Reviewing the Past and Current Path

FinestTigers

FinestTigers

Well-known member
How could this club that should be an NRL giant has instead lived a decade in the wasteland and seemingly unable to escape from it?
Crisis of identity, the boardroom, and one honeground are amongst many topics that us long suffering fans have discussed.

So how did we get into this what seems like an inescapable wasteland?

Under the coaching of Tim Sheens, who took charge of the club in 2003, they established a reputation as the league’s great entertainers. Benji, Robbie, Sunday afternoons at Leichhardt, trick plays and feelgood footy.

Here are some of the noticible quotes from the past.

Wayne Bennett:
“I would have loved to coach the Tigers,”
"everyone likes them. Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall were icons of that club."

In referencing two Balmain greats, Bennett unwittingly raises two key questions about the club: have the Wests Tigers developed an identity of their own?
And if that identity is founded on “icons” such as Marshall and Farah, what happens to the Tigers’ sense of themselves when those players are no longer around?
They are questions that many believe are at the heart of the Wests Tigers all-too-familiar current malaise.

Mick Potter:
“I found it to be a different club to any club I’d been with,” says former coach Mick Potter of his time at the helm from 2013 to 2014. “It was a political hotbed.

Aaron Woods:
“I’m not proud of how things went down,” Woods tells the Herald. “At the time I thought what I was doing was right, but looking back I should’ve handled things differently.”

Ivan Cleary:
April 2017: Ivan tells the off-contract Tigers star players to either "get on the bus or get off the bus."

Benny Elias:
“We thought we were going to start building a dynasty,
“All I want to say is shame on Ivan Cleary for what he’s done. “There’s got to be compensation because what he’s done, he’s left carnage behind by getting out of his contract with two more years (remaining).”

Michael Maguire:
“We couldn’t do anything for two years,” Maguire tells the Herald. “That was it. To create change, you needed to have ability in the salary cap and we were very restricted for two years.”

Tim Sheens:
“There’s a lot of work to be done but at age 71, I’m not afraid of upsetting people.”

Question now remains, can our maestro Sheens get us out of this wasteland?
 
Last edited:
FinestTigers said:
Season 2 without Madge


How could this club that should be an NRL giant has instead lived a decade in the wasteland and seemingly unable to escape from it?
Crisis of identity, the boardroom, and one honeground are amongst many topics that us long suffering fans have discussed.


So how did we get into this what seems like an inescapable wasteland?


Under the coaching of Tim Sheens, who took charge of the club in 2003, they established a reputation as the league’s great entertainers. Benji, Robbie, Sunday afternoons at Leichhardt, trick plays and feelgood footy.


Here is some recap and some noticible quotes.


Wayne Bennett:
“I would have loved to coach the Tigers,”
"everyone likes them. Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall were icons of that club."


In referencing two Balmain greats, Bennett unwittingly raises two key questions about the club: have the Wests Tigers developed an identity of their own?



And if that identity is founded on “icons” such as Marshall and Farah, what happens to the Tigers’ sense of themselves when those players are no longer around?



They are questions that many believe are at the heart of the Wests Tigers all-too-familiar current malaise.

Mick Potter:
“I found it to be a different club to any club I’d been with,” says former coach Mick Potter of his time at the helm from 2013 to 2014. “It was a political hotbed.


Aaron Woods:
“I’m not proud of how things went down,” Woods tells the Herald. “At the time I thought what I was doing was right, but looking back I should’ve handled things differently.”


Ivan Cleary:
April 2017: Ivan tells the off-contract Tigers star players to either "get on the bus or get off the bus."


Benny Elias:
“We thought we were going to start building a dynasty,
“All I want to say is shame on Ivan Cleary for what he’s done. “There’s got to be compensation because what he’s done, he’s left carnage behind by getting out of his contract with two more years (remaining).”


Michael Maguire:
“We couldn’t do anything for two years,” Maguire tells the Herald. “That was it. To create change, you needed to have ability in the salary cap and we were very restricted for two years.”


Tim Sheens:


“There’s a lot of work to be done but at age 71, I’m not afraid of upsetting people.”
Click to expand...
Pascoe Fiasco
 
FinestTigers said:
Season 2 without Madge


How could this club that should be an NRL giant has instead lived a decade in the wasteland and seemingly unable to escape from it?
Crisis of identity, the boardroom, and one honeground are amongst many topics that us long suffering fans have discussed.


