Ricky Stuart EEL-imination required!!

B

beachtiger

Well-known member
Let me start by saying in no way do I want Ricky Stuart as our coach, my heart couldn't cope with that! However I do think we need a massive clean out (including himself) like he did at the Eels, you only need to see the difference in their team this season compared to the last 2-3 years!

This doesn't just mean the coach though we need to start from the top and work all the way down to the guy who carries the water at training. We need to create a new culture of winning and I fear our current squad can't do that together, we need new blood and enthusiasm and players with a winning attitude.

Once our new board has been appointed and the new coach is found (I am a Potter fan but even blind Freddy can see his days are up), the new coach and the _**brand new coaching staff**_ he brings with him should be given a big white board with majority of our top squad being told they are no longer required. Tough decisions can then be made on cleaning out the deadwood and put a "TEAM" together that can restore some pride in our jersey.

So if you were the new coach appointed to the Tigers who would be on your "white board" from the Top squad and why, I will start it off:

o Adam Blair – Off contract at end of 2015 - unless he is prepared to take a drastic pay cut I don’t think we get value out of him
o Dene Halatau - Off contract at end of 2015 - time to retire Dene
o Jack Buchanan - Off contract at end of 2015 – doesn’t offer enough
o James Gavet - Off contract at end of 2015 - too many errors and defensive liability
o Joel Luani - Off contract at end of 2015 – doesn’t do it for me even as a back up
o Keith Lulia - Off contract at end of 2015 – no need to comment here just not needed
o Pat Richards - Off contract at end of 2015 – Time for a retirement fund in the NFL Patty
o Tim Moltzen - Off contract at end of 2015 – Hope you can find a home in the Super League
o Tim Simona - Off contract at end of 2015 – Ok in attack but massive defensive liability
o Chris Lawrence – Great clubman and even better guy but unfortunately it is now past him
o Curtis Sironen – Doesn’t offer enough for a young guy, see what Josh Jackson does for Bulldogs at a similar age and that’s what we need
o Keith Galloway – Past his best and doesn’t offer enough
o Sauaso Sue – Too many errors and a liability in defence

So based on the players listed on the Wests Tigers website as being in our top squad that leaves the below players as our foundation moving forward; there are several here that I don’t know enough about to comment on so hopefully some others on here can comment on who we should look at cutting from this list:

o Aaron Woods – Must keep, he is our forward leader
o Andrew Vela – Don’t know enough about him to comment
o Ava Seumanufagai – Great potential
o Blake Austin – Must keep but needs to be converted to a centre
o Bodene Thompson – Solid toiler that every team needs, just keep him in the second row please
o Brenden Santi – Don’t know enough about him to comment
o Corey Brown – Don’t know enough about him to comment
o David Nofoaluma – Must keep
o James Tedesco – Must keep
o Kurtis Rowe – Great back up and I believe he still has some development in him
o Kyle Lovett – Don’t know enough about him to comment
o Luke Brooks – Obviously must keep
o Martin Taupau – Great first front rower interchange
o Matthew Lodge – Massive potential and still very young
o Mitchell Moses – See Luke Brooks
o Nathan Brown – Has mongrel and I believe will develop into a solid front rower
o Robbie Farah – Massive fan as a player and couldn’t consider cutting however I hope he gets back on track as the TEAM’S CAPTAIN!!
o Sitaleki Akauola – Great potential

Look forward to hearing from everyone else!
 
Love your post, although there are some comments there I do not agree with.

I think Sirro should be kept, but he needs a massive clip around the ears and to be told to toughen up. He is not in the halves any more and needs to play like a forward. Hit hard and make your tackles.

I was all for renewing Blairs contract, but I have changed my tune. He gives away far to many penalties for a player in the leadership group. Tries to make himself look good by getting quick play the balls and chasing opposition after a break, but if he did his job in the first place the holes wouldn't be in the defensive line anyway.

I feel Simona has let himself be overshadowed by the players around him. Not sure if Potter is partly to blame for the style of attacking footy they play, but he needs to be more involved and is worth keeping. Gavet also has been out of the game for a long time but I agree with your criticism. I think he should be kept and be given more time based on potential. I am happy to let the others go as per your list.

Not sure about Vela. He was so highly regarded and needs a full season injury free. I doubt he is on a great deal of coin. I am disappointed that Nathan Brown is not in first grade yet and this has me worried. He is either disinterested or a poor trainer. I want his mongrel extracted and put into Sirro

I am all for keeping the current coaches and cutting the players you listed loose and starting again with the rest. A lot has been said about our injuries. I recall that we revamped our off field roster either this year or last, with a new doctor, physio and the like. It seems that this has made little difference and I now believe that youth equals injuries. We have no option but to blood youth being a developing club so we need to focus on our injury management. I do think efforts have already been made to do this but there has been no positive outcome thus far.

