The recruitment has been a bit of a shambles for almost the whole existence of the club tbh. We had a couple of good crops that wielded results, but even then we've only had three finals series (albeit we won a comp and could/should have won another).
Since 2011 the club has gone from panic move to panic move, resulting in lots of failed short term moves. Who can forget old mate Grant Mayer speculating that we'd make a GF in the mid 2010s?
I am a bit more confident in the club's direction over the last year or two. We've made some shrewd buys for the first time in a while, and some very promising youngsters on top of that. There have still been mis-steps (e.g. BJ) but I can at least see what we're building towards now. Hopefully we continue along that route in picking up these young guys and developing them into frontline FGers.
Of course, we'll still need to recruit elite players on top of that. The COE should help - I can't imagine the current/past facilities have sold the club very well.
But it's the old conundrum: you can't sign elite players until you have an elite team. And you can't have an elite team until you have elite players.
There is so much denial in this forum. This comment is a great example.
How have the Bulldogs signed Addo Carr, Tevita, and Burton then?
They do not have an elite team. What about the Titans signing Tino and Fifita? Did they have an elite team?
There are more factors at play here. Our location, our lack of success (3 finals in 21 years), our inability to locate and keep talent, our disregard of campbelltown, a lack of identity etc etc etc
If I was an NRL player right now, with my love of the Tigers, and had an option of the Tigers or any one else, I would not go to this club.
Tigers are the last Sydney club you'd choose. No home ground, no identity, it's not prime area to live, there's really nothing much there to attract people off the field let alone our decade of failure and drama. This is why we need to win games and make finals because we are behind other clubs in those other areas.
The inner west is a highly desirable area in which to live. Balmain, Glebe, Leichhardt, Ashfield and Strathfield just to name a few good suburbs.
But you don't have to live where you play, not since the 70's so it doesn't matter?
There are those who live in Balmain and those who wish they could.
Used to be true. I loved Balmain growing up, envied the Wayne Pearce story more than anything. But I walk around now and don't really like the place. I was there last week and I thought how I was sort of glad we merged with wests because at least we're geographically connected to a community I'm proud the club represents. That's not Balmain anymore. Beautiful by the water and all, but the bankers and lawyers and marketing people are turning the suburb into double bay with their spiffy renovations and audis. Place has lost its character.
I grew up in Balmain and loved every second of it, when asked at the time, where you lived, you said Balmain, the reply would be "Oh! from the slums eh!"
Have been back quite a few times over the years and watched it deteriorate at an alarming rate. that is to say after the "Trendies" moved in, now the "Wankers" and "Would be's if they could be's."
I return even less now - most of the people who live there now are pretty much selfish, for themselves types, very few Tigers supporters in the area.
If you were in trouble in the old days, people would come from everywhere to help - now they would leave you on the footpath bleeding and go home to sit on their verandah and drink their Chardonnay.
How the mighty suburb has fallen.
Take it easy Russell, I was born in Balmain hospital and still live there now. It's still a great place to live but you are on the money about the trendies and the wankers. I suppose a bonus is I don't have to fight my way out of the Bald Rock or the Unity Hotel any more. That said, when the Tigers were going well in the Sheens years, the buzz around when they were playing at Leichhardt was unbelievable. The streets were full of Black and Gold and everyone was keen to go to the games. Even the trendies and wankers love the Tigers!
