Thanks to whoever decided to Tell Austin he was no chance of first grade

In hindsight given his form it seems like (and probably is) a poor decision to let him go *****BUT***** would he be playing like that, or even as well as he was for us last year, under Taylor and his 'structure'?

I have my doubts about whether he'd be producing what he is in Canberra for us this year because our main problem in attack is Moses & Brooks not being allowed to play their natural games and use their instinct, therefore they show little. We've got to acknowledge that our attacking problems and halves stagnation is almost exclusively to do with our head coach, who gives these boys a serve when they deviate from his structured plan.
 
@stevetiger said:
It was a poor decision that happened on JT's watch. I still think that Moses will come good and may be the better longer term option.
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It didn't happen on JT's watch.
JT was appointed coach on the 29th September and Blake Austin was told to look elsewhere on the 4th September.

http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/sport/nrl/news/2014/9/six-wests-tigers-players-told-they-can-look-elsewhere-including-tim-moltzen-blake-austin-and-joel-buchanan/

It happened with Mayer and McDonnell on watch. One is gone and the other one is just an incredible long term survivor with little to show.
 
With this

"I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Wests Tigers and in a perfect world I would've loved to have stayed there," Austin told Fairfax Media on Tuesday. "But they've invested time into some young kid who I [always] knew would stand in my way.
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"I have to do what is best for me and my family. I loved it at the Wests Tigers, the fans are great people. While I'm very excited about going to Canberra – and the Raiders are providing me with a great opportunity – there's a little bit of disappointment about leaving."

And

Austin said while he'd planned to pin down his preferred position at five-eighth, he accepted nothing was guaranteed.

"I'm not going to Canberra expecting to walk into the No.6 jersey. I'll work hard for it but I don't mind admitting the idea of getting a shot to play in the No.6 is very attractive," he said.
>
"I've spoken to [coach] Ricky Stuart several times and it's pleased me that he's been keen to get me down there from the start. It's good to be wanted and it excites me to think I have the chance to lock down a spot."

That reads like it was career motivated and revolving around getting the 5/8th position. He couldn't have gotten that at WT, it was obvious to all.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rugby-league/canberra-raiders/blake-austin-aims-to-shine-at-canberra-raiders-after-being-released-by-wests-tigers-20141014-115ttj.html

I am glad we let him go, because if he had to sit behind the likes of Moses this year, I can see myself head butting a brick wall each week, but I get the OP message about all this being a very poor decision. All eggs in the unproven basket when you already have a 5/8th that the fans vote as best player of the year. Dumb as.
 
Potter was ousted because he wanted his own team his own support staff but was never given the chance.

Who got Austin to the tigers??

I'm sorry for all the Moses fans if uncle benny wasn't so influential Austin would have been given the number 6 In order for the club to move forward the dead wood from the board room still needs to be removed starting with uncle Benny. Im not sure but wasn't he one of the people that gave the ok to sell our club in Balmain?

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_
 
@Benjirific said:
In hindsight given his form it seems like (and probably is) a poor decision to let him go *****BUT***** would he be playing like that, or even as well as he was for us last year, under Taylor and his 'structure'?

I have my doubts about whether he'd be producing what he is in Canberra for us this year because our main problem in attack is Moses & Brooks not being allowed to play their natural games and use their instinct, therefore they show little. We've got to acknowledge that our attacking problems and halves stagnation is almost exclusively to do with our head coach, who gives these boys a serve when they deviate from his structured plan.
Click to expand...

Tedesco's attack hasn't been stopped , he's attacking whenever he can, so why wouldn't Austin be able too, the main problem now is that no one in our halves is setting anything up for Tedesco,
Except for a couple of kicks. Mainly it's just his individual talent that he has ,
That is getting him through.
 
The reason why everyone is so pissed off about Austin is because there was no valid reason to let him go.

Fifita was a different story. Adam Blair was a very good signing for WT at the time, and Fifita apparently had discipline issues. We let him go to make way for Blair. Yes it proved to be a stupid decision, but this is not unusual and it could have very well gone the other way.

Austin on the other hand…why did we let him go? Seriously, what was the reason? He was playing too well? He was on too little coin and we felt bad? He had a year left on his contract so obviously we had to let him go asap? Stupid Stupid stupid.

