Wests Tigers finally ready to get down and dirty

[tigersrule4life]

Under the leadership of former coach Tim Sheens, the Wests Tigers were one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NRL.

With entertainers like Benji Marshall in the side, it is not hard to see why.

But time and time again, the Tigers would stumble toward September as they were found lacking in mongrel and that basic necessity we call defence.

They were pretty to watch and certainly could draw a crowd. But when the whips were cracking, they simply weren’t respected enough by their opponents.

It seems as though the grind outlasts the flash in the NRL.

Despite having representative props Keith Galloway and Aaron Woods, and a back row which boasted Gareth Ellis and Adam Blair, the Tigers still failed to instill fear into other teams in 2012.

Coach Sheens was clinging to an outdated game plan and the holes were showing.

The Tigers shocked the rugby league world in 2005 with some of the greatest attacking onslaughts the modern game has seen. But since then, the Tigers have flicked and sidestepped their way into oblivion.

Enter Michael Potter.

Despite losing Ellis and Chris Heighington, Wests still have the stocks to make serious moves in season 2013.

With Woods, Galloway and Blair leading from the front and Robbie Farah at his scheming best, the merged club still has the potential to find the aggression that has been lacking for far too long.

“I don’t want to tread on anyone’s toes, but I thought they could have got forward a bit more, with a bit more vigour,” Potter told Sky Sports Radio in late October.

It’s obvious now. The Tigers had forgotten how to get dirty.

As anyone would, Potter is looking for more discipline from his team in 2013.

“The style they played was very good but they tilted the balance to being too flamboyant down their own end, not getting out of jail with a really hot kick-chase game,” he said.

“They would come up with a little trick play they tried once or twice too often.”

The club continues to bolster their forward pack with the signing of young prop James Gavet from the Canterbury Bulldogs. Gavet joins new recruits Eddy Pettybourne, Bodene Thompson and Braith Anasta.

Tigers fans will have to get used to a more simplistic team in 2013.

It’s the end of the most exciting and frustrating time in the history of the Wests Tigers.

http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/12/13/wests-tigers-finally-ready-to-get-down-and-dirty/?utm_source=nrl&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theroar%2Frugby-league+%28The+Roar+-+Rugby+League%29

 

[happy_tiger]

Amen

Lets hope we can become the biggest ,baddest hombres from the West that take no crap from anyone and intimidate every club and their fans in the NRL

 

[jadtiger]

If we do what the article says i will be a very happy man but it should be all about the doing and not the talking.Respect is earned on the field not off it

 

[Basil_Tiger]

If we do what the article says i will be a very happy man but it should be all about the doing and not the talking.Respect is earned on the field not off it

Exactly,just MO but its going to be a long-long season if the Forwards don't fire,if Blair doesn't come good i fear it will be a repeat of 2012,there just isn't any depth when the injuries start happening.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

If we do what the article says i will be a very happy man but it should be all about the doing and not the talking.Respect is earned on the field not off it

Exactly,just MO but its going to be a long-long season if the Forwards don't fire,if Blair doesn't come good i fear it will be a repeat of 2012,there just isn't any depth when the injuries start happening.

There's depth, it's just untested.

 

[Tiger_Watto]

I'm predicting Blair will be our Player of the Year… All reports about him indicate he knows he let his new mates down and I reckon he will work very hard at being more aggressive and dominant in 2013.

Fire Up Adam Blair!!!!

 

[barra]

I have not seen Potter quoted anywhere that it is the end of the entertaining footy. How does incorporating a good kick-chase, or being more aggressive with the go-forward mean you can't also be exciting and execute attacking onslaughts!

Potter just sees (like many of us) that some fundamentals of their game were missing.

 

[happy_tiger]

If we do what the article says i will be a very happy man but it should be all about the doing and not the talking.Respect is earned on the field not off it

Exactly,just MO but its going to be a long-long season if the Forwards don't fire,if Blair doesn't come good i fear it will be a repeat of 2012,there just isn't any depth when the injuries start happening.

There's depth, it's just untested.

