The WT Identity

[mike]

After reading most comments here I realised the real problem is that it starts with our fans who are entrenched in “cancel culture” (I don’t like what is being said so forget it and move on)

The article is about how the club’s we followed had a soul and an identity (no matter which side you came from) and that we need to make changes to recapture that, some so-called die hard fans on this forum like to dismiss other people’s experiences because it doesn’t suit them.

Our club is so divided under the surface, it’s like a married couple that hates each other but are only staying together for the children.

As long as we keep demonising each other’s origins we will stay a club that just makes up numbers like we have the last 10 years.

I agree.

Feel sorry fir those who don't see we are the total sum of our past. Both sides.

16 premierships and over 200 years of history.

It should be celebrated not divided and ignored!

Our history will never be ignored, it's in the name for crying out loud: **Wests Tigers**. However we are not the foundation clubs. We are the Wests Tigers. We are making our own identity. Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, Brett Hodgson, et al. Plus we have new stars in the making. We have passionate fans you see at every game and on TV. The creation of the Centre of Excellence, which will be world class. We even had a TV show just about the Wests Tigers, no other club has ever done that in the history of Rugby League. New external initiatives like The Ambush, engaging the fans. The Wests Tigers are creating their own unique identity and history.

Well said @mike , could i perhaps get your thoughts about having one new homeground that would be located somewhere in the centre of the vast WT territory?

The ideal would have been the Sydney Olympic Park precinct. Close to enough to Balmain, Lidcombe (it’s actually more in Lidcombe than Homebush), Ashfield, and to the COE at Concord. Very easy to get to from the Southwest. Great facilities for interstate travellers as well staying overnight or for the weekend. A revamped Stadium Australia would have been fantastic, a purpose built smaller stadium in the same precinct would be the next best option.

Well said again @mike, but i got downvoted for asking for your thoughts???
Could i perhaps get your thoughts on this one?

Ignore the downvotes, they don’t really mean anything, people can be stupid sometimes.

check out ya downvotes on the thread you just started

Couldn’t be bothered.

 

[FinestTigers]

After reading most comments here I realised the real problem is that it starts with our fans who are entrenched in “cancel culture” (I don’t like what is being said so forget it and move on)

The article is about how the club’s we followed had a soul and an identity (no matter which side you came from) and that we need to make changes to recapture that, some so-called die hard fans on this forum like to dismiss other people’s experiences because it doesn’t suit them.

Our club is so divided under the surface, it’s like a married couple that hates each other but are only staying together for the children.

As long as we keep demonising each other’s origins we will stay a club that just makes up numbers like we have the last 10 years.

I agree.

Feel sorry fir those who don't see we are the total sum of our past. Both sides.

16 premierships and over 200 years of history.

It should be celebrated not divided and ignored!

Our history will never be ignored, it's in the name for crying out loud: **Wests Tigers**. However we are not the foundation clubs. We are the Wests Tigers. We are making our own identity. Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, Brett Hodgson, et al. Plus we have new stars in the making. We have passionate fans you see at every game and on TV. The creation of the Centre of Excellence, which will be world class. We even had a TV show just about the Wests Tigers, no other club has ever done that in the history of Rugby League. New external initiatives like The Ambush, engaging the fans. The Wests Tigers are creating their own unique identity and history.

Well said @mike , could i perhaps get your thoughts about having one new homeground that would be located somewhere in the centre of the vast WT territory?

The ideal would have been the Sydney Olympic Park precinct. Close to enough to Balmain, Lidcombe (it’s actually more in Lidcombe than Homebush), Ashfield, and to the COE at Concord. Very easy to get to from the Southwest. Great facilities for interstate travellers as well staying overnight or for the weekend. A revamped Stadium Australia would have been fantastic, a purpose built smaller stadium in the same precinct would be the next best option.

Well said again @mike, but i got downvoted for asking for your thoughts???
Could i perhaps get your thoughts on this one?

Ignore the downvotes, they don’t really mean anything, people can be stupid sometimes.

I really wanted to downvote you for this comment 😛

@cochise , I must say you were very funny last night and it still hasn't stopped,
Mate, what's going on at your place?
Your not having a BBQ with those Dragon players are you? ?

 

[cochise]

After reading most comments here I realised the real problem is that it starts with our fans who are entrenched in “cancel culture” (I don’t like what is being said so forget it and move on)

The article is about how the club’s we followed had a soul and an identity (no matter which side you came from) and that we need to make changes to recapture that, some so-called die hard fans on this forum like to dismiss other people’s experiences because it doesn’t suit them.

