@happy tiger said:
Fair point….
Wests Tigers' cubs must grow up
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Fair point….
AmericanHistoryX
Well-known member
exactly - a guess - what do we know - really
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It seems the hate Anasta club is in full swing,in my opinion he was very beneficial to the young guns like him or not…they admitted it themselves...so GEO and others,unless you were there at training every night or in the game every game they were in then I don't think you have a valid point,I wasn't there either so I can't judge,but I bet the young guys will be much better off next year for spending time with Anasta and Blair..bag Lulia all you like but he was in the right spot at the right time to score 4 try's in the one game,another example of experience knowing where to be at the right time...
@Balmain Boy said:
Balmain Boy you made some valid points about some of our senior (experienced) players. Anasta and Blair both had their strengths and weaknesses as all players do. But for what ever reason, the coaching staff couldn't get them to consistently play to their strengths. For that reason we didn't get much value out of them. But we can't lay the entire blame on them for our abysmal season, as the whole team had alot of weaknesses and flaws and having a coach that had his hands tied and wasn't allowed to coach didn't help the situation. :frowning:
guyofthetiger
Well-known member
When it comes to the balance of experienced NRL level players and inexperienced young guns, Penrith are perhaps our best comparison.
A team crafted from the experience of Gould and a young coach in Cleary.
Injuries aside, they clearly still didn't have the nerve for finals football, like Souths when Reynolds first entered NRL.
We're a long way from either of those sides at their most raw. That's a lot of ground to make up.
I agree Happy there may be some surprises as to how bad a season can be. I hope not though.
All we have really is blind faith in youth and a few senior players - granted a few of them stars in their own right - but at the same time also already proven to not be the best heads in finals football, let alone in the face of repeated defeats throughout a season.
A team crafted from the experience of Gould and a young coach in Cleary.
Injuries aside, they clearly still didn't have the nerve for finals football, like Souths when Reynolds first entered NRL.
We're a long way from either of those sides at their most raw. That's a lot of ground to make up.
I agree Happy there may be some surprises as to how bad a season can be. I hope not though.
All we have really is blind faith in youth and a few senior players - granted a few of them stars in their own right - but at the same time also already proven to not be the best heads in finals football, let alone in the face of repeated defeats throughout a season.
simonthetiger
New member
I think Penrith is a great example of giving yer kids a go and letting the dice roll as it may.
They had a great year with little experience and a lot of junior guns and purchases. The guys the let go were way better than ours and they went very well,
IMO JT has got it right and Im excited about it.
They had a great year with little experience and a lot of junior guns and purchases. The guys the let go were way better than ours and they went very well,
IMO JT has got it right and Im excited about it.
happy_tiger
Well-known member
@simonthetiger said:
The major difference is Penrith recruited well and put experienced no nonsense hard heads beside the young guns
Also they have one of the Top 5 coaches in the NRL in my opinion
The WT's might reach the Penrith level , but it will be a couple of seasons away when we stick some square pegs in square holes
balmain boy
Well-known member
True Tiger you seem to miss the point a bit. The question isn't whether Anasta + Blair and co were a good influence on a bunch of rookies, of course they were. The question is could they have added any more value next year than they already had? And that is highly debatable. With the additions of Taylor and Kimmorley to our coaching staff the need for halves leadership at training is also lessened.
Happy had also mentioned how we had a balanced attack with Anasta, however that is way off the mark IMO. Unless Robbie was running a play from dummy half 95% of all playmaking duties fell to Brooks. Anasta couldn't/wouldn't do anything and when he did it was usually very average. We had an extremely imbalanced attack due to Anasta's inability to get the ball to his backs.
We did have a myriad of problems last year, but we at least now have players capable of making an impact. Last years back row was perhaps the worst attacking back row ever in the history of the NRL. Zero impact. Nothing. A bit of tackling, yeah but no threat whatsoever. At least this season we could have Akaoula/Sue/Liolevave running out wide. Add centres in Naiqama, Chance, Seve or Heleta and they can all at least break the line and score points. Something the likes of Lawrence and Lulia were incapable of doing, even Simona couldn't attack last season. The defence of our new backs may or may not be amazing, but it would be no worse than who was there last season, and the positives in attack are far greater.
This all points to a stronger side in 2015\. A side which can break the line and put the opposition under pressure. Players who can run lines, offload, beat a man. Players who can bring out the best in our playmakers, rather than the plodders they had to deal with last season.
