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Tigers claw woeful Magpies to shreds, reinforcing case for teams to merge
September 2, 2012
Josh Rakic
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ANY doubt still remaining about whether the Wests Tigers should merge their Western Suburbs and Balmain Tigers NSW Cup teams should all but be put to bed after yesterday's 76-4 thrashing of the Magpies at Leichhardt Oval.
The eighth-placed Tigers made a meal of the wooden-spooners, relegating the Fibros to their 24th consecutive loss of the season for a winless winter. Balmain Ryde Eastwood five-eighth Dane Chisholm ran in five of the side's 14 tries for a man-of-the-match performance. All the Magpies could do was resume their standard position behind the try line as the Tigers piled on enough points to have scoreboard attendant complaining of RSI.
A quick read of the Magpies' team sheet and one was quick to discover why - not one surname triggered the memory. Balmain were sprinkled with NRL players such as Joel Reddy and Ray Cashmere.
But with Western Suburbs so far refusing to merge with the Tigers, it's blindingly obvious starving the side of NRL talent has been a ploy to force the Magpies into submission.
Ryde Eastwood Leagues, naming-rights sponsor of the Tigers, wants to sponsor a merged side. The Wests Tigers want a merged NSW Cup side to support the NRL side. The Magpies' argument is built on emotion; a matter of saving what's left of a once-great club. Ryde Eastwood and the Tigers' decision on the other hand is based almost purely on business logic and the future success of the NRL club - both on the field and financially.
And unfortunately for passionate Western Suburbs supporters, yesterday's result only stood as a brutal reminder of how far the heritage club has fallen. Ardent fans flew a ''Magpie Muscle'' flag on the hill as the points were piled on, but sadly, they were all but outnumbered by the players themselves.
If it was to be the Magpies' last match as a senior side, it's one to be forgotten, just like the season past. Supporters of the club remain defiant but yesterday's display is evidence a merger is the only option to maintain what little dignity the Magpies have left - barring a financial miracle.
Five-eighth and former Storm player Chisholm opened the scoring of the match with the first of his five tries, converted by fullback Sean Meaney.
So fluent was the home side this scribe could barely lift his head to watch as tries came play after play.
Centre Tim Simona added another seven minutes short of the half, with Chisholm collecting his third and fourth minutes later. Meaney's boot made it 48-0 at the break.
It was more of the same after the break, Reddy scoring a double inside the first 14 minutes of the second stanza to have the score at 58-nil.
It took 56 minutes for the Magpies to score their first try, prop Seffa Silafau pushing off all comers to barge over the line. Reddy collected his hat-trick and reserve Francis Tuigamala scored in the final minute as the margin got even more embarrassing for the proud Magpies.
September 2, 2012
Josh Rakic
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ANY doubt still remaining about whether the Wests Tigers should merge their Western Suburbs and Balmain Tigers NSW Cup teams should all but be put to bed after yesterday's 76-4 thrashing of the Magpies at Leichhardt Oval.
The eighth-placed Tigers made a meal of the wooden-spooners, relegating the Fibros to their 24th consecutive loss of the season for a winless winter. Balmain Ryde Eastwood five-eighth Dane Chisholm ran in five of the side's 14 tries for a man-of-the-match performance. All the Magpies could do was resume their standard position behind the try line as the Tigers piled on enough points to have scoreboard attendant complaining of RSI.
A quick read of the Magpies' team sheet and one was quick to discover why - not one surname triggered the memory. Balmain were sprinkled with NRL players such as Joel Reddy and Ray Cashmere.
But with Western Suburbs so far refusing to merge with the Tigers, it's blindingly obvious starving the side of NRL talent has been a ploy to force the Magpies into submission.
Ryde Eastwood Leagues, naming-rights sponsor of the Tigers, wants to sponsor a merged side. The Wests Tigers want a merged NSW Cup side to support the NRL side. The Magpies' argument is built on emotion; a matter of saving what's left of a once-great club. Ryde Eastwood and the Tigers' decision on the other hand is based almost purely on business logic and the future success of the NRL club - both on the field and financially.
And unfortunately for passionate Western Suburbs supporters, yesterday's result only stood as a brutal reminder of how far the heritage club has fallen. Ardent fans flew a ''Magpie Muscle'' flag on the hill as the points were piled on, but sadly, they were all but outnumbered by the players themselves.
If it was to be the Magpies' last match as a senior side, it's one to be forgotten, just like the season past. Supporters of the club remain defiant but yesterday's display is evidence a merger is the only option to maintain what little dignity the Magpies have left - barring a financial miracle.
Five-eighth and former Storm player Chisholm opened the scoring of the match with the first of his five tries, converted by fullback Sean Meaney.
So fluent was the home side this scribe could barely lift his head to watch as tries came play after play.
Centre Tim Simona added another seven minutes short of the half, with Chisholm collecting his third and fourth minutes later. Meaney's boot made it 48-0 at the break.
It was more of the same after the break, Reddy scoring a double inside the first 14 minutes of the second stanza to have the score at 58-nil.
It took 56 minutes for the Magpies to score their first try, prop Seffa Silafau pushing off all comers to barge over the line. Reddy collected his hat-trick and reserve Francis Tuigamala scored in the final minute as the margin got even more embarrassing for the proud Magpies.
