Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters

TheDaBoss

Well-known member
Underrated? Eisenhuth and friends out to silence doubters
Author
Chris Kennedy
NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp
Fri 21 Feb 2020, 02:01 PM

Wests Tigers forward Matt Eisenhuth says it's the job of the club's pack to ensure the team is taken seriously in 2020 after not meeting their own standards last year.

"As a pack, we're probably a bit underrated," Eisenhuth told NRL.com.

"The belief within us in the group is we're a pack that can definitely match it and dominate other packs so that's going to be a personal challenge week-in, week-out for us, we have to set the platform for the rest of the team.


"We've got plenty of depth there compared to what we had last year. Russ Packer [to return from injury]. We've got the depth there in the team, we'll be out to prove a point."

Josh Aloiai echoed those comments but said he was happy to be written off by those outside the club.

"To be honest with you there's a bit of a chip on our shoulder at the moment in the forward pack," Aloiai said.

Five key match-ups of the Wests Tigers' 2020 drawFive key match-ups of the Wests Tigers' 2020 draw
Five key match-ups of the Wests Tigers' 2020 drawFive key match-ups of the Wests Tigers' 2020 draw
"There's a bit of noise that we're going to struggle as a forward pack this year. That's great - we're happy. We're going to go about our work.

"I like the way our forward pack complement each other and I'm looking forward to us taking on some of the other big packs."

The club has lost last year's best forward Ryan Matterson to the Eels while Ben Matulino and Robbie Rochow have retired. Former Dragon Luciano Leilua and former Rabbitoh Zane Musgrove have joined and each has impressed teammates through the pre-season.

Matt Eisenhuth scores for Wests Tigers.
Matt Eisenhuth scores for Wests Tigers.
©Scott Davis/NRL Photos
With the likes of Tom Mikaele and Ollie Clark emerging last season and Alex Twal producing another consistent season, Eisenhuth believes the pack is "definitely maturing".

"We've got a few boys that have been there and played a full season, Tom Mikaele debuted round one last year and played basically the whole season and got better every game," he said.

Pressed on his assessment of the pack as "underrated", Eisenhuth said he felt like the team got pigeonholed after underperforming in 2019.


"There's no secret we haven't achieved what we wanted to achieve, we should have played finals footy last year or the last couple of years. We've let ourselves down," he said.

"Amongst the group, we're out to prove a point, that we're up there with those teams that will be playing finals footy at the end of the year.

"The belief among the group is high. We're aiming for finals footy and higher than that, to win the comp, that's the goal."

We've got the depth ... we'll be out to prove a point

Wests Tigers forward Matt Eisenhuth
Losing the round 25 clash against Cronulla with a finals berth on offer for the winner still stings, he added.

"Everyone remembers that feeling, how it was at the end of the year in the sheds. It wasn't how it was meant to go," he said.

"The scene was set and we didn't perform and as a consequence, we didn't play finals footy. It's a burning feeling inside. We'll be out to rectify that this year."

Wests Tigers' top five tries of 2019Wests Tigers' top five tries of 2019
Wests Tigers' top five tries of 2019Wests Tigers' top five tries of 2019
Eisenhuth himself may be eased through the trials given he is coming off off-season surgery.

"I think I'll definitely go over to New Zealand and play the trial over there [on March 1 at Rotoua]," he said.

"I had some off-season surgery on my hip flexor, adductor, pelvis sort of thing. I had a whole bunch of stuff going on there but after the Chrissy break I've been back in full training so I'm sweet to go now.

"It's just up to the coaching staff if they prefer me to have another week of training or play the trial."

WESTS TIGERS IN 2020
 
If we fail to make the 8 in 2020 it wont be on the forwards. It will be on the spine.

This pack is one of the best we have had, and fast improving.
 
Watching the Eels v Souths trial. Have to say we will look complete once we add Stefano Utoikamanu. Id be happy with that pack.
 
@happy_tiger said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119307) said:
A few of our forwards need to take the next step and stay fit

Aloiai ,the Twuth and Mikaele must step up


You say "must" i say will. Natural progression.
 
I wonder if we'll see some mongrel in our forward pack. I think it's been missing since Blocker Roach and Tommy Raudonikis. I want to see us overpower our opposition, smash through them, have them fearing us.

I believe we are capable this year of doing that, and I expect nothing less. Fingers crossed.
 
@The_Patriot said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119310) said:
@happy_tiger said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119307) said:
A few of our forwards need to take the next step and stay fit

Aloiai ,the Twuth and Mikaele must step up


You say "must" i say will. Natural progression.

