Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Telltails]

If only the owners would pay for a decent recruitment and retention staff member…
Or have bought a decent coach instead of a poster boy.

Whatever you think about However the football program is being run, it’s being allowed to be run that way by owners who have no idea how to have a football program run - despite the 120 odd years of history they keep reminding us of.

Clear you don't rate Benji but it's starting to sound personal.
Didn't work for the current premiership winning coach either. We are not exactly a destination club for coaches. Ciraldo chose to stay as a Penrith assistant rather than take it on - had great Intel from his mentor.
Why should Benji be any less hamstrung by the limitations of this club than any other coach.?

 

[426Tlgerland]

Blore to Dragons n multi year deal , expected announcement in a few days time ,

 

[Chunk]

Fittest team in the comp after 8 rounds
Playing like a top 4team
Look the complete opposite now
What’s happened?

Injuries obviously didn't help however.......

Maybe we went harder, eariler then other teams.

We were riding an emotional high because of the big off season build up.

Playing above our capicity because we certainly do not have a top four roster.

 

[jirskyr]

The dylan brown deal will come to hurt the knights later down the line, but it’s working for them because they have people in place who can build a roster with more depth and they are coached better, we have Benji and his mates all of whom have never coached before or were failed coaches and they have Holbrook

I don't entirely agree with this, though I agree with Dylan Brown thing may yet work out more negative than the first year.

The primary advantage for the Knights is they have Ponga who is a clear-cut elite club-level footballer. He's one of a small number of match-turning talents in the competition. Tigers do not have this, there is no Ponga equivalent for Luai to work with.

Granted Ponga has been injured on/off, but it makes Knights a totally different proposition when he plays. Tigers do not have a match-winner like that.

They are also doing well with a crop of young players that are coming good - Lucas, Sharpe, Hunt, McEwen. Dom Young back in form despite an ordinary go at Easts. There's no reason why Tigers can't replicate this, we also have some promising young players but none have really kicked on 2026.

"Coached better" - I mean, Holbrook can obviously coach but he also had a fairly ordinary run with a decent Titans side, so there is more to it than just coaching.

Personally I think the wheels are going to fall off for Knights. I could be wrong, but when the season starts to taper towards finals I think that's when the big-name players usually come good and Knights are a little short on experienced strike power. A bit flat up front as well.

Considering we beat the Knights fairly handsomely first time and then they pipped us second time, yet we are the worse form team of the two.

I also want people to look at the actual results of the Knights - they surprised a few teams early in the year - Cowboys Rd 1, Manly Rd 2, both of whom are much improved since. In the last 5 weeks they've beaten Eels, Tigers, Dragons and Dolphins by 6 pts or less. So they are obviously good at winning tight ones but those are pretty unimpressive opponents.

They lost by 2 to Storm which is OK but not the Storm of old (currently 11th). In the past 7 weeks they've only played 1 side in the Top 8 - Dolphins during Origin. Any Top 4 opposition they've faced (Panthers, Warriors, Roosters) were substantial defeats. So I'm a bit of a sceptic, I think Knights have done well with a favourable draw.

The next run will test them - Souths, Sharks, Roosters. But then Broncos, Raiders, Titans which are all fairly cosy. Manly and Warriors to finish the season, another test.

 

[batboy]

Clear you don't rate Benji but it's starting to sound personal.
Didn't work for the current premiership winning coach either. We are not exactly a destination club for coaches. Ciraldo chose to stay as a Penrith assistant rather than take it on - had great Intel from his mentor.
Why should Benji be any less hamstrung by the limitations of this club than any other coach.?

What have I said about Benji recently?
I was referencing for old mate trying to admonish any blame for the lack of success at this club from the owners…

For the gazillionth time.

 

[jirskyr]

After 20-25 years involved in the club, it seems to me that Benji always gets what Benji wants.

Except for, like, that bit where he was benched, then not offered a contract extension and quit for rugby? And then again in 2021 where he was not renewed and he took up the deal with Souths?

 

[mtd#2]

For the past 6 months you are virtually the only one who keeps bringing it up as a focus point.
I blame poor recruitment and retention on the people who are doing the recruitment and retention.
I blame bad coaching decisions or bad coaching on the coach,
I blame below standard onfield performances on the players who are performing below standard.
Other things you seem to want to keep bringing up may be far from ideal, but the onfield results directly relate to recruitment and retention which forms the playing roster and the decision making and coaching from the coach.
If we could swap our 1-5 with the likes of the Knights or Dolphins we would be siting comfortably in the top 4 and we would not be having this discussion.

