Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

2025 is a year of redemption. Nothing else should be tolerated.
We are not rebuilding. We need to win games of football using the large amount of imported players we have brought here in the way we expected them to perform when signing them.
As I said last week, enough is enough. Enough of the bloated puff pieces from club administration, players and members waxing lyrical about cultutre shifts and progression and green shoots and all that stuff. Weve been hearing that shit ever since Brooksy tore St George to pieces back in August 2013. Enough of the hero talk during the pre season only to then play like softcocks in round 1. Enough of the media setting us up to fail with editorials about how weve turned the corner only to resume kicking us in the head once the true colours of our football are revealed. Enough of missing simple tackles, having abysmal discipline and failing to convert gifted field position. Enough of fking losing all the damned time.

Anything from 12th position and under will be an utter failure.
Anything between 11th and 8th should be treated on its merits...i.e. serious injury to stars preventing finals berths can be seen favourably. Having a go for most of the year but clocking off half a dozen times during the year and losing games we shouldnt...is a failure.
We need to make the 8. We need to be competitive for the title in 2026 and be a favourite to win it in 2027.
2025 is a year of restitution and there's no excuses this time.
 
GNR4LIFE said:
It’s awful. Ilias is a bottom 4 club quality 7. Throw in Gutho and Cook. Their spine has seen better days.
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There’s some awful halves pairings this year . How the Cogger / Hastings / Crossland pairing is rated higher than Flanno / illias is mind boggling . That’s litterally a NSW cup half and a bench hooker in the halves , with a guy who should have accepted the move to lock 4 years ago . Say what you will , but at least flanno and illias are actual halves .
Outside of the top 5 , nearly every team has a proven half , and a squint and maybe if you really try … halves pair .
Like Cleary and Tualagi . I don’t see that lasting . I reckon he’s in the centres by mid year .
Clifford ? As an nrl half . He’s definitely in the Brad Schneider , Jack Cogger, back up half level . I can’t see him staying for the whole season .
The Warriors with Tmm and Metcalf … yikes . Metcalf has a good running game , but man they will be leaning on RTS big time IMHO .
Now the older generation are starting to move on there really is massive holes all over the place .
Look at those pairings :
7 of the halves listed are over 30 , and of those 7 , 5 of them are mid 30s . And they’re the best halves .
I can see the points per game average going down massively in 27/28 .
 
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Buttface said:
I’ve said this before and I going to stop.
You don’t spend 1.2 mil on a player and look to come 9th. We need to better, 8 should be the aim with anything under 10th a complete fail. 26 should be aiming for top 4 and a serious chance.
But, I know what you mean, coming 9 would mean we win twice as many games and that’d be nice.
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What would be everyone’s take if we finished equal on points for 8th but finished 9th on for & against,
Success or failure ?
 
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Oldman said:
What would be everyone’s take if we finished equal on points for 8th but finished 9th on for & against,
Success or failure ?
Click to expand...
Failure. Every year we completely ignore the importance of for and against. We even missed the playoffs one year because of it. We need to learn.
 
Oldman said:
What would be everyone’s take if we finished equal on points for 8th but finished 9th on for & against,
Success or failure ?
Click to expand...
Depends on the circumstances.
If the back half of the year is injury depleted sides fighting their guts out but just falling short, its a pass.
With a reasonably fit side who dropped some games they should have won through lazy efforts then its a fail.
 
Jolls said:
So, the big question: is 2025 a year of redemption or rebuilding?

Looking ahead to the 2025 season, there’s a mixture of outright joy, cautious optimism and lingering questions on the forum surrounding the performance of our beloved Wests Tigers. After a decade of mediocracy followed by three spoons the time is ripe for this club to prove it can rise from adversity. However, is 2025 the year of redemption or are we still rebuilding?

Key Areas:

  1. Leadership & Coaching Stability:
    Probably the biggest question mark in 2025. Benji has been in and around two of our spoon efforts despite only being the head coach last year. I won’t go into detail here given I put forward an analysis of his performance last week. Suffice to say, I think he has demonstrated that he understands what is required and is heading in the right direction. 2025 presents an opportunity for us to settle under Benji. Consistency at the helm could mean that we can focus on long-term goals instead of having to address another major coaching reshuffle in the short-term. I believe that Benji’s performance, along with that of his coaching staff, will determine the outcome of our 2025 season.
  2. Young Guns Ready to Fire:
    The development of our junior talent is now clearly the foundation of Wests Tigers and is the cornerstone of a prosperous future. Failure to invest in this area appropriately will adversely affect our future. Players like Galvin and Latu F. have shown glimpses of brilliance. If they can make the leap in 2025, in support of the big recruits, we could have the spark we need for 2025 to be our year of redemption.
  3. Recruitment and Retention:
    The club’s 2025 recruitment drive is probably the best in the NRL, with Luai, May, Hunt, Taruva and Bird adding much-needed depth and experience in key areas. The retention of Pole, Sam F. and Sione F. (in time) are also great moves by the club. One of the unheralded elements of the rebuild plan has been the depth added to our KOE team. On paper our KOE side is much better, this should allow our juniors to develop over time in the lower grades instead of rushing their development like we did in 2024.
  4. The Spine Question:
    Big call from Richo on having the best spine in the NRL. I think that call was a bit early, but we have a right to be confident in our spine going forward. Bula and Galvin certainly need to step up to another level. Bula in particular needs to address his involvement, particularly in and around the ruck. Api, Luai, Galvin and Bula have the potential to click, but can they deliver week in and week out?
  5. Culture Reset:
    Family first has created considerable debate on the forum. Like it or loathe it, this part of the culture building process that Richo and Benji have instituted. Based on the types of players we have recruited it would be difficult to say that it isn’t working. Could it be less in your face? Potentially; but I can’t see at this point how it is hurting our development given the very strong performance message that Benji has sent with the fat five. You can also see that off-field, the club has been making strides to reconnect with the fanbase. Particularly in the south west. A strong start to the season would do wonders for morale—not just in the sheds, but in the stands.
Predictions and Expectations

