Wests Tigers: 2021 round 1 predicted team
Author
Chris Kennedy & Jamie Soward
Tue 29 Dec 2020, 07:00 AM
In a series analysing who will line up in each position for all 16 teams in the opening round of the Telstra Premiership in 2021, NRL.com looks at the Wests Tigers.
NRL.com says: Billy Walters won't be back from his knee reconstruction to start the year.New recruit James Roberts is set to partner Joey Leilua in the centres, Moses Mbye is likely to start in either the No.1 or No.6 jersey, with Adam Doueihi to take the other from round two once he returns from suspension. The returning Paul Momirovski may have to step in at the back for one game to start the season. Young gun Shawn Blore is pushing the likes of Luke Garner and Michael Chee-Kam for a starting back-row spot.
High-profile recruits in former Panthers skipper James Tamou and former Maroons prop Joe Ofahengaue are likely to form a new front-row pairing but freshly re-signed prop Zane Musgrove or veteran Russell Packer could take one of those spots, or one of the bench spots from Tom Mikaele or highly rated former Eel Stefano Utoikamanu.
Jamie Soward says: Their question marks are around the No.1 and No. 6, which has been the case for a while. Luke Brooks, with no Benji, this has to be his year. If he's going to take the next step, can he do it this year and be the main guy from the start of the year?
It looks like Doueihi will be in the halves with him once he's back but is Mbye the answer at fullback, and what does that system look like in attack? And can Liddle stay fit at hooker?
Ofahengaue and Tamou are big ins and a boost in terms of experience but after that it drops off.
They do have some explosive talent in the backline with Roberts and Leilua in the centres and some great finishers in Nofa and Talau on the wings.
No one will rate them this year and with all the question marks around fullback and five-eighth in particular it's too much for me. I'm not investing in the Tigers because they're not settled and haven't been for a while.
These 2 forgot about the most important fact for our success next year ....THE MADGE EFFECT...
Wasn't he here this year, and the one before?
Yeah he was,but he is building a new generation team and hasnt got his hands tied...experience mixed with youth...I have great confidence in Madge getting THIS team playing finals in 2021....
Actually you should try and be positve occasionally.its good for your metabolism...
I've been positive this offseason, have been supportive of pretty much every move management has made with the exception of McIntyre leaving. If we play finals football in '21 it's because of good recruitment, not the "madge effect".
Ok so the recruitment team will coach the side and make positional changes when needed and structure gameplans....I see ...just to make you happy it will be the RECRUITMENT EFFECT...
No, but the recruitment team have found him players that (hopefully) he can coach. Not saying he's not a very good coach, but he's pretty one dimensional, needs a specific type of players to be successful. He's not like a Bellamy of a Bennett who can adapt and make use of what they have.
So from your point of view,JTamou recruited for his leadership and playing qualities,JTJ for his dynamic speed and experience in the centre position and Joe O to replace Josh A is because recruitment told Madge these are what you need in the team to be a successful coach and make the finals....all the other guys in the squad just make up the numbers and developed well in the past couple of years because thats what they do...Madge hasnt helped make them better players ....ok...
I think some players have gone to another level under Madge (eg Luciano) but others have gone backwards (Brooks, Mbye). I think the recruitment team (which I believe includes Madge) has done very well this off-season identifying gaps in our roster and trying to fill them sensibly.
M'Bye hasnt gone backwards he is still the same as he has always been,a man who is not good enough to hold down a spot but can fill in in many positions.