You do this everytime.

We were discussing Private Ownership and you have pivoted to the systematic issues that have been around for over a decade under HBG's watch.

So now that you have brough it up, why do we continually have these issues under HBG's watch? Everyone that comes into the football club under them is simply playing musical chairs. It's same song and dance, until they blame the individual and we start again.

I don't know how many times it needs to be said, but as long as the Wests Magpies are the #1 priority, then the Wests Tigers will never have long term sustained success.

Pivot away.

 

[mtd#2]

What have I said about Benji recently?
I was referencing for old mate trying to admonish any blame for the lack of success at this club from the owners…

For the gazillionth time.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Blore to Dragons n multi year deal , expected announcement in a few days time ,

@kade7 with the early mail again yesterday

 

[mtd#2]

@kade7 with the early mail again yesterday

I wish he'd come with early mail to tell us we are about to go on a 8 from 8 run and finish 6th with a home semi final at leichardt 🙂

 

[Vicious]

You do this everytime.

We were discussing Private Ownership and you have pivoted to the systematic issues that have been around for over a decade under HBG's watch.

So now that you have brough it up, why do we continually have these issues under HBG's watch? Everyone that comes into the football club under them is simply playing musical chairs. It's same song and dance, until they blame the individual and we start again.

I don't know how many times it needs to be said, but as long as the Wests Magpies are the #1 priority, then the Wests Tigers will never have long term sustained success.

Pivot away.

I have no idea how Wests Magpies are number 1 priority, they do not even have a full time coach.
That aside they are currently playing well and they are Wests Tigers just simply wearing a different jersey on game days.
You do know that Gold Coast Titans are privately owned and not going too well themselves which shows NRL clubs do not become an overnight success just because they are privately owned.

 

[Chunk]

We were discussing Private Ownership and you have pivoted to the systematic issues that have been around for over a decade under HBG's watch.

It is without doubt our number one issue.

We do not recieve enough resources from HBG and other revenue streams.

We are at the bottom compared to other clubs.

We probably will never get out of it, unless we afforded some more resources.

Or a mircale happens and we have five junior guns coming through at the same time.

 

[Go_You_Good_Things]

I've skipped a few pages recently, but it seems that:
When we win, it's all because of Benji, the players, turning corners, new attitudes, etc.
When we lose it's all HBG's fault.

 

[Vicious]

It is without doubt our number one issue.

We do not recieve enough resources from HBG and other revenue streams.

We are at the bottom compared to other clubs.

We probably will never get out of it, unless we afforded some more resources.

Or a mircale happens and we have five junior guns coming through at the same time.

Extra resources if directed to the right areas can obviously only be a good thing, but it is not the be all and end all.
The Bulldogs are supposedly much better resourced than us and supposedly get 5 to 10 times the money put in than what we do, yet they have been behind us all season.
It shows it does not matter how much money you put in, making smart recruitment and retention decisions is still the number 1 factor towards an NRL clubs onfield success and closely followed by the coaching and how the coach manages the playing squad. Ciraldo is supposed to be an emerging super coach, but it seems like he is prone to plenty of fractured relationships with his players.

 

[king_sirro]

I've skipped a few pages recently, but it seems that:
When we win, it's all because of Benji, the players, turning corners, new attitudes, etc.
When we lose it's all HBG's fault.

Not with me. The way we are playing is 100% on Benji. He has provided zero structure, cohesion and a sustainable way to play successful attacking football. Even with our strong start to the year, that was all about the team being up and our pack dominating everyone they took on. That was enough for our talent to play off and get some wins, but watching how we structured our play, the tries we scored, i knew it wasnt good and wouldn't last. Good run with injuries it may have got us to 8th, maybe. But in fact, it was pure crap from our halves and fullback. His idea of Doueihi and Luai as a combination is laughbale. Together they lack the key ingrediants a team needs. Jock Madden showed some of those ingrediants when given a chance but he is a below NRL level talent, so that was never sustainable either. The only player we have in the club, the only one with those key attributes and above quality NRL talent is Latu Fainu, and Benji refuses to play him. He has derailed the careers of 2 of the best prospects the club has ever had with how he has used them. One player isnt ready but keeps getting picked, the other is ready and cant get picked. Benji is off his head and deserves to be under all sorts of scrutiny

 

[mtd#2]

I have no idea how Wests Magpies are number 1 priority, they do not even have a full time coach.