Austin proved to be a better performer. He should have been told that he would be first choice for 5/8 and Moses could develop in NSW cup. After a year, Taylor could look at both players and make a hard choice who to keep.
 
I seem to recall Blake talking further in an interview about the club investing in Moses as a long term plan. Pretty sure he commended the club for doing it and wishing Penrith had given him a similar opportunity.

He gave his all for us and is now really excelling in the nations capital. Would I have liked to keep him this year, yes, but I would have let him go to further his career and get a lot more dollars as well.
 
@Fumbles said:
@stevetiger said:
It was a poor decision that happened on JT's watch. I still think that Moses will come good and may be the better longer term option.

It didn't happen on JT's watch.
JT was appointed coach on the 29th September and Blake Austin was told to look elsewhere on the 4th September.

http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/sport/nrl/news/2014/9/six-wests-tigers-players-told-they-can-look-elsewhere-including-tim-moltzen-blake-austin-and-joel-buchanan/

It happened with Mayer and McDonnell on watch. One is gone and the other one is just an incredible long term survivor with little to show.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about this. I reckon JT had a say in it.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-14/blake-austin-leaves-tigers-to-join-raiders/5811958
 
@formerguest said:
I seem to recall Blake talking further in an interview about the club investing in Moses as a long term plan. Pretty sure he commended the club for doing it and wishing Penrith had given him a similar opportunity.

He gave his all for us and is now really excelling in the nations capital. Would I have liked to keep him this year, yes, but I would have let him go to further his career and get a lot more dollars as well.
Click to expand...

I would have kept him and paid him what he is worth. Moses could play 7 as well easily. That gives us 3 quality players in the halves.

Austin might also slot into the 13 spot or maybe even at centre.

He is a quality player and I think you keep them assuming you aren't paying them a fortune.
 
@Telltails said:
Please would someone just ask him why he really left so we never have to talk about again.
Click to expand...

He was assured of the first grade number 6 jumper down there
he was bench at best here
 
@stevetiger said:
@formerguest said:
I seem to recall Blake talking further in an interview about the club investing in Moses as a long term plan. Pretty sure he commended the club for doing it and wishing Penrith had given him a similar opportunity.

He gave his all for us and is now really excelling in the nations capital. Would I have liked to keep him this year, yes, but I would have let him go to further his career and get a lot more dollars as well.

I would have kept him and paid him what he is worth. Moses could play 7 as well easily. That gives us 3 quality players in the halves.

Austin might also slot into the 13 spot or maybe even at centre.

He is a quality player and I think you keep them assuming you aren't paying them a fortune.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

My take is that WT could not afford an upgrade and as such he was let go, just as Takairangi was not finalised when Moss and Taylor took the reins. Whatever ability he has would most likely have been shortchanged under our coach anyhow, with no room for his trademark show and go on early tackles.
 
The one that got away hey …
Ah well, not point crying over spilt milk, is it WT Management and Board ??

I see hint of no footballing brains behind some of the stuff they do in the management and upper management at this club
 
I think the Tigers decided early on that we weren't going to win a premiership this year so best spend it repairing the cap.

Any players we shed now, can be used to bring forward backloaded contracts like Lawrence and Farah.

the only way you would keep them on is if they were the difference in us winning a premiership or not. Austin would have left next year anyway.
 
We needed him to see out 2015 at least,it's not as if we are using the money he was on this year.
Leave Moses back a year to grow,brooks gets the extra years experience to carry Moses until he finds he's feet in 2016.
I know it happens all the time ie.JT and Marty, in my opinion these two players come good after the fact.Austin was one of our best consistent players for his two year tenure at our club.

Dissapointing,however,

We've gotta move on!
 
@Magpie Ryan said:
We needed him to see out 2015 at least,it's not as if we are using the money he was on this year.
Leave Moses back a year to grow,brooks gets the extra years experience to carry Moses until he finds he's feet in 2016.
I know it happens all the time ie.JT and Marty, in my opinion these two players come good after the fact.Austin was one of our best consistent players for his two year tenure at our club.

Dissapointing,however,

We've gotta move on!
Click to expand...

Move on is right.

Imagine some of the people on this forum if we had lost players of the calibre of Tommy R, John Dorahy, Les Boyd, Ray Brown, John Ribot, Graham O'Grady, Stephen Knight, Kevin Neal et al.

There would be mass suicide. Wests supporter battled on and so will the true Weststigers supporters.
 
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