner in the past couple weeks so I had to give the guy one win just to help him feel okay."

While certainly far from humble in his ten-metre victory, Aloiai did return the credit for Grant in his conditioning — commenting on the way the hooker has adjusted to the club since making the mid-season switch from Melbourne.

"I'll be honest — being his isolation partner for conditioning was depressing," Aloiai said. "The bloke is a freak. I felt like I was running by himself he's that fit.

"He's scary fit; we're worlds apart in conditioning. I've got him over ten metres but after that... well, I'm 110 kg's and that kind of takes way.

"But in all seriousness, he's a great guy and he's going to be awesome for us. We've got a pretty welcoming group who takes things pretty lightly and he's settled in really well. The way we welcome people is through banter and these dashes, and this was his official warm welcoming to Wests Tigers today."

So it's official — welcome Harry Grant!

 

[Spartan117]

I reckon Josh A is a star. Love his attitude

 

[TheDaBoss]

:flushed:

oh my, someone has been doing well during quarantine

I know our pack isn't small but Newcastle did made us look small when we took the field. they have some big units and dominated up front first before carving up our RHS. Good to see Twal putting on some bulk.

That was interesting, I thought our pack was looking ok too as we didn't look undersized against the Dragons but the Knights definitely boast some tall timber. They'd have one of the bigger packs for sure.

Yea that is true, they do have big guys like Saifiti and Klemmer who made monster metres

 

[TheDaBoss]

I reckon Josh A is a star. Love his attitude

His bench impact is amazing

his 2019 form was top notch

both him and Twal r consistent in every game

 

[TheDaBoss]

https://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2020/05/08/wests-tigers-hit-the-ground-running-to-end-training-week/

More Pics 😀

 

[Madge]

Packer back from brink of retirement after beating injury during shutdown

One of rugby league's best-paid props, Russell Packer, is running free of pain and will rejoin his Wests Tigers teammates for a ball-work session next week.
The coronavirus-enforced shutdown benefited every NRL player carrying niggling injuries but no one more than Packer, 30, who looked set to be medically retired over the summer because of a toe injury.



Packer had not been sighted since last year's Easter Monday massacre against Parramatta and was set to miss the opening rounds of this season after surgery.
Tigers officials were resigned to losing Packer, and the $1.4 million he stood to earn the next two years would have made it easier to chase another marquee forward.
Advertisement
Fellow Kiwi international Ben Matulino, another prop signed for monster money by the Tigers, had already reloaded the club's coffers after being medically retired a year early last October because of a knee injury.

Tigers coach Michael Maguire welcomed the return of all his players this week but singled out Packer, who was finally able to hit top gear and edge closer to a top-flight return.
"He's back running and it's the best he's run since I've been at the club,'' Maguire told the Herald.
"He hasn't been able to run for about 16 months. I really hope for his sake he can get back because he's already gone through a long journey to get to where he is now.

"He will be another great addition if we can get him playing his best footy.

"He's quietly going about what he's doing. I won't even try and guess when he'll return, but the best thing right now is he's running without pain. He'll start ball-work with us next week.''
Packer served a year in jail for assault but was thrown an NRL lifeline by St George Illawarra before being financially rewarded by the Tigers for turning his life around. He is also close to completing an MBA at the Australian Graduate School of Management.
The joint venture has recruited fellow New Zealand prop Zane Musgrove, Thomas Mikaele is fit again and Josh Aloiai, 24, and Alex Twal, 23, have both played more than 50 NRL games and will benefit from the experience of playing alongside Packer.

Melbourne dummy-half addition Harry Grant has also impressed at Concord, even though club pin-up Benji Marshall said this week the hooker was beaten in a short foot race by 107kg Aloiai.

 

[WeststigsRdaBest]

Packer back from brink of retirement after beating injury during shutdown

One of rugby league's best-paid props, Russell Packer, is running free of pain and will rejoin his Wests Tigers teammates for a ball-work session next week.
The coronavirus-enforced shutdown benefited every NRL player carrying niggling injuries but no one more than Packer, 30, who looked set to be medically retired over the summer because of a toe injury.



Packer had not been sighted since last year's Easter Monday massacre against Parramatta and was set to miss the opening rounds of this season after surgery.
Tigers officials were resigned to losing Packer, and the $1.4 million he stood to earn the next two years would have made it easier to chase another marquee forward.
Advertisement
Fellow Kiwi international Ben Matulino, another prop signed for monster money by the Tigers, had already reloaded the club's coffers after being medically retired a year early last October because of a knee injury.

Tigers coach Michael Maguire welcomed the return of all his players this week but singled out Packer, who was finally able to hit top gear and edge closer to a top-flight return.
"He's back running and it's the best he's run since I've been at the club,'' Maguire told the Herald.
"He hasn't been able to run for about 16 months. I really hope for his sake he can get back because he's already gone through a long journey to get to where he is now.

"He will be another great addition if we can get him playing his best footy.

"He's quietly going about what he's doing. I won't even try and guess when he'll return, but the best thing right now is he's running without pain. He'll start ball-work with us next week.''
Packer served a year in jail for assault but was thrown an NRL lifeline by St George Illawarra before being financially rewarded by the Tigers for turning his life around. He is also close to completing an MBA at the Australian Graduate School of Management.
The joint venture has recruited fellow New Zealand prop Zane Musgrove, Thomas Mikaele is fit again and Josh Aloiai, 24, and Alex Twal, 23, have both played more than 50 NRL games and will benefit from the experience of playing alongside Packer.

Melbourne dummy-half addition Harry Grant has also impressed at Concord, even though club pin-up Benji Marshall said this week the hooker was beaten in a short foot race by 107kg Aloiai.

A fit And in form packer would round out our pack very well

 

[JC99]

Madge reckons it’s the best he’s run since he’s been at the club, pretty good signs. If he gets fit and gets a shot at first grade who would he replace?

If we run a utility on the bench I don’t see a spot for him. If we don’t have a utility our bench could be Lawrence, Mikaele, Packer and Musgrove.

 

[WeststigsRdaBest]

Madge reckons it’s the best he’s run since he’s been at the club, pretty good signs. If he gets fit and gets a shot at first grade who would he replace?

If we run a utility on the bench I don’t see a spot for him. If we don’t have a utility our bench could be Lawrence, Mikaele, Packer and Musgrove.

Lawrence is being played as a third middle now...would be silly to carry 4...I could see madge playing garner and Lucy the full 80 with Walters on the bench for Lawrence

 

[Madge]

weve just signed some kid called Shaun Blore from Penrith.

 

[Red88_Tiger]

Madge reckons it’s the best he’s run since he’s been at the club, pretty good signs. If he gets fit and gets a shot at first grade who would he replace?

If we run a utility on the bench I don’t see a spot for him. If we don’t have a utility our bench could be Lawrence, Mikaele, Packer and Musgrove.

If he is fit and firing l believe he will start and all the rest shuffle down

 

[Frankie P]

Josh has been talking it up recently -
Nobody cares about how you box
Or how fast you run the 10m.
You want to be a premier forward? -
It's time to show & prove.

 

[gallagher]

Josh has been talking it up recently -
Nobody cares about how you box
Or how fast you run the 10m.
You want to be a premier forward? -
It's time to show & prove.

I'm leaning towards your point of view. I like Josh but the ability to do it every week still alludes him like most of our players.