Fitness is on the Gods shoulders ...but more importantly they all have to play 20 + games for us to stay competitive against the stronger packs

Our spine will need every piece of help they can get ...our forwards getting at the very least parity every week is crucial to a Top 8 finish
 
@happy_tiger said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119313) said:
@The_Patriot said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119310) said:
@happy_tiger said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119307) said:
A few of our forwards need to take the next step and stay fit

Aloiai ,the Twuth and Mikaele must step up


You say "must" i say will. Natural progression.

Fitness is on the Gods shoulders ...but more importantly they all have to play 20 + games for us to stay competitive against the stronger packs

Our spine will need every piece of help they can get ...our forwards getting at the very least parity every week is crucial to a Top 8 finish


Thyell do more than that, theyll dominate most teams. All except the top 4 kind of teams we have covered in the forwards.
 
@The_Patriot said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119310) said:
@happy_tiger said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119307) said:
A few of our forwards need to take the next step and stay fit

Aloiai ,the Twuth and Mikaele must step up


You say "must" i say will. Natural progression.

Agree with this...they have experience now
 
@The_Patriot said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119308) said:
Watching the Eels v Souths trial. Have to say we will look complete once we add Stefano Utoikamanu. Id be happy with that pack.

Doing OK is he?
 
@Cultured_Bogan said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119327) said:
@The_Patriot said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119308) said:
Watching the Eels v Souths trial. Have to say we will look complete once we add Stefano Utoikamanu. Id be happy with that pack.

Doing OK is he?


He is hard to stop. Not a lot of game time but short stints and post contact metres are off the charts. Finds his feet quick as well.
 
@Geo said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119318) said:
@The_Patriot said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119310) said:
@happy_tiger said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119307) said:
A few of our forwards need to take the next step and stay fit

Aloiai ,the Twuth and Mikaele must step up


You say "must" i say will. Natural progression.

Agree with this...they have experience now

Someone like Aloiai needs a full season ...he has had a lot of different injuries ...... hip ,jaw , knee and arm

Mikaele hands need to improve this season

Twal is the forward leader imo ...he has to get us on the front foot
 
8 Twal
9 A hooker
10 Eisenthuth
11 Garner
12 Luciano
13 Taylor

14 Aloiai
15 Musgrove
16 Mikaele
17 Che Kam
 
@Demps said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119346) said:
8 Twal
9 A hooker
10 Eisenthuth
11 Garner
12 Luciano
13 Taylor

14 Aloiai
15 Musgrove
16 Mikaele
17 Che Kam

All good ball runners on bench there Demps...
 
@MtWarrigalTiger said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119347) said:
@Demps said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119346) said:
8 Twal
9 A hooker
10 Eisenthuth
11 Garner
12 Luciano
13 Taylor

14 Aloiai
15 Musgrove
16 Mikaele
17 Che Kam

All good ball runners on bench there Demps...

I'd give some young guns a go later on in the season
 
@MtWarrigalTiger said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119347) said:
@Demps said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119346) said:
8 Twal
9 A hooker
10 Eisenthuth
11 Garner
12 Luciano
13 Taylor

14 Aloiai
15 Musgrove
16 Mikaele
17 Che Kam

All good ball runners on bench there Demps...

Yeah. I can't see Mikaele starting yet.
This is as realistic as it gets imo.

Not a big fan of Eiso tho.
 
@Demps said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119350) said:
@MtWarrigalTiger said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119347) said:
@Demps said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119346) said:
8 Twal
9 A hooker
10 Eisenthuth
11 Garner
12 Luciano
13 Taylor

14 Aloiai
15 Musgrove
16 Mikaele
17 Che Kam

All good ball runners on bench there Demps...

Yeah. I can't see Mikaele starting yet.
This is as realistic as it gets imo.

Not a big fan of Eiso tho.

Hoping Twal really steps up,I think he will go great.I do know Madge loves Oli Clarke also
 
@MtWarrigalTiger said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119357) said:
@Demps said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119350) said:
@MtWarrigalTiger said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119347) said:
@Demps said in [Underrated? Eisenhuth to silence doubters](/post/1119346) said:
8 Twal
9 A hooker
10 Eisenthuth
11 Garner
12 Luciano
13 Taylor

14 Aloiai
15 Musgrove
16 Mikaele
17 Che Kam

All good ball runners on bench there Demps...

Yeah. I can't see Mikaele starting yet.
This is as realistic as it gets imo.

Not a big fan of Eiso tho.

Hoping Twal really steps up,I think he will go great.I do know Madge loves Oli Clarke also

Clarke can get a start over Eiso then.
I'd be good with that.
 
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