I sit in the cautious optimism camp. I still have a couple of nagging doubts around our depth, particularly our second-row stocks. There is still some water to go under bridge before the 2025 season kicks off so Richo and Benji may still address this.

For me it’s unrealistic to expect a return to the glory days of 2005. Personally, I think 2024 was about establishing the foundation and 2025 will be the year we finally see the building blocks come together. I think 2025 will be our turning point, a finals appearance might still be a stretch based on our depth but an injury free run could have us getting there. Realistically, a consistent season with mid-table (9th-12th) finish would signal progress and indicate that the foundations are set for a tilt at the title in 2026.

What are your thoughts? Is 2025 our turning point, or is it yet another year of rebuilding? 🐯💪
Click to expand...
 
Jolls said:
So, the big question: is 2025 a year of redemption or rebuilding?

Looking ahead to the 2025 season, there’s a mixture of outright joy, cautious optimism and lingering questions on the forum surrounding the performance of our beloved Wests Tigers. After a decade of mediocracy followed by three spoons the time is ripe for this club to prove it can rise from adversity. However, is 2025 the year of redemption or are we still rebuilding?

Key Areas:

  1. Leadership & Coaching Stability:
    Probably the biggest question mark in 2025. Benji has been in and around two of our spoon efforts despite only being the head coach last year. I won’t go into detail here given I put forward an analysis of his performance last week. Suffice to say, I think he has demonstrated that he understands what is required and is heading in the right direction. 2025 presents an opportunity for us to settle under Benji. Consistency at the helm could mean that we can focus on long-term goals instead of having to address another major coaching reshuffle in the short-term. I believe that Benji’s performance, along with that of his coaching staff, will determine the outcome of our 2025 season.
  2. Young Guns Ready to Fire:
    The development of our junior talent is now clearly the foundation of Wests Tigers and is the cornerstone of a prosperous future. Failure to invest in this area appropriately will adversely affect our future. Players like Galvin and Latu F. have shown glimpses of brilliance. If they can make the leap in 2025, in support of the big recruits, we could have the spark we need for 2025 to be our year of redemption.
  3. Recruitment and Retention:
    The club’s 2025 recruitment drive is probably the best in the NRL, with Luai, May, Hunt, Taruva and Bird adding much-needed depth and experience in key areas. The retention of Pole, Sam F. and Sione F. (in time) are also great moves by the club. One of the unheralded elements of the rebuild plan has been the depth added to our KOE team. On paper our KOE side is much better, this should allow our juniors to develop over time in the lower grades instead of rushing their development like we did in 2024.
  4. The Spine Question:
    Big call from Richo on having the best spine in the NRL. I think that call was a bit early, but we have a right to be confident in our spine going forward. Bula and Galvin certainly need to step up to another level. Bula in particular needs to address his involvement, particularly in and around the ruck. Api, Luai, Galvin and Bula have the potential to click, but can they deliver week in and week out?
  5. Culture Reset:
    Family first has created considerable debate on the forum. Like it or loathe it, this part of the culture building process that Richo and Benji have instituted. Based on the types of players we have recruited it would be difficult to say that it isn’t working. Could it be less in your face? Potentially; but I can’t see at this point how it is hurting our development given the very strong performance message that Benji has sent with the fat five. You can also see that off-field, the club has been making strides to reconnect with the fanbase. Particularly in the south west. A strong start to the season would do wonders for morale—not just in the sheds, but in the stands.
Predictions and Expectations

I sit in the cautious optimism camp. I still have a couple of nagging doubts around our depth, particularly our second-row stocks. There is still some water to go under bridge before the 2025 season kicks off so Richo and Benji may still address this.

For me it’s unrealistic to expect a return to the glory days of 2005. Personally, I think 2024 was about establishing the foundation and 2025 will be the year we finally see the building blocks come together. I think 2025 will be our turning point, a finals appearance might still be a stretch based on our depth but an injury free run could have us getting there. Realistically, a consistent season with mid-table (9th-12th) finish would signal progress and indicate that the foundations are set for a tilt at the title in 2026.

What are your thoughts? Is 2025 our turning point, or is it yet another year of rebuilding? 🐯💪
Click to expand...
Fantastic analysis !! I cant disagree with anything you said, i still believe we will improve next season but the top 8 is still a bit of a stretch at this stage
 
Demps said:
Click to expand...
Interesting thing about that list, whether we agree with it or not, is that some halves pairings are relatively stable in terms of what they offer and set chemistry, whereas others, like ours, could move up or down that list pretty erratically as the year plays out.

Will be interesting to see that list in Round 27.

The DCE/Brooks ranking for mine is a bit of a laugh. There also appears to be a few average pairings on there heading into next year. More than any other year in recent memory.
 
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