Our club is so divided under the surface, it’s like a married couple that hates each other but are only staying together for the children.

As long as we keep demonising each other’s origins we will stay a club that just makes up numbers like we have the last 10 years.

I agree.

Feel sorry fir those who don't see we are the total sum of our past. Both sides.

16 premierships and over 200 years of history.

It should be celebrated not divided and ignored!

Our history will never be ignored, it's in the name for crying out loud: **Wests Tigers**. However we are not the foundation clubs. We are the Wests Tigers. We are making our own identity. Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, Brett Hodgson, et al. Plus we have new stars in the making. We have passionate fans you see at every game and on TV. The creation of the Centre of Excellence, which will be world class. We even had a TV show just about the Wests Tigers, no other club has ever done that in the history of Rugby League. New external initiatives like The Ambush, engaging the fans. The Wests Tigers are creating their own unique identity and history.

Well said @mike , could i perhaps get your thoughts about having one new homeground that would be located somewhere in the centre of the vast WT territory?

The ideal would have been the Sydney Olympic Park precinct. Close to enough to Balmain, Lidcombe (it’s actually more in Lidcombe than Homebush), Ashfield, and to the COE at Concord. Very easy to get to from the Southwest. Great facilities for interstate travellers as well staying overnight or for the weekend. A revamped Stadium Australia would have been fantastic, a purpose built smaller stadium in the same precinct would be the next best option.

Well said again @mike, but i got downvoted for asking for your thoughts???
Could i perhaps get your thoughts on this one?

Ignore the downvotes, they don’t really mean anything, people can be stupid sometimes.

I really wanted to downvote you for this comment 😛

@cochise , I must say you were very funny last night and it still hasn't stopped,
Mate, what's going on at your place?
Your not having a BBQ with those Dragon players are you? ?

What did I do last night?

 

[FinestTigers]

After reading most comments here I realised the real problem is that it starts with our fans who are entrenched in “cancel culture” (I don’t like what is being said so forget it and move on)

The article is about how the club’s we followed had a soul and an identity (no matter which side you came from) and that we need to make changes to recapture that, some so-called die hard fans on this forum like to dismiss other people’s experiences because it doesn’t suit them.

Our club is so divided under the surface, it’s like a married couple that hates each other but are only staying together for the children.

As long as we keep demonising each other’s origins we will stay a club that just makes up numbers like we have the last 10 years.

I agree.

Feel sorry fir those who don't see we are the total sum of our past. Both sides.

16 premierships and over 200 years of history.

It should be celebrated not divided and ignored!

Our history will never be ignored, it's in the name for crying out loud: **Wests Tigers**. However we are not the foundation clubs. We are the Wests Tigers. We are making our own identity. Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, Brett Hodgson, et al. Plus we have new stars in the making. We have passionate fans you see at every game and on TV. The creation of the Centre of Excellence, which will be world class. We even had a TV show just about the Wests Tigers, no other club has ever done that in the history of Rugby League. New external initiatives like The Ambush, engaging the fans. The Wests Tigers are creating their own unique identity and history.

Well said @mike , could i perhaps get your thoughts about having one new homeground that would be located somewhere in the centre of the vast WT territory?

The ideal would have been the Sydney Olympic Park precinct. Close to enough to Balmain, Lidcombe (it’s actually more in Lidcombe than Homebush), Ashfield, and to the COE at Concord. Very easy to get to from the Southwest. Great facilities for interstate travellers as well staying overnight or for the weekend. A revamped Stadium Australia would have been fantastic, a purpose built smaller stadium in the same precinct would be the next best option.

Well said again @mike, but i got downvoted for asking for your thoughts???
Could i perhaps get your thoughts on this one?

Ignore the downvotes, they don’t really mean anything, people can be stupid sometimes.

I really wanted to downvote you for this comment 😛

@cochise , I must say you were very funny last night and it still hasn't stopped,
Mate, what's going on at your place?
Your not having a BBQ with those Dragon players are you? ?

What did I do last night?

I can't find it or remenber all of it, but @mike was in stitches. ?

 

[The_Patriot]

After reading most comments here I realised the real problem is that it starts with our fans who are entrenched in “cancel culture” (I don’t like what is being said so forget it and move on)

The article is about how the club’s we followed had a soul and an identity (no matter which side you came from) and that we need to make changes to recapture that, some so-called die hard fans on this forum like to dismiss other people’s experiences because it doesn’t suit them.