So how did we get into this what seems like an inescapable wasteland?


Under the coaching of Tim Sheens, who took charge of the club in 2003, they established a reputation as the league’s great entertainers. Benji, Robbie, Sunday afternoons at Leichhardt, trick plays and feelgood footy.


Here is some recap and some noticible quotes.


Wayne Bennett:
“I would have loved to coach the Tigers,”
"everyone likes them. Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall were icons of that club."


In referencing two Balmain greats, Bennett unwittingly raises two key questions about the club: have the Wests Tigers developed an identity of their own?



And if that identity is founded on “icons” such as Marshall and Farah, what happens to the Tigers’ sense of themselves when those players are no longer around?



They are questions that many believe are at the heart of the Wests Tigers all-too-familiar current malaise.

Mick Potter:
“I found it to be a different club to any club I’d been with,” says former coach Mick Potter of his time at the helm from 2013 to 2014. “It was a political hotbed.


Aaron Woods:
“I’m not proud of how things went down,” Woods tells the Herald. “At the time I thought what I was doing was right, but looking back I should’ve handled things differently.”


Ivan Cleary:
April 2017: Ivan tells the off-contract Tigers star players to either "get on the bus or get off the bus."


Benny Elias:
“We thought we were going to start building a dynasty,
“All I want to say is shame on Ivan Cleary for what he’s done. “There’s got to be compensation because what he’s done, he’s left carnage behind by getting out of his contract with two more years (remaining).”


Michael Maguire:
“We couldn’t do anything for two years,” Maguire tells the Herald. “That was it. To create change, you needed to have ability in the salary cap and we were very restricted for two years.”


Tim Sheens:


“There’s a lot of work to be done but at age 71, I’m not afraid of upsetting people.”
Click to expand...
Good read mate.
 
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How could this club that should be an NRL giant has instead lived a decade in the wasteland and seemingly unable to escape from it?
Crisis of identity, the boardroom, and one honeground are amongst many topics that us long suffering fans have discussed.

So how did we get into this what seems like an inescapable wasteland?

Under the coaching of Tim Sheens, who took charge of the club in 2003, they established a reputation as the league’s great entertainers. Benji, Robbie, Sunday afternoons at Leichhardt, trick plays and feelgood footy.

Here are some of the noticible quotes from the past.

Wayne Bennett:
“I would have loved to coach the Tigers,”
"everyone likes them. Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall were icons of that club."

In referencing two Balmain greats, Bennett unwittingly raises two key questions about the club: have the Wests Tigers developed an identity of their own?
And if that identity is founded on “icons” such as Marshall and Farah, what happens to the Tigers’ sense of themselves when those players are no longer around?
They are questions that many believe are at the heart of the Wests Tigers all-too-familiar current malaise.

Mick Potter:
“I found it to be a different club to any club I’d been with,” says former coach Mick Potter of his time at the helm from 2013 to 2014. “It was a political hotbed.

Aaron Woods:
“I’m not proud of how things went down,” Woods tells the Herald. “At the time I thought what I was doing was right, but looking back I should’ve handled things differently.”

Ivan Cleary:
April 2017: Ivan tells the off-contract Tigers star players to either "get on the bus or get off the bus."

Benny Elias:
“We thought we were going to start building a dynasty,
“All I want to say is shame on Ivan Cleary for what he’s done. “There’s got to be compensation because what he’s done, he’s left carnage behind by getting out of his contract with two more years (remaining).”

Michael Maguire:
“We couldn’t do anything for two years,” Maguire tells the Herald. “That was it. To create change, you needed to have ability in the salary cap and we were very restricted for two years.”

Tim Sheens:
“There’s a lot of work to be done but at age 71, I’m not afraid of upsetting people.”

Question now remains, can our maestro Sheens get us out of this wasteland?
 
Ive never been a Pascoe basher but regardless, whoever made the decision to sack Maguire should follow him out the door. If it was Sheens, so be it.
I was never convinced that Maguire was going to be our saviour and I disagreed with several of his decisions but it was at best a blinkered call to sack him now. The club has just entrenched itself in the three ring circus reputation of this place. I dont buy the reasoning put forward by Sheens.
 
