Reflecting on my time on the forum

[Russell]

I joined the forum at the start of 2011. From 2012 onwards we’ve missed the finals every year. Being on this forum without us playing finals is all I know. It’s all the majority of us know since a lot of regulars have joined after me and have been on here for years and years. I really don’t know what it’s like to discuss a successful team. My time has been made up of crisis after crisis. From Farah vs JT to Cleary to losing Tedesco. . It’s sad. I feel sorry for all of us cos we devote so much time and emotion to this place, and they suck it out of you till you become irreverent to everything. Which on the surface seems great cos you don’t have to feel the lows like tonight. But it sucks, cos you want to bleed with your team, it shouldn’t get you to a point where you don’t even care when we lose. But it does.

Excellent heartfelt post.
We absolutely deserve better and I often think we feel the losses greater than the players.
But life without passion is tepid and bland so my encouragement to you is to stay passionate even though it sux sometimes (most of the time actually).
I drove home last night shaking my head thinking we’re getting worse not better. It’s bloody hopeless. But I’ll be back on the horse again next weekend. There’s no other option.

70 years for me - Would not even consider supporting anyone else.

 

[Russell]

Two decades of watching the magpies and two decades of watching the tigers. It's not getting any better



40 years of the Magpies and 20 of WT - think i deserve a medal of bravery or maybe a kick for stupidity.

I think you deserve a bit of transparency from the club on where we are actually heading .
Our plan.
Is there a plan.
What the hell is happening .
Not some crap CEO update on welcoming some 18 year old to the club and an update on the COE.

You're lucky to get that.

We never used to even get that.

 

[Aesopian]

I joined the forum at the start of 2011. From 2012 onwards we’ve missed the finals every year. Being on this forum without us playing finals is all I know. It’s all the majority of us know since a lot of regulars have joined after me and have been on here for years and years. I really don’t know what it’s like to discuss a successful team. My time has been made up of crisis after crisis. From Farah vs JT to Cleary to losing Tedesco. . It’s sad. I feel sorry for all of us cos we devote so much time and emotion to this place, and they suck it out of you till you become irreverent to everything. Which on the surface seems great cos you don’t have to feel the lows like tonight. But it sucks, cos you want to bleed with your team, it shouldn’t get you to a point where you don’t even care when we lose. But it does.

Excellent heartfelt post.
We absolutely deserve better and I often think we feel the losses greater than the players.
But life without passion is tepid and bland so my encouragement to you is to stay passionate even though it sux sometimes (most of the time actually).
I drove home last night shaking my head thinking we’re getting worse not better. It’s bloody hopeless. But I’ll be back on the horse again next weekend. There’s no other option.

70 years for me - Would not even consider supporting anyone else.

That's a lot of "There's always next year" feels...

I've always wondered what it was like in the early days of the forum. Having to wait 3-5 days for a reply to posts must have been frustrating.

The interwebs have cut that time down nicely I would say

 

[Tiger_Steve]

I joined the forum at the start of 2011. From 2012 onwards we’ve missed the finals every year. Being on this forum without us playing finals is all I know. It’s all the majority of us know since a lot of regulars have joined after me and have been on here for years and years. I really don’t know what it’s like to discuss a successful team. My time has been made up of crisis after crisis. From Farah vs JT to Cleary to losing Tedesco. . It’s sad. I feel sorry for all of us cos we devote so much time and emotion to this place, and they suck it out of you till you become irreverent to everything. Which on the surface seems great cos you don’t have to feel the lows like tonight. But it sucks, cos you want to bleed with your team, it shouldn’t get you to a point where you don’t even care when we lose. But it does.

Excellent heartfelt post.
We absolutely deserve better and I often think we feel the losses greater than the players.
But life without passion is tepid and bland so my encouragement to you is to stay passionate even though it sux sometimes (most of the time actually).
I drove home last night shaking my head thinking we’re getting worse not better. It’s bloody hopeless. But I’ll be back on the horse again next weekend. There’s no other option.

70 years for me - Would not even consider supporting anyone else.