The club is called Wests Ashfield.
There is a Magpie on the building.
They play all KOE games at Lidcombe, none at Leichardt or Commbank. There is no regular alignment to the NRL side on game day.
They had the chance to put the Wests Tigers first with an independent board - then sacked the lot of them the first chance they got.
These are not the action of united club.
These are actions of a club looking out for their own interests - Wests Ashfield.



The fact they dont have a fulltime coach re-inforces their lack of commitment to the Wests Tigers. If the Wests Tigers are to succeed, they need successful pathways. This starts with reserve grade. How can we bring juniors through at 14 or 15 years old if the club cant even invest in a coach for the reserve grade side?

All this stuff you talk about - recruitment, retention, juniors and pathways, its all irelevant, because we have no money being put toward them. Yet its all Richos fault?

 

[Bellend]

What is the disappointing factor is the lack of skills shown by our squad, it is basic rugby league that our teams lack in, and Benji man management is not working properly and that can put to the lack of coin HBG want to spend period.

HBG main aim is to make money pure and simple. If they were serious about West Tigers then they would invest coin.

 

[mtd#2]

I've skipped a few pages recently, but it seems that:
When we win, it's all because of Benji, the players, turning corners, new attitudes, etc.
When we lose it's all HBG's fault.

It was only a matter of time before a few of you started rearing your heads again.

For the record, the HBG convo hasnt just reared its head because we were losing - it's because the original thread was shut down. We would have been having the same conversation 3 months ago when we were winning if we were allowed to.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

I've skipped a few pages recently, but it seems that:
When we win, it's all because of Benji, the players, turning corners, new attitudes, etc.
When we lose it's all HBG's fault.

Was put in hibernation when everything was smelling like roses but it will never be forgotten, probably until we finally make the finals and that won't be for a while or more money is allocated to the football mechanics, this seems to be the major complaint.

It's hard to put the blame of losses on the players, even the ones on the field a lot look busted to me.

The loss of our gun 2nd rowers really stung, take them out of any team and that hurts then add Doueihi to the equation the form he was in it just becomes a snowball effect with more injuries to follow.

It sucks and there always seems to be something unfavourable happening at the Tigers, makes you wonder when it will turn.

 

[Vicious]

The club is called Wests Ashfield.
There is a Magpie on the building.
They play all KOE games at Lidcombe, none at Leichardt or Commbank. There is no regular alignment to the NRL side on game day.
They had the chance to put the Wests Tigers first with an independent board - then sacked the lot of them the first chance they got.
These are not the action of united club.
These are actions of a club looking out for their own interests - Wests Ashfield.

View attachment 40125

The fact they dont have a fulltime coach re-inforces their lack of commitment to the Wests Tigers. If the Wests Tigers are to succeed, they need successful pathways. This starts with reserve grade. How can we bring juniors through at 14 or 15 years old if the club cant even invest in a coach for the reserve grade side?

All this stuff you talk about - recruitment, retention, juniors and pathways, its all irelevant, because we have no money being put toward them. Yet its all Richos fault?

So you wa t more money invested which I do agree with, but keep in mind Benji via Richo and via the Scott Fulton saga has previously stated he does not want t a recruitment manager, he wants full control himself. Since that time Shannon Gallant has stepped into the role, so we do now have a recruitment manager that Benji approves of.
Richo once stated we do not need a Football Manager as he was capable of doing that job.
We now have a football manager in Pat Richard’s.
These are just 2 examples of positions that were not being filled by choice, nothing to do with lack of funding.
Our decision to put all our eggs into Benji’s basket and let him have pretty much full control of our rugby leave operation is looking very shaky at the moment, but it is not at the stage where we can say it is a complete failure just yet.
I am not overly confident he will turn it all around, but I am not jumping to conclusions just yet either.
I am not sure what your solution is ?
I know you want private ownership, but does that include getting rid of Benji and starting all over again or are you wanting to give the Benji experiment more time ?
Every NRL club that is not well entrenched in the top 8 is making bad decisions, so we are not on our own and fixing it without improving the playing roster is very unlikely.
I am now refusing to go to our games where we do not have our NSW Cup playing before our NRL team, so I am in total agreeamce that should be happening, but it has been established that this is more to do with NSWRL scheduling as every NRL team is having this same problem, not just us.