Our club is so divided under the surface, it’s like a married couple that hates each other but are only staying together for the children.

As long as we keep demonising each other’s origins we will stay a club that just makes up numbers like we have the last 10 years.

I agree.

Feel sorry fir those who don't see we are the total sum of our past. Both sides.

16 premierships and over 200 years of history.

It should be celebrated not divided and ignored!

Our history will never be ignored, it's in the name for crying out loud: **Wests Tigers**. However we are not the foundation clubs. We are the Wests Tigers. We are making our own identity. Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, Brett Hodgson, et al. Plus we have new stars in the making. We have passionate fans you see at every game and on TV. The creation of the Centre of Excellence, which will be world class. We even had a TV show just about the Wests Tigers, no other club has ever done that in the history of Rugby League. New external initiatives like The Ambush, engaging the fans. The Wests Tigers are creating their own unique identity and history.

You can live in a world where we have 1 premiership or one where we have 16

I know which one has an identity and a position of strength .

Unfortunately the board have stepped too far into the 1 premiership train of thought.

And we wonder why no one in the game respects us..

 

[FinestTigers]

After reading most comments here I realised the real problem is that it starts with our fans who are entrenched in “cancel culture” (I don’t like what is being said so forget it and move on)

The article is about how the club’s we followed had a soul and an identity (no matter which side you came from) and that we need to make changes to recapture that, some so-called die hard fans on this forum like to dismiss other people’s experiences because it doesn’t suit them.

Our club is so divided under the surface, it’s like a married couple that hates each other but are only staying together for the children.

As long as we keep demonising each other’s origins we will stay a club that just makes up numbers like we have the last 10 years.

I agree.

Feel sorry fir those who don't see we are the total sum of our past. Both sides.

16 premierships and over 200 years of history.

It should be celebrated not divided and ignored!

Our history will never be ignored, it's in the name for crying out loud: **Wests Tigers**. However we are not the foundation clubs. We are the Wests Tigers. We are making our own identity. Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, Brett Hodgson, et al. Plus we have new stars in the making. We have passionate fans you see at every game and on TV. The creation of the Centre of Excellence, which will be world class. We even had a TV show just about the Wests Tigers, no other club has ever done that in the history of Rugby League. New external initiatives like The Ambush, engaging the fans. The Wests Tigers are creating their own unique identity and history.

You can live in a world where we have 1 premiership or one where we have 16

I know which one has an identity and a position of strength .

Unfortunately the board have stepped too far into the 1 premiership train of thought.

And we wonder why no one in the game respects us..

South Sydney Rabbitohs = 21 premierships
But no one respects them, no one here anyway, too many grubs.

 

[BZN]

A seriously well written and interesting history lesson post.
But what is your view for our future?
How do we get out of the hole we seem to be in as far as location/re-location is concerned?
Imo that's a BIG part of our identity.
And I'm not asking what you think our Board will or wont do.

Well said , @MAGPIES1963 , a team without an address (one homeground) would be like people of no fixed address, homelessness. .

:100: agree @finesttigers

 

[happy_tiger]

So our identity is a non entity ??

 

[Geo]

So our identity is a non entity ??

No ..It's pretending to be something it's not..

I have been thinking about this both foundation Clubs were built on battlers who punched above their weight...Clouds of Dust Buckets of Blood ..Black and Gold never fold ..never give up never surrender ..so to speak ..

This mob bang on about awakening the Sleeping Giant.. A glamour destination Club.. the Man U of the NRL ..I have been in meetings and they actually believe it themselves ..it's Rubbish.. we will never be those things..

The sooner they embrace who we are.. A team that fights for every inch no matter what even if you come up short rather than pretenders..we might start to see something of our Identity and some success..

 

[happy_tiger]

So our identity is a non entity ??

No ..It's pretending to be something it's not..

I have been thinking about this both foundation Clubs were built on battlers who punched above their weight...Clouds of Dust Buckets of Blood ..Black and Gold never fold ..never give up never surrender ..so to speak ..

This mob bang on about awakening the Sleeping Giant.. A glamour destination Club.. the Man U of the NRL ..I have been in meetings and they actually believe it themselves ..it's Rubbish.. we will never be those things..

The sooner they embrace who we are.. A team that fights for every inch no matter what even if you come up short rather than pretenders..we might start to see something of our Identity and some success..