Club needs to value blokes like you Russell. Like 50 year members at SCG. Highly cherished

 

[Aesopian]

Joined the forum after some mishaps after surgery that kept me off work in late 2010/11

Was convinced we were a huge chance in 2011and after signing Blair we were favourites to win the premiership in 2012 (does everyone remember that exciting feeling )

Forward 9/10 years and I'm guessing most of us pinch ourselves every morning hoping this was all just a horrible ,horrible nightmare

Its Rd 1 2012 ....Tedesco finishes the game after a hat trick and 389 metres ...we've beaten Cronulla by 40 .....Fifita has had a change of heart and is staying a WT ......a surgeon has a magical cure for Taniela ...Dwyer misses the game v the Dogs with a cold ...Ellis is excited at the WT's future and has become an Australian citizen declaring his allegiance to Qld

**Bloody Footy Gods .....will you stop using the WT's supporters agates as a punching bag**

**We deserve a break ...seriously**


Longest active playoff/finals droughts
MLB: Seattle Mariners: 18 years (last qualified in 2001)
NFL: Cleveland Browns: 16 years (last qualified in 2002)
NBA: Sacramento Kings: 13 years (last qualified in 2005-06)
NRL: Wests Tigers: 9 Years (last qualified in 2011)

Ways to go if we're gunning for that no.1 spot hahahahaha


What are your thoughts on making the finals for the top 10 teams ?

I'd go the other way. Prefer Top 6 over 8.

7th & 8th just make up the numbers most yrs. Bit of a reward for being average at best.

Now if we had 18-20 teams in the comp then the top 8 would be warranted IMO.

That's where I see our clubs biggest weakness. We're focusing so much energy on just 'making the 8' instead of planning to be the BEST...

Those clubs currently in the Top 4 would see 7th & 8th spot as a failure and would hold crisis meetings in an attempt to figure out what went wrong.
Our club views 7th & 8th as a success and would be patting each other on the back for a job well done.
IMO that's the difference between an Elite Mindset and everyone else.

 

[Magpie1969]

Agree top 6 only final series.

 

[Aesopian]

Agree top 6 only final series.

I've taken the thread a bit off topic this morning. Will refrain from anymore club failure jibber jabber. I'm sure we've covered this stuff a zillion times in other ones

 

[tiger_scott]

I'd still rather only make the finals on the rare occasion supporting our Tigers than make them every year supporting a soulless bunch of clowns like the Rorters!! Plus think of the euphoria when we do climb that mountain and STAY THERE!!

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I joined the forum at the start of 2011. From 2012 onwards we’ve missed the finals every year. Being on this forum without us playing finals is all I know. It’s all the majority of us know since a lot of regulars have joined after me and have been on here for years and years. I really don’t know what it’s like to discuss a successful team. My time has been made up of crisis after crisis. From Farah vs JT to Cleary to losing Tedesco. . It’s sad. I feel sorry for all of us cos we devote so much time and emotion to this place, and they suck it out of you till you become irreverent to everything. Which on the surface seems great cos you don’t have to feel the lows like tonight. But it sucks, cos you want to bleed with your team, it shouldn’t get you to a point where you don’t even care when we lose. But it does.

Excellent heartfelt post.
We absolutely deserve better and I often think we feel the losses greater than the players.
But life without passion is tepid and bland so my encouragement to you is to stay passionate even though it sux sometimes (most of the time actually).
I drove home last night shaking my head thinking we’re getting worse not better. It’s bloody hopeless. But I’ll be back on the horse again next weekend. There’s no other option.

70 years for me - Would not even consider supporting anyone else.

Yep, I'm half your age, and if I get that far I'll be in 35 years time still logging in and whinging about finals droughts and reading Milky Jnr's team lists.

 

[happy_tiger]

Joined the forum after some mishaps after surgery that kept me off work in late 2010/11

Was convinced we were a huge chance in 2011and after signing Blair we were favourites to win the premiership in 2012 (does everyone remember that exciting feeling )

Forward 9/10 years and I'm guessing most of us pinch ourselves every morning hoping this was all just a horrible ,horrible nightmare

Its Rd 1 2012 ....Tedesco finishes the game after a hat trick and 389 metres ...we've beaten Cronulla by 40 .....Fifita has had a change of heart and is staying a WT ......a surgeon has a magical cure for Taniela ...Dwyer misses the game v the Dogs with a cold ...Ellis is excited at the WT's future and has become an Australian citizen declaring his allegiance to Qld

**Bloody Footy Gods .....will you stop using the WT's supporters agates as a punching bag**

**We deserve a break ...seriously**


Longest active playoff/finals droughts
MLB: Seattle Mariners: 18 years (last qualified in 2001)
NFL: Cleveland Browns: 16 years (last qualified in 2002)
NBA: Sacramento Kings: 13 years (last qualified in 2005-06)
NRL: Wests Tigers: 9 Years (last qualified in 2011)

Ways to go if we're gunning for that no.1 spot hahahahaha

Leave Spalding out of this ...too busy picking boogers

 

[cochise]

I have been on the various forums since the very early 2000's, couldn't log in after one of the forum changes so eventually started a new account in 2012. I hurt after a loss, I hurt missing the 8 every year, I can be extremely critical at times but always turn it around to turn up the next weekend with hope for a win. I have supported this team or it's parent for the past 40 years and there is no other option for me, this is my team and has been since I was 4 years old.