NT_Tiger said:
Ive never been a Pascoe basher but regardless, whoever made the decision to sack Maguire should follow him out the door. If it was Sheens, so be it.
I was never convinced that Maguire was going to be our saviour and I disagreed with several of his decisions but it was at best a blinkered call to sack him now. The club has just entrenched itself in the three ring circus reputation of this place. I dont buy the reasoning put forward by Sheens.
Click to expand...
Maguire was a dead man walking when Sheens arrived. Just weak individuals appointing someone strong to pull the trigger imo.
 

BREAKING: Ciraldo tours Tiger-town as Sheens prepares five-year deal.​

The Wests Tigers have sold a strong pitch to Penrith assistant coach Cameron Ciraldo by giving the NRL coach-in-waiting a guided tour of the club’s soon to be opened Centre of Excellence at Concord.
www.foxsports.com.au

Ciraldo tours Tiger-town as Sheens prepares five-year deal for NRL’s hottest coaching property

Ciraldo tours Tiger-town as Sheens prepares five-year deal for NRL’s hottest coaching property
www.foxsports.com.au www.foxsports.com.au
 
The following link is about a 3-4mins read, the reporter speaks in very glowing terms about Sheens.

The legacy of Tim Sheens endures, 25 years after his departure from the Raiders

"It’s this history with the Tigers, and the fact his tenure there was his longest as a coach, that emotionally ties him to the club and helped secure his homecoming.
Without knowing whether he would ever be interested in a Raiders reunion, it’s a shame his return to Australia from England couldn’t see him back in Canberra colours to again spread his rugby league wisdom."

the-riotact.com

The legacy of Tim Sheens endures, 25 years after his departure from the Raiders | Region Canberra

Legendary rugby league coach Tim Sheens is set to return to the NRL with Wests Tigers in the coming weeks,…
the-riotact.com the-riotact.com
 
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Throughout the last two decades and even if the WT were too dumb and careless about it, the NRL should have stepped in and said, hey guys it's also in our best interest to protect and grow our business so we'll support you to do whatever is necessary in this region before the AFL and Soccer seize and embraces this massive southwest area.

One unbelievably remarkable thing that i have just realised is this, when no previous ceo/chairman could recognize and say it, it has belatedly taken 22 years for our current chairman to realise and say it.

Martin Bullock said this over 20 years ago.
“From the very first board meeting, it was determined that the future of the club was in the south-west corridor, specifically in the Macarthur region,”
(Martin Bullock, the Wests Tigers’ first chief executive.)

Lee Hagipantelis,
When interviewed recently on radio 2gb Lee talked about the COE amongst other things, and also said this,

"We must produce something similar in the southwest,
It needs to happen ASAP and I've found myself questioning why it hasn't already happened, because the longer it takes, the more kids are snapped up as lifelong supporters of sporting franchises like the Western Sydney Wanderers and Macarthur FC in the A-League and the GWS Giants in the AFL, when they should be following the Wests Tigers."

We are well advanced in those discussions but i can't make any formal announcements just yet but i can assure you that we are absolutely commited to the southwest and it's mine and the view shared by many on the board thats where the future of this club lies and it would be beyond ridiculous not to acknowledge that and embrace it. So i can assure you that the southwest is where we will be, other areas have benefited from generous govt. grants like Penrith, Parramatta, and i see no reason why the southwest should not be a beneficiary.

Hearing all this i'm expecting that an announcement will be made made soon about the approval of a new WT homeground
 
FinestTigers said:
Throughout the last two decades and even if the WT were too dumb and careless about it, the NRL should have stepped in and said, hey guys it's also in our best interest to protect and grow our business so we'll support you to do whatever is necessary in this region before the AFL and Soccer seize and embraces this massive southwest area.

One unbelievably remarkable thing that i have just realised is this, when no previous ceo/chairman could recognize and say it, it has belatedly taken 22 years for our current chairman to realise and say it.

Martin Bullock said this over 20 years ago.
“From the very first board meeting, it was determined that the future of the club was in the south-west corridor, specifically in the Macarthur region,”
(Martin Bullock, the Wests Tigers’ first chief executive.)

