LIVE GAME Round 23 vs. Raiders

[Tucker]

Ok numbers but how creative were they. Actually how creative was the team, saw a lot of 5 hit ups and a kick. Weren’t we hoping to change that in 23, that’s more Madgeball.
And API not running much from dummy half ( like Cook, Grant etc).

Api is creating all our chances. Scooting isn’t the be all and end all. His slight of hand and delivery in and around the ruck is working. His kicking is great.
By far and away our best today.

 

[Tucker]

Again, you're drawing your own conclusions.

The obvious answer, again, is of course not.

But we should not be back to back wooden spooners - for all the wrong our club does. We have had very poor luck.

I will never defend the clubs failure over the past decade plus, but it's important to highlight that the players, at least most of them, are trying. Albeit with a huge handicapp (management, recruitment, media, player agents), made worse by some garbage luck.

Can you detail the bad luck that caused us to secure the spoon again this year please as opposed to our side just falling short of securing wins?
The problem with this squad, fanbase included, is that a bad call/s will be used to define the game.
The good sides do cop them as well but they are able to scramble and cover for them better. We tend to drop ur heads and think we’re hard done by.

 

[Coastie_Tiger]

Api is creating all our chances. Scooting isn’t the be all and end all. His slight of hand and delivery in and around the ruck is working. His kicking is great.
By far and away our best today.

You only had to look at how he instructed Brooks to kick early when Rapana came in for his big hit and left nobody at home. Brooks probably doesn’t kick without the heads up, Api is in everything but he needs help.

 

[Krammy]

I now watch the Tigers games to see if the effort is there and particularly which players are consistently busting their backsides. Api, Bateman, Papali, Brooks, Twal and Seyfarth bust their guts each week. In fact I think many of our players are trying hard for the full 80. The Cowboys demolition of us was an exception when they dropped their chins. Sustained effort, especially when you are not winning games, is a sign that the camp is at least a happy one. I would like to hear other opinions on this?

 

[Magpie_Magic]

Love Sheens in the PC congratulating Ricky on coaching a team that did not give away a 6 again for the game. Add that to the forward passes for tries will only see Ricky complain again that his team were hard done by.

I wanted to see Sheen's go right off, but I think he is holding back as part of Benji's development and letting him know whinging each week won't help.

Disagree it won't help.

Forget about us and that's 4 games this year Canberra won with calls going their way including both against our team.

Certainly Ricky's rants over the years have been an investment which has paid off big time

 

[Goldust]

Although some poor calls ,we beat ourselves again .Story of the year.
Drives me insane that we always wait until we’re behind on the scoreboard to start playing footy.
Our inability to defend outwide is still our major issues in my opinion,it’s as if any opposition team only needs to throw the ball out wide to get over the line.
Also big congratulations to Nofa on 100 tries as a Tiger ,pretty impressive in this squad .had a mixed game yesterday but you could say the same for a lot of our boys.
There is definitely some foundations to build around,huge task ahead for the coaching staff.recruiting is one thing ,but I personally think a lot of our issues are coaching related.

 

[mikey]

Although some poor calls ,we beat ourselves again .Story of the year.
Drives me insane that we always wait until we’re behind on the scoreboard to start playing footy.

Story of the last 12 years.

 

[jadtiger]

should have kept Brooks for one more year at the price
we haven't he will go well with DCE and a fit turbo
As for us, I hope we go for youth and go with fainu and Sullivan give sezer a miss

You can't keep someone who didn't want to be here after their contract is over.Brooks rejected Sheens

 

[Goldust]

Story of the last 12 years.

Very frustrating.
Lost count of how many times we are 1 try away from winning with 2 minutes to go.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

I was pleased with the effort and pleased Sheens did not go off at the refereeing. Most knew what occurred so better to act with grace. Losing Staines was a big blow as his speed and finishing were missed.

 

[twentyforty]

Anyone notice how flat Brooks was? A metre or two behind the ptb, definitely had Raiders guessing. I think Brooks is now playing his natural game, free of all the instructions hes been overloaded with. Our best player by a country mile.

 

[GCfan]

Api is creating all our chances. Scooting isn’t the be all and end all. His slight of hand and delivery in and around the ruck is working. His kicking is great.
By far and away our best today.

That quick fast pass to Bula off the ruck late in the game was class. Hope that the coaches are running those sort of plays again n again at training.

 

[TigerNeddyK]

You only had to look at how he instructed Brooks to kick early when Rapana came in for his big hit and left nobody at home. Brooks probably doesn’t kick without the heads up, Api is in everything but he needs help.

Brooks is just so thick .. no footy IQ at all

 

[clokan]

if Brooks had been playing the last 9 years ,as he has this year,dont think many would have a problem with him

he's probably played this well for most of the other years, the Madge years were not good for him

 

[Vicious]

Brooks is just so thick .. no footy IQ at all

We will see how thick he is when he’s at Manly with the luxury of big athletic back rowers running off him, fast and dangerous outside backs on his outside.
Phil Gould is 💯 spot on with his regular comments that Luke Brooks has never been the problem for Wests Tigers, It has been Wets Tigers who have been the problem for Luke Brooks due to the constant inability to create a 1-17 with the attributes required to allow halves to play their best.

 

[Vicious]

When he's here It's because of him and not the team,
He'll go there - Go just fine and it will be because of the Team - Not him...

You can almost script the dribble here on it now...

Or we can just accept if Luke Brooks ever had a half decent team around while playing for Wests Tigers, we would have made the top 8.
Add to that he like many halves is probably now coming to the prime of his career, being in his late 20’s and now with the mental toughness required to be at his best more often.
A terrible decision to let him go, particularly being one of the few local juniors in our 1-17.
But that one is on our fans who wanted to constantly blame him instead of the sub standard teams we had around him over the years. The barrage of abuse from our fans had become so toxic, it was better for him to go.

 

[Telltails]

Or we can just accept if Luke Brooks ever had a half decent team around while playing for Wests Tigers, we would have made the top 8.
Add to that he like many halves is probably now coming to the prime of his career, being in his late 20’s and now with the mental toughness required to be at his best more often.
A terrible decision to let him go, particularly being one of the few local juniors in our 1-17.
But that one is on our fans who wanted to constantly blame him instead of the sub standard teams we had around him over the years. The barrage of abuse from our fans had become so toxic, it was better for him to go.

He chose to go. How many times did Sheens have to say he wanted him. Moved on halves to back him.
It was Brooks decision to go.

 

[ancient_magpie]

Or we can just accept if Luke Brooks ever had a half decent team around while playing for Wests Tigers, we would have made the top 8.
Add to that he like many halves is probably now coming to the prime of his career, being in his late 20’s and now with the mental toughness required to be at his best more often.
A terrible decision to let him go, particularly being one of the few local juniors in our 1-17.
But that one is on our fans who wanted to constantly blame him instead of the sub standard teams we had around him over the years. The barrage of abuse from our fans had become so toxic, it was better for him to go.

 

[ancient_magpie]

The substandard teams were not the reason Brooks has had no idea for 10 years how to finish sets apart from his pissars bombs which are rarely high enough

 

[earl]

Or we can just accept if Luke Brooks ever had a half decent team around while playing for Wests Tigers, we would have made the top 8.

I'm amazed at people still thinking Brooks is the problem. Clearly one of our top 2 players and daylight is 3rd.