If you had told me after the Warriors game in 2011 that would be the last time we played finals for 10 year then I would have still been here every year, every week, every day. Last weekend I took the decision to enjoy the win against the dogs because that is what it is as a Wests Tigers fan, we enjoy every win because that is what success looks like to us at the moment.

 

[fibrodreaming]

What are your thoughts on making the finals for the top 10 teams ?

Actually, I have been thinking that we should have a top 16.

First week of the finals, #1 plays #16, and so on.

That way, no one has to miss out on the semis.

 

[OzLuke]

Joined the forum after some mishaps after surgery that kept me off work in late 2010/11

Was convinced we were a huge chance in 2011and after signing Blair we were favourites to win the premiership in 2012 (does everyone remember that exciting feeling )

Forward 9/10 years and I'm guessing most of us pinch ourselves every morning hoping this was all just a horrible ,horrible nightmare

Its Rd 1 2012 ....Tedesco finishes the game after a hat trick and 389 metres ...we've beaten Cronulla by 40 .....Fifita has had a change of heart and is staying a WT ......a surgeon has a magical cure for Taniela ...Dwyer misses the game v the Dogs with a cold ...Ellis is excited at the WT's future and has become an Australian citizen declaring his allegiance to Qld

**Bloody Footy Gods .....will you stop using the WT's supporters agates as a punching bag**

**We deserve a break ...seriously**


Longest active playoff/finals droughts
MLB: Seattle Mariners: 18 years (last qualified in 2001)
NFL: Cleveland Browns: 16 years (last qualified in 2002)
NBA: Sacramento Kings: 13 years (last qualified in 2005-06)
NRL: Wests Tigers: 9 Years (last qualified in 2011)

Ways to go if we're gunning for that no.1 spot hahahahaha

Leave Spalding out of this ...too busy picking boogers

It's hard deciding between a cheeseburger or a hamburger

 

[happy_tiger]

Joined the forum after some mishaps after surgery that kept me off work in late 2010/11

Was convinced we were a huge chance in 2011and after signing Blair we were favourites to win the premiership in 2012 (does everyone remember that exciting feeling )

Forward 9/10 years and I'm guessing most of us pinch ourselves every morning hoping this was all just a horrible ,horrible nightmare

Its Rd 1 2012 ....Tedesco finishes the game after a hat trick and 389 metres ...we've beaten Cronulla by 40 .....Fifita has had a change of heart and is staying a WT ......a surgeon has a magical cure for Taniela ...Dwyer misses the game v the Dogs with a cold ...Ellis is excited at the WT's future and has become an Australian citizen declaring his allegiance to Qld

**Bloody Footy Gods .....will you stop using the WT's supporters agates as a punching bag**

**We deserve a break ...seriously**


Longest active playoff/finals droughts
MLB: Seattle Mariners: 18 years (last qualified in 2001)
NFL: Cleveland Browns: 16 years (last qualified in 2002)
NBA: Sacramento Kings: 13 years (last qualified in 2005-06)
NRL: Wests Tigers: 9 Years (last qualified in 2011)

Ways to go if we're gunning for that no.1 spot hahahahaha

Leave Spalding out of this ...too busy picking boogers

It's hard deciding between a cheeseburger or a hamburger

A few particular lines will be removed next time you watch Caddyshack #BLM

 

[OzLuke]

Joined the forum after some mishaps after surgery that kept me off work in late 2010/11

Was convinced we were a huge chance in 2011and after signing Blair we were favourites to win the premiership in 2012 (does everyone remember that exciting feeling )

Forward 9/10 years and I'm guessing most of us pinch ourselves every morning hoping this was all just a horrible ,horrible nightmare

Its Rd 1 2012 ....Tedesco finishes the game after a hat trick and 389 metres ...we've beaten Cronulla by 40 .....Fifita has had a change of heart and is staying a WT ......a surgeon has a magical cure for Taniela ...Dwyer misses the game v the Dogs with a cold ...Ellis is excited at the WT's future and has become an Australian citizen declaring his allegiance to Qld