Even if we discover our / your belief of our identity (which i agree with ) ..nothing will change in regards to recruitment / retention

I honestly can't see a future unless we trip over an unbelievable group of local juniors

But then I saw what happened last time we had a group of talented juniors from 2009-2013 ......

 

[Needaname]

So our identity is a non entity ??

No ..It's pretending to be something it's not..

I have been thinking about this both foundation Clubs were built on battlers who punched above their weight...Clouds of Dust Buckets of Blood ..Black and Gold never fold ..never give up never surrender ..so to speak ..

This mob bang on about awakening the Sleeping Giant.. A glamour destination Club.. the Man U of the NRL ..I have been in meetings and they actually believe it themselves ..it's Rubbish.. we will never be those things..

The sooner they embrace who we are.. A team that fights for every inch no matter what even if you come up short rather than pretenders..we might start to see something of our Identity and some success..

The mob you speak of. I agree with you there.

It frustrates me to no end when we have 20,000 members but the club throw out ridiculous figures like 400,000 casual fans...

It’s like they’ve got a tech guru to survey how many people look up Wests tigers in their search engine.

What proof is there that 400,000 follow the tigers?
I follow the tigers and watch every other team in the comp each week. Would that make me a casual fan of the other 15 teams.

Gimme a break!

 

[Magpie_Magic]

That stuff rings a bell with me but not with the players of today. Hope he enjoyed writing it because he's obviously passionate but, other than making him feel good, it's a waste of effort. Around half today's players are Polynesian in origin and they don't relate to this stuff. The others are from all over the place and it just won't resonate with them.

This is very true and I can't really see them identifying with any club really unlike the South's indigenous players. Maybe the Polynesian players may feel something for our club if coming through juniors they feel our club is a type which looks after families but we probably won't be the only ones doing that.

But not many club's have this luxury anymore except for Manly really due to their relatively undisturbed demographics. They remain a nuisance.

 

[twentyforty]

Jack, I’m sorry that things have changed for you, but that’s the nature of life, change is inevitable. I agree with the idea of having a story though and posted same here some months ago, but the story is only useful in that it helps to sell the ideals and hopefully with it strengthens a pathway to continuity.
Continuity in everything we do is what is needed more than anything else. It’s a simple but effective strategy, but it requires a few Don Quixotes, those who are willing to march into battle for a heavenly cause and infect the entire organisation with their enthusiasm. Do we have those people? What we have are change merchants. The club has been running for two decades and during this time we have been busy trying to continually rewrite history, destroying our story. Our story took a new turn in 1999, it’s one worth telling. We need to build systems and procedures from a proven formula for success and stick with it, regardless of who the employees are. That’s what will give you your story.

 

[jirskyr]

But, if there’s not something like “the Roosters’ way”, as is often mentioned by them, then why are they so damn gritty, tough, resilient, brave and competitive? If it’s just a matter of a golf game with Uncle Nick paying out losing bets to players from the sombrero stash, they wouldn’t be like they are.
I think there is more to it about being a “Rooster” than you suggest and that can only be described in a story or narrative or shared-belief that guides the staff and players in how and why they do things the way they do them. And, it’s brought them a lot of success and respect.

Because Roosters buy up the best talent they can afford both as juniors and as seniors. The juniors they cook through their own systems - and they are good systems, I won't begrudge them that. But they spend a fortune on these developments and keep them locked in, then they go out and buy market-best players to top it all off.

Roosters take very good financial care of the players and their families. When Joey Manu was a teenager, Roosters used to fly him over from NZ on weekends to play in the Roosters junior teams. No surprise Joey Manu has loyalty to the club.

And how can anyone possibly overlook that the Roosters signed Luke Keary, James Tedesco and Cooper Cronk within the space of 12 months? That would be like Tigers going out and signing not just Tommy Turbo, but Cody Walker and Nathan Cleary for seasons 2022-23.

So if you look by comparison at top-tier football clubs like Man City or PSG, they are very very good sides, but they are good because they are stacked with elite-class players, and yes they have a drive and desire to win, but the club also supplies the best facilities, best rewards, best coaches. A contrast would be a club like Atalanta - very small budget and ordinary home facilities compare to the giants like Inter and Juventus, but they can truly claim to having a close-knit winning culture and a highly successful academy.

