Wests Tigers Lower Grades Success

[MacDougall]

I am baffled.

We are the only club with two feeder teams. Both of which are top of the table sides in the reserve grade level competition. Add to that our 20's team. GF runner up and equal first place.

How can a team that undoubtedly has the BEST lower graders by far be so woeful.

Can I please get some help compiling the list of lowers graders that have been blooded since Round 1 last year and the amount of game time they have got? I know there are a few.

Al Schirnack - 1 or 2 games?
Jason Schirnack - 1 game
David Gower - 1 game
Robert Lui - 5 games or so, now top grader
Simon Dwyer - 2 games?
Andrew Fifita - 9 or so games, now top grader
Blake Lazarus - 2 games
Nathan Waters - 1 game

That's just not enough. Compare that with all the other teams and their juniors and reggies get shots at the top grade way more readily and OURS are better reggies players!

It boggles the mind. Our top graders aren't accountable and Sheens, despite having a smorgasboard of talent club wide, continues to settle for poor quality.

Yet another reason he needs to go. He is wasting our precious talent.

 

[system]

Balmain also finished runner up and not one of them got promoted to the top squad. Gower and Farlow got the opportunity to train all summer with the side while having totake holidays from work to do so.

Real quality

 

[alien]

Well now that we have even more injuries we will have no choice but to use some of the lower grade players.

 

[Tigerdave]

the mind boggles

 

[Guest]

Things aren't being run the way they should be at Concord. There are players training with the fulltime squad who continually play State Cup and rarely get to train with the State Cup squads, and the standout players for both Balmain and Wests are generally ignored in spite of several players in FG who shouldn't be there based on form and ability.

 

[BRET]

It is baffling isn't it. All that talent and look where we find ourselves now.

 

[Lukic]

I want David Gower and Tohi Leha in the squad.

8\. Gibbs
10\. Gower
14\. Fifita
15\. Leha

Shame there's no god that'll grant my football prayers.

 

[Geo]

Lets see….depends who's available...in 2010 cause past years mean squat now...

Props
Galloway
Gibbs
Fifita
Payten
Cayless
Moors

A, Schirnack
Pearn
Vunakece
Poaneki
Woods
Begovich
Murdoch
Roqica
Talolua
Palu…......

Would you replace any of the top liners if they where avalaible...funnly enough whilst all have spent time on the sideline...the Core has been available...Sheens favorites if you like.....

Backrow
Ellis
Heighno
Fulton
Flanagan
Payten normally….

Now I wont list the plathora of back row talent we have in the lowers but safe to say Dwyer, Schirnack J will get a run soon and I would love to see Mataka, Akeripa, Davis and Gower get a run....but you cant do it all at once...Unless Injury strikes the big guns at once......

 

[Gobbs]

All 3 lower grade sides are in the Top 3 of both respective competitions. Equal 1st in the NYC U/20's and 2nd and 3rd respectively in NSW Cup. Obviously all these players are doing something right to be travelling as well as they are, yet none of them are considered or get a look in to First Grade. As to why? Well that's anybody's guess.

Players to the tune of Pritchard, Davis, Gower, Meaney, Mullaney, Mataka, Taumata Schrinack, Akeripa, Dwyer etc. When will these blokes get a start? Wests Tigers haven't won a game for a month, nor have they looked like winning. Yet changes have not come. How long will it take? 6 losses? 8 losses? Enough losses to rule out a mathematical chance of once again, for a 5th year in a row failing to qualify for the Finals?

This sort of ignorance and arrogance does not occur at any other club in the NRL. Yet Sheens persistence with under achiving players who are not of first grade standard nor ability, who would not find another club to play at in the NRL, continues. And fans, supporters, financial members are left wondering why??? It's beyond a joke.

 

[Yossarian]

Lets see….depends who's available...in 2010 cause past years mean squat now...

Props
Galloway
Gibbs
Fifita
Payten
Cayless
Moors

A, Schirnack
Pearn
Vunakece
Poaneki
Woods
Begovich
Murdoch
Roqica
Talolua
Palu…......

Would you replace any of the top liners if they where avalaible...funnly enough whilst all have spent time on the sideline...the Core has been available...Sheens favorites if you like.....

Backrow
Ellis
Heighno
Fulton
Flanagan
Payten normally….

Now I wont list the plathora of back row talent we have in the lowers but safe to say Dwyer, Schirnack J will get a run soon and I would love to see Mataka, Akeripa, Davis and Gower get a run....but you cant do it all at once...Unless Injury strikes the big guns at once......

I think one of our problems is shown in your list of props. Galloway and Fafita are probably the only out and out props on that list - most of them are on the cusp of back row and prop. Even Gibbs would probably be playing 2nd row at another club. And I exclude Cayless since he has been either ineffective or injured all year. We really lack metre eaters and guys who can dominate a ruck. The team we played yesterday had back rowers bigger and more effective than our props.

I'm not sure if the lower graders can do that but I'm ready to give them a shot. David Gower from my memory of him last year seemed to have the size needed to make some impact up front. Someone who can hang onto the ball would be nice as well.

 

[Peaches]

There doesn't seem to be much accountability. There is a history before this season of the same. When you have players performing in the lower grades when your top grade is not, changes have to be made. If you don't, you get into a situation like we have. Our lack of finals appearance could also be an end result of a lack of accountability.

 

[boonboon]

I know some of you go on and on about our reserve grade talent but a lot of them have been here a few years and not played fiorst grade yet other clubs arent ban ging down there door to sign them either plus we have introduced a number of blokes in the squad the last couple ofn years (moltzen, Ayshford, Lui, Fifita all top 17 players now who were u20s last couple ofn years and a winning u20s team only needs a couple of stars to prosper and those guys have been promoted).

 

[IronTiger]

is it that to promote too many into FG would mean salary cap restictions as they would demand more $$$$$?

 

[Geo]

I think one of our problems is shown in your list of props. Galloway and Fafita are probably the only out and out props on that list - most of them are on the cusp of back row and prop. Even Gibbs would probably be playing 2nd row at another club. And I exclude Cayless since he has been either ineffective or injured all year. We really lack metre eaters and guys who can dominate a ruck. The team we played yesterday had back rowers bigger and more effective than our props.

I'm not sure if the lower graders can do that but I'm ready to give them a shot. David Gower from my memory of him last year seemed to have the size needed to make some impact up front. Someone who can hang onto the ball would be nice as well.

Yossarian ..couldn't agree more…..Al Schrnack's injury plagued season hasn't helped either...

The point I was trying to make is that the core of Sheens stable has been available......The pack against Parra and the Cows our 2 best wins as well as Manly won us those games IMO...they also kept us in the game agaist the Rorters....

On Gibbs I think he's a Prop but he needs help...

As for Souff's mate they had a Prop in the centres....Dave Taylor's chip and chase was awesome to watch....absolutely sucked.....