**Bloody Footy Gods .....will you stop using the WT's supporters agates as a punching bag**

**We deserve a break ...seriously**


Longest active playoff/finals droughts
MLB: Seattle Mariners: 18 years (last qualified in 2001)
NFL: Cleveland Browns: 16 years (last qualified in 2002)
NBA: Sacramento Kings: 13 years (last qualified in 2005-06)
NRL: Wests Tigers: 9 Years (last qualified in 2011)

Ways to go if we're gunning for that no.1 spot hahahahaha

Leave Spalding out of this ...too busy picking boogers

It's hard deciding between a cheeseburger or a hamburger

A few particular lines will be removed next time you watch Caddyshack #BLM

surprised if they don't ban the whole movie....

it would be a shame because it's a classic.....

 

[tigerbalm]

I sometimes think it would've been easier to dip out with the maggies in 99, just support the comp and watch games between good teams.Just for the contest. Instead, here we are, not sure how many years on the forum but still discussing the same stuff. One positive change is there is much less infighting over colors and ownership then there used to be. I think that's more to do with the passing of time rather than then the club doing anything.

2005 was a fun year. 2011 had it moments but ultimately the club has been a failure. It's like failure is in its DNA and i dont know if that's from poor management early in the merge that we are still feeling the effects of or if merging two struggling clubs created one bigger struggling club. In a previous role, i was part of an organization that was looking at accelerating its growth through acquisition. It was generally businesses that were failing and ready to sell. Integrating these people became a nightmare and ultimately stopped the practice for us. Trying to instill a "winning" mentality into a organization is hard. It requires a complete rewire of structures, procedures...basically everything that got the failing business to the point they needed to sell. Wests remind me of that, except instead of trying to integrate into a successful business, they joined two failing business together and expected a different result.

 

[OzLuke]

I sometimes think it would've been easier to dip out with the maggies in 99, just support the comp and watch games between good teams.Just for the contest. Instead, here we are, not sure how many years on the forum but still discussing the same stuff. One positive change is there is much less infighting over colors and ownership then there used to be. I think that's more to do with the passing of time rather than then the club doing anything.

2005 was a fun year. 2011 had it moments but ultimately the club has been a failure. It's like failure is in its DNA and i dont know if that's from poor management early in the merge that we are still feeling the effects of or if merging two struggling clubs created one bigger struggling club. In a previous role, i was part of an organization that was looking at accelerating its growth through acquisition. It was generally businesses that were failing and ready to sell. Integrating these people became a nightmare and ultimately stopped the practice for us. Trying to instill a "winning" mentality into a organization is hard. It requires a complete rewire of structures, procedures...basically everything that got the failing business to the point they needed to sell. Wests remind me of that, except instead of trying to integrate into a successful business, they joined two failing business together and expected a different result.

If I didn't support the tigers, I wouldn't be following the nrl....I find myself hating more about it than liking. It's just that I love the tigers so much, and as heartbreaking as it is they are my team.
I couldn't sit there and watch penrith and parra and hope for a good game. It's because of my tigers and what they've done I hate them so much.
I couldn't sit there and watch the roosters and their amazing squad run around...because their scheming scamming ways have affected the whole comp, as does the storm.
Could any of us, after supporting tigers/magpies for as long as we have, really cheer for a great game between souths and sea eagles?
Just how I see things....The tigers, and the heartbreak that I endure supporting them, is why I follow footy, and I always hold out that we will get better....and we will

 

[happy_tiger]

I couldn't even get up for the last 2 games .......

I got a bit excited when we Douehi scores to get us to 20-12

 

[fibrodreaming]

If I didn’t support the tigers, I wouldn’t be following the nrl

I'm the same.

As I have got older I have enjoyed the NRL less and less. I thought it was a function of age, but in the off season I watched our 2005 semi against Saints and the 2005 GF. It was the first time I had re-watched those games since 2005. What a revelation ! I had forgotten how entertaining footy used to be.

And it was not just because we won. It was the style of footy. For example, the Cows played a really cavalier style in the GF with Thurston orchestrating a huge amount of ball movement and with lots of off-loads.

Re-watching those games made me realise why I don't follow the NRL more closely these days. I find most matches boring. Unless I have an emotional stake in a game I'm really not interested.

So, I only watch us, and if we folded, I'd stop watching altogether.

 

[kiwitiger]

**I couldn't even get up for the last 2 games .......**

I got a bit excited when we Douehi scores to get us to 20-12

see your doctor. They have pills for that now.

However, if rl got me excited like that in the first place i'd probably see a shrink