Lee Hagipantelis,
When interviewed recently on radio 2gb Lee talked about the COE amongst other things, and also said this,

"We must produce something similar in the southwest,
It needs to happen ASAP and I've found myself questioning why it hasn't already happened, because the longer it takes, the more kids are snapped up as lifelong supporters of sporting franchises like the Western Sydney Wanderers and Macarthur FC in the A-League and the GWS Giants in the AFL, when they should be following the Wests Tigers."

We are well advanced in those discussions but i can't make any formal announcements just yet but i can assure you that we are absolutely commited to the southwest and it's mine and the view shared by many on the board thats where the future of this club lies and it would be beyond ridiculous not to acknowledge that and embrace it. So i can assure you that the southwest is where we will be, other areas have benefited from generous govt. grants like Penrith, Parramatta, and i see no reason why the southwest should not be a beneficiary.

Hearing all this i'm expecting that an announcement will be made made soon about the approval of a new WT homeground
Click to expand...
Why is Lee only questioning this now? What has he been doing, and the other guy??
They work at a snails pace.
 
gallagher said:
Why is Lee only questioning this now? What has he been doing, and the other guy??
They work at a snails pace.
Click to expand...
I'll have to go and listen to that interview again,
It sounds like a work that's been in progress for a lenghty time,
And i'm fairly sure that he said that this is he's priority and is spending most of his time to get this done soon.

My point before was that, much of this work was neglected and abandoned by all the previous boards since the year 2000. Which is just unforgivable.
 
FinestTigers said:
How could this club that should be an NRL giant has instead lived a decade in the wasteland and seemingly unable to escape from it?
Crisis of identity, the boardroom, and one honeground are amongst many topics that us long suffering fans have discussed.

So how did we get into this what seems like an inescapable wasteland?

Under the coaching of Tim Sheens, who took charge of the club in 2003, they established a reputation as the league’s great entertainers. Benji, Robbie, Sunday afternoons at Leichhardt, trick plays and feelgood footy.

Here are some of the noticible quotes from the past.

Wayne Bennett:
“I would have loved to coach the Tigers,”
"everyone likes them. Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall were icons of that club."

In referencing two Balmain greats, Bennett unwittingly raises two key questions about the club: have the Wests Tigers developed an identity of their own?
And if that identity is founded on “icons” such as Marshall and Farah, what happens to the Tigers’ sense of themselves when those players are no longer around?
They are questions that many believe are at the heart of the Wests Tigers all-too-familiar current malaise.

Mick Potter:
“I found it to be a different club to any club I’d been with,” says former coach Mick Potter of his time at the helm from 2013 to 2014. “It was a political hotbed.

Aaron Woods:
“I’m not proud of how things went down,” Woods tells the Herald. “At the time I thought what I was doing was right, but looking back I should’ve handled things differently.”

Ivan Cleary:
April 2017: Ivan tells the off-contract Tigers star players to either "get on the bus or get off the bus."

Benny Elias:
“We thought we were going to start building a dynasty,
“All I want to say is shame on Ivan Cleary for what he’s done. “There’s got to be compensation because what he’s done, he’s left carnage behind by getting out of his contract with two more years (remaining).”

Michael Maguire:
“We couldn’t do anything for two years,” Maguire tells the Herald. “That was it. To create change, you needed to have ability in the salary cap and we were very restricted for two years.”

Tim Sheens:
“There’s a lot of work to be done but at age 71, I’m not afraid of upsetting people.”

Question now remains, can our maestro Sheens get us out of this wasteland?
Click to expand...
When did Madge say that ?
 
Odessa said:
When did Madge say that ?
Click to expand...
The article is titled,

A crisis of identity: The real tales from Tiger town​

By Michael Chammas
September 4, 2021
Sydney Morning Herald

Chammas says and quotes Maguire as saying this,

Maguire, who took the reins in 2019, says his ability to improve the roster was severely limited as a result of Cleary’s spending spree..

“We couldn’t do anything for two years,” Maguire tells the Herald. “That was it. To create change, you needed to have ability in the salary cap and we were very restricted for two years.”

subscription only,
https://amp.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/a-...al-tales-from-tiger-town-20210827-p58mm6.html
 
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