If we can be fitter and more organised in defence then the foundations for a solid year are ahead. Of course a solid pro or two, with 5-10 years experience at NRL level would also help our back row and possibly one more for the outside backs too. But only if the can deliver on the field.
Happy had also mentioned how we had a balanced attack with Anasta, however that is way off the mark IMO. Unless Robbie was running a play from dummy half 95% of all playmaking duties fell to Brooks. Anasta couldn't/wouldn't do anything and when he did it was usually very average. We had an extremely imbalanced attack due to Anasta's inability to get the ball to his backs.
We did have a myriad of problems last year, but we at least now have players capable of making an impact. Last years back row was perhaps the worst attacking back row ever in the history of the NRL. Zero impact. Nothing. A bit of tackling, yeah but no threat whatsoever. At least this season we could have Akaoula/Sue/Liolevave running out wide. Add centres in Naiqama, Chance, Seve or Heleta and they can all at least break the line and score points. Something the likes of Lawrence and Lulia were incapable of doing, even Simona couldn't attack last season. The defence of our new backs may or may not be amazing, but it would be no worse than who was there last season, and the positives in attack are far greater.
This all points to a stronger side in 2015\. A side which can break the line and put the opposition under pressure. Players who can run lines, offload, beat a man. Players who can bring out the best in our playmakers, rather than the plodders they had to deal with last season.
If we can be fitter and more organised in defence then the foundations for a solid year are ahead. Of course a solid pro or two, with 5-10 years experience at NRL level would also help our back row and possibly one more for the outside backs too. But only if the can deliver on the field.
simonthetiger
New member
@Balmain Boy said:
Can u agree ten billion % ????
Anyone that thinks Anasta did anything but hinder our attack has rocks in their heads.
Balmainboy and Simonthetiger,I never said anything about Anasta and Blair offering something next year…I merely said that both of them helped the young guys enormously last year as preparation into the top nrl side,it is a huge step from nyc to nrl and experienced players as Anasta and Blair helped them transition up to the next level....It was about preparing Brooks and co for the tough steps they would have to take..the crux of the conversation was about experience and how they needed some older heads beside them to help them make good choices and look after them as well....
simonthetiger
New member
Robbie Farah…experienced.
Great player.
Local junior,
Im sure he helps with the transition well enough.
Great player.
Local junior,
Im sure he helps with the transition well enough.
jirskyr
Well-known member
@innsaneink said:
Cmon ink, you know time taints memories. The 2005 team was less experienced, and the 2015 more experienced than people get the impression.
Starting team Rd 1 2005 had a total of 1363 games FG experience, at an average of 80.18.
Grand Final team 2005 had a total of 1230 games FG experience (at the start of the season), at an average of 72.35
My potential Rd 1 2015 team (players not cherry-picked) has 1472 games FG experience at an average of 86.59.
jirskyr
Well-known member
The only advantage the starting 2005 team had was 11 players with > 50 games (what Sheensie would call "proper first graders"). The 2005 GF team had 10 players over 50, 2015 team would only have 6.
But when it comes to players > 100 games, it was 6 at the start of 2005, 5 in the GF team and also 5 next year.
But when it comes to players > 100 games, it was 6 at the start of 2005, 5 in the GF team and also 5 next year.
I think the GF team needs looking at I'm sure they played games in 2005 eg Hodgo 146 Rd1… 146 GF...don't make sense....but i get your drift jirskyr...
foreveratiger
New member
Pat Richards 320 games 😱pen_mouth:
jirskyr
Well-known member
@Geo. said:
I said it in the text, it is the # games played until the end of the 2004 season for both 2005 sides, so you can compare apples with apples.
Point simon was making was that the 2005 side did not have much experience at the start of the season, no matter whether you look at the Rd 1 or GF side. ink says there was far more experience in that side, which simply isn't true, people continue to say it. There is this mindset that the 2015 side is vastly inexperienced, but actually it stacks up reasonably well against previous Tigers sides.
Where we lack experience is in the spine and of course that is important. But Prince and Hodgo were picked up nearly off the scrapheap, Benji and Farah had only a handful of games experience and that spine took us to the comp.
Pat Richards has played 37 games for Parra, 57 for Tigers and 224 for Wigan.
happy_tiger
Well-known member
@Balmain Boy said:
Your kidding yourself if you think that Brooks was telling Farah and Woods where he wanted the side at the end of the set