I think Melbourne Storm are much more the "gritty, brave, competitive" club you are talking about. Storm have to source 99.9% of players externally because they have very little local rugby league. Storm have excellent junior talent identification but they also take punts on developing-up fringe first-grades. For example Nicho Hynes is already 25, cut from Manly NYC and plucked from obscurity playing up in Mackay. Jahrome Hughes was signed by the Titans from the Roosters SG Ball, but only managed 2 FG games for Titans and Cowboys over 4 seasons, before picked up by Melbourne. Now both are two of Storm's most reliable spine talents.

Just look at the Roosters top-tier players:
- Tedesco - Camden and Tigers junior, pinched at his peak
- Luke Keary - Oakhill College rugby product, growing up in and being signed from QLD by Souths, playing 64 matches including a winning GF, before getting into a massive blue with Rusty Crowe and signing on with Roosters.
- JWH - Kiwi rugby product, schooling out of QLD and scouted by Manly, before being pinched by Roosters.
- Joey Manu - born and bred in NZ but scouted and brought over by Roosters
- Joseph Suaalii - long-term Souths prodigy who basically reneged on Souths then was courted by Roosters, who managed to secure exemptions to allow him to play early (and how surprising he got injured for the season).
- Angus Crichton - young rugby talent who actually played lower grades at Roosters, before being signed by Souths and coming to prominence with them; purchased by Roosters as a proven product.
- Taukeiaho - Kiwi product pinched from Warriors as a replacement for SBW.
- Lindsay Collins - Brisbane born and bred, pinched by Roosters from Broncos NYC.
- Sam Walker - 100% QLD product; his Dad never played for Roosters (one of his uncles did) but Broncos botched the deal that would have kept Walker in QLD.
- Victor Radley - legitimate all-Roosters product, from start to finish. There is one!
- Daniel Tupou - another arguable Roosters product, though they signed him after 2 years in Eels NYC.

So I do see a "Roosters Way". That "way" is to buy up everyone else's best players, then refine the product, releasing the ones that don't work out, until you have an emerging group of talent, on top of which you purchase the best few talents going around. You buy a very good coach and support him with the best talent and facilities that money can buy, and put him and all his players in touch with all the business heavies you can associate with, to bulk-up the Roosters "experience" where everything is taken care of for you, by people unofficially connected to the club.

Soulless. It has nothing to do with the old Easts that my grandmother followed, raised in Paddington, a fairly poor area but a club built on key foundational local players and administrators like Jersey Flegg, Dave Brown and Dally Messenger. Roosters aren't even "Easts" any more, they are just an oil-baron-style financial club who buy the best of the best from other areas.

 

[Pascoes_barber]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[happy_tiger]

So our identity is a non entity ??

No ..It's pretending to be something it's not..

I have been thinking about this both foundation Clubs were built on battlers who punched above their weight...Clouds of Dust Buckets of Blood ..Black and Gold never fold ..never give up never surrender ..so to speak ..

This mob bang on about awakening the Sleeping Giant.. A glamour destination Club.. the Man U of the NRL ..I have been in meetings and they actually believe it themselves ..it's Rubbish.. we will never be those things..

The sooner they embrace who we are.. A team that fights for every inch no matter what even if you come up short rather than pretenders..we might start to see something of our Identity and some success..

The mob you speak of. I agree with you there.

It frustrates me to no end when we have 20,000 members but the club throw out ridiculous figures like 400,000 casual fans...

It’s like they’ve got a tech guru to survey how many people look up Wests tigers in their search engine.

What proof is there that 400,000 follow the tigers?
I follow the tigers and watch every other team in the comp each week. Would that make me a casual fan of the other 15 teams.

Gimme a break!

The Giant has been in a coma for a long time .....

 

[jirskyr]

Well, @jirskyr, I stand corrected. But I still don't get it. Their resolve and tenacity and support of each other is amazing. If that's not based on a Roosters culture and narrative, then how do you explain it? And, why isn't every club like that?

You give me Uncle Nick, hand back Tedesco, sign up some premiership-winning forwards and centres, rep wingers and two wiley old try-scoring machines and I'll give you a Wests Tigers to be reckoned with.

I'd be much much much more impressed if Roosters achieved the resolve and tenacity with half the talent at their disposal.

But of course that's not to say it's just players that do the job - Titans can't manage it with a fairly handsome roster at times. Thing about Titans is there is no "wile", no depth and no real success experience.

 

[joeblock]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/a-crisis-of-identity-the-real-tales-from-tiger-town-20210827-p58mm6.html

Picking over the scabs of our past, hopefully whatever lessons that were there to be learnt have been. But also hopefully whatever is media axe grinding in this article and all others out there is ignored.