Look at the Storm ,they lose players like Slater ,Smith ,Cronk and they show up still and test clubs who have no or little representation

Its all about being 100% mentally tough and showing up with the best possible attitude every week and competing every game for 80 minutes every week no matter what the scoreline

If they do that and still finish 13th I'll be proud of the boys

 

[foreveratiger]

If we do what the article says i will be a very happy man but it should be all about the doing and not the talking.Respect is earned on the field not off it

Exactly,just MO but its going to be a long-long season if the Forwards don't fire,if Blair doesn't come good i fear it will be a repeat of 2012,there just isn't any depth when the injuries start happening.

There's depth, it's just untested.

Look at the Storm ,they lose players like Slater ,Smith ,Cronk and they show up still and test clubs who have no or little representation

Its all about being 100% mentally tough and showing up with the best possible attitude every week and competing every game for 80 minutes every week no matter what the scoreline

If they do that and still finish 13th I'll be proud of the boys

Exactly that's what this game is all about (mental approach) and the will to compete for the full 80 , something we were missing in 2012

 

[spearby]

I'm predicting Blair will be our Player of the Year… All reports about him indicate he knows he let his new mates down and I reckon he will work very hard at being more aggressive and dominant in 2013.

Fire Up Adam Blair!!!!

gee i hope your right i will still have to be convinced he has the talent maybe a bench player 20min on 20 off.tiger watto you might be a better judge than me .

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I'm over all the talk :blah :blah :blah

Actions speak louder. Something the club obviously still hasn't realized

 

[stryker]

I like the attitude but am a bit worried that some of these guys just do not have the mongrel required in them. Anyway, I called for this a few months back so will patiently wait and see what Potter has done with them.

 

[innsaneink]

**I'm over all the talk** :blah :blah :blah

Actions speak louder. Something the club obviously still hasn't realized

If the article was from the club itself, I'd be the first to agree, but its from an outside source….yeh its something we here have all known for a while....but at least others are seeing what Sheens himself couldnt, National coach - pffft :unamused:

 

[happy_tiger]

Ink ,you and I could coach the Australian and it would still win

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Not going to criticise or get overly excited.

Most of us have had our prayers answered in a new coach… Just need to be patient now and see if it pays dividends.

 

[LaT]

Potter was asked a question and answered it, and the answer was a good one. Basically confirmed what we were all asking for.

Happy to read it.

 

[GoldXR50Leroy]

Noticed that the article was sourced from the Roar which has a smaller readership than our own forum, if this had been posted in the mainstream media then it may have given a few of our players a reminder of what they are capable of!.

 

[Guest]

The Tigers need to improve the go-forward if they are to be a force in 2013\. The team as a whole was down near the bottom of the pack as far as metres gained per match, and a lot of the blame falls squarely on the forwards. We had Woods and Galloway who would consistently average more than 100 metres in attack, particularly Woods. The problems really began with the backrow with Ellis ruled out for most of the season, Blair failing to fire and make any inroads, and Fulton, who while very skillful and can defend all day, simply doesn't make big metres, particularly up the middle of the ruck where he is cannonfodder. Add to this a poor bench rotation, particularly with the front row, and it's easy to see the backrow and bench failed to make an impact.

In the occasional games where the forwards did make strong metres, the Tigers as a whole looked a whole lot more dangerous and the likes of Farah and Marshall were able to dictate terms much more effectively with the opposition on the backfoot. And this is the key, if the forwards can win the ruck and bend the opposition backwards, the Tigers have enough attacking grunt to trouble any side.

Potter needs to be very careful with his backrow and bench selection as we need some size and impact to keep things rolling when Woods and Galloway are having a breather.

 

[Snodgrass]

It's all feel good huff … players have natural strengths and weakness'.
All this Sheens to Potter stuff seems so simplistic.
Apart from Gavet, the whole squad was compiled by Sheens. It is a group who are mobile before they are brutal.

Good luck teaching the pussycat to bark.

 

[Newtown]

I'm predicting Blair will be our Player of the Year… All reports about him indicate he knows he let his new mates down and I reckon he will work very hard at being more aggressive and dominant in 2013.

Fire Up Adam Blair!!!!

gee i hope your right i will still have to be convinced he has the talent maybe a bench player 20min on 20 off.tiger watto you might be a better judge than me .

I now believe that Adam Blair went into his shell after the Stewart incident during the latter part of the 2011 season. Ater his suspension Blair started 2012 with WT and would not want to let himself and his new team down by being sent off again. Potter will no doubt work on this aspect and have Blair fired up by the start of the season.