So that is my review of the tigers. No interviews and it cost a hell of a lot less than Brian Smith….and without the controversy!

.
 
@Tigersmurf said:
Love your post, although there are some comments there I do not agree with.

I think Sirro should be kept, but he needs a massive clip around the ears and to be told to toughen up. He is not in the halves any more and needs to play like a forward. Hit hard and make your tackles.

I was all for renewing Blairs contract, but I have changed my tune. He gives away far to many penalties for a player in the leadership group. Tries to make himself look good by getting quick play the balls and chasing opposition after a break, but if he did his job in the first place the holes wouldn't be in the defensive line anyway.

I feel Simona has let himself be overshadowed by the players around him. Not sure if Potter is partly to blame for the style of attacking footy they play, but he needs to be more involved and is worth keeping. Gavet also has been out of the game for a long time but I agree with your criticism. I think he should be kept and be given more time based on potential. I am happy to let the others go as per your list.

Not sure about Vela. He was so highly regarded and needs a full season injury free. I doubt he is on a great deal of coin. I am disappointed that Nathan Brown is not in first grade yet and this has me worried. He is either disinterested or a poor trainer. I want his mongrel extracted and put into Sirro

I am all for keeping the current coaches and cutting the players you listed loose and starting again with the rest. A lot has been said about our injuries. I recall that we revamped our off field roster either this year or last, with a new doctor, physio and the like. It seems that this has made little difference and I now believe that youth equals injuries. We have no option but to blood youth being a developing club so we need to focus on our injury management. I do think efforts have already been made to do this but there has been no positive outcome thus far.

So that is my review of the tigers. No interviews and it cost a hell of a lot less than Brian Smith….and without the controversy!

.
Click to expand...

Understand what your saying about Siro Jnr, I suppose I am being a bit harsh considering his injuries and change of position, agree he is worth persevering with, probably similar with Simona considering his injuries also.

Gavet though I'm just not sold, love the aggression and no nonsense approach but just not convinced long term.
 
At least Blair is on the field most, if not every week, so I suppose if you divide his reported dollars by game time for a forward, he may just pay his way.

Thought that two penalties he was involved in last night were questionably very tough calls, with one for a strip that did not exist.
 
Blair is definitely a keeper. He puts in every week without fail. The penalties against him last night were ordinary calls. I think we definitely need Sirro and Simona as well.
 
the squad is fine as it is. maybe a couple of centres in the top 30 would help and that's probably it.

we dont need ricky or anyone for a cleanout. we need to clean the board out and that's it. the coaching and admin staff will come and go.
 
There is no way I'd drop Simona.
I'd keep Gavet.

There is no way I'd retain Rowe. Ever.

The rest of your list makes sense.
 
Rowe has a lot to offer…
He's on the up and up and only going to improve.

Obvs Blair is on a lot of $$ and we'd all prefer it was less,
but he's been great this year and having a dig.
It's what i like to see.
 
Can't disagree with most of the posters here. I too would keep Blair - but on fewer dollars. I'd be keeping Sirro and Simona.
Not sure about Gavet - with a well structured defence he might be worth keeping. But he's just too 'loose' at the moment. And Rowe is OK as back up. But I could live without the rest. Maybe keep Galloway - he's not going to win you any games - a la Sam Burgess - but he is quite solid
I don't see Corey Brown as developing into anything great.
 
Yeah apart from his personal penalty count you can't fault Blair this season - he has finally stood up, not so in previous years though. I don't know about a huge cleanout, but I would certainly cut Lawrence, Anasta, Halatau, Richards (because of his age only), Galloway, Buchanan, Luani and Lulia for next season.

The team is full of a lot of up and comers and they need to be given more time and guidance, in a season without drama, to mature as regular first graders. I see the main problem being with our three quarter line. Apart from Nofoaluma, we lack speed and spark in this area. When Simona is on song he is very, very good also, but he has struggled with injury practically all season. We all know he can kill it when he's fit, so I'd keep him for sure and hope he can get back to his best.

If we cannot purchase a high profile centre to partner Simona for next season, and it's not looking likely, than I personally would like to see either Moltzen or Austin groomed to play there. Both have good reflexes, timing and speed; defensively Moltzen is quite good, not so sure about Austin, but I believe he has the talent to be anything in this game given the right guidance. Of course, Moltzen has been out for a very long time, so his selection in first grade would depend on how he goes getting back into the fray, but we desperately need to do something to shore up our three quarter line or else it will be the same old, same old again next year. Man, what I would give to have Dylan Walker in our backline!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Staff online

Members online

Total: 408 (members: 29, guests: 379)
Back
Top