Wests Tigers - Who are we..

[Swordy]

10-15 years ago the Tigers were a popular team beyond its own supporter base. They played an attractive brand of football juxtaposed with tenacity. Tensions brewed under the surface as the Tigers competed and scrapped for every inch, this would eventually boil over and fights would erupt because of a Bryce Gibbs cheap shot. I clearly remember plenty of non Tiger supporters commenting on how they enjoyed watching the Tigers, they were thrilling entertainment because of the way they played.

A number of things happened around 2012/13 which I still don’t fully understand. Players were pushed out with many going to the Sharks. Sheens was sacked a year into a lengthy extension. Benji went off the rails, Braith arrived etc, etc. The repercussions of that time are dissipating but still reverberating.

List management is critical, not only does it involve wise recruitment and retention but it also requires carefully considered succession plans that bridge each generation and also respectfully transitions players through that and celebrates their legacy. Look at the Broncos, they threw out succession planning, as a result collected the wooden spoon and could suffer the consequences for years to come.

Who are we... we should have all been James Tedesco. We should have been celebrating his achievements as a Tiger. Off our seats riding him towards the try line. Writing about him on the forum. Our kids should be wearing Tigers jerseys with the number 1 on the back. Instead he’s delivered two premierships to Uncle Nick and the Roosters. We should have graduated from the Benji era to the Teddy era. Instead we went from the Benji to Teddy then back to the Benji again. The club fluffed it...!!

As a minimum every club should be having a serious tilt at the title each decade, unfortunately for us we’re heading into a tenth season without even a finals appearance.

The board sets the vision and agendas, develops the strategic direction, oversees the administration appointments and governance. We had a fractured board and then it lacked rugby league IQ with the NRL appointments, these were major contributions to our overall dysfunction and lack of success.

Maybe with the last bastions of that period departing the club, a new team culture and personality can emerge. Each generation needs to evolve their own personality and style and it’s up the board, administration and coaching staff to create the stable environment and fertile ground for those future teams to develop and prosper. A competent board and administration will reflect a healthy club, and it’s much more than one player, but you can’t win a premiership without them, so when that next Benji or Teddy enters our orbit we need to have our house in order and ready to embrace them, not allowing them to walk away, and they’ll be the cherry on the top of a well constructed and developed team that can deliver success and have another crack at the title.

Well written in my opinion.

Could I add that 5 or 6 years ago, we allowed (as a club) one particular player manager to be in control of most of our stock, or at least the influential ones. Maybe we were not strong enough at the time to resist. You now see that happening at several other clubs, those same connections have destabilised those clubs too. The results of which are in the competition table.

We don't need the inmates running the asylum. It doesn't happen at the Roosters or Storm for example. You know your place. If you don't know your place, you probably don't have a place. That's not to say that players aren't fairly treated and rewarded, but the team and club comes first. We need to select those players that agree to that mantra.

An interesting article which is an example only of the factors that ***may*** control clubs in a negative way.

Courtesy of Chris Barrett at SMH:
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/agent-of-influence-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-nrl-s-manager-to-the-stars-20200626-p556ce.html#:~:text=The%20international%20hooker%20has%20opted,are%20among%20those%20eager%20for

 

[Tigerbuck63]

We are a merged entity formed by 2 clubs that were on the decline within the NRL when expansion came outside NSW.

Originally Balmain were the dominant entity but over time and back stabbing at a board level this has now come full circle with Wests now controlling the board.

As a former Balmain supporter i don't really care as i am a Wests Tigers supporter - Winning in 2005 merged us.

We now do have stability at a board level and our finances are under control with a vision for a high performance centre to be completed in Mid 2021.

Currently in CO-VID 2020 we have been training out of make shift facilities and it's hard to attract good players that want to contribute unless the facilities compliment.

Roster has been woeful and another year of pain unless some of the younger players develop faster than anticipated in 2021.

Think once we break our drought playing finals we will be firmly entrenched for the following years, upon that maybe success again, limit the leaks, and buy smarter for less years.

With Benji leaving our statement really is change in culture, change in facilities, change in results.

Change your stripes.

You and I don't agree too often, but that is an excellent post.

Thanks we agree on one thing we are both West Tigers supporters and want the best for the Club, Cheers.

 

[Tigerbuck63]

10-15 years ago the Tigers were a popular team beyond its own supporter base. They played an attractive brand of football juxtaposed with tenacity. Tensions brewed under the surface as the Tigers competed and scrapped for every inch, this would eventually boil over and fights would erupt because of a Bryce Gibbs cheap shot. I clearly remember plenty of non Tiger supporters commenting on how they enjoyed watching the Tigers, they were thrilling entertainment because of the way they played.

A number of things happened around 2012/13 which I still don’t fully understand. Players were pushed out with many going to the Sharks. Sheens was sacked a year into a lengthy extension. Benji went off the rails, Braith arrived etc, etc. The repercussions of that time are dissipating but still reverberating.

List management is critical, not only does it involve wise recruitment and retention but it also requires carefully considered succession plans that bridge each generation and also respectfully transitions players through that and celebrates their legacy. Look at the Broncos, they threw out succession planning, as a result collected the wooden spoon and could suffer the consequences for years to come.

Who are we... we should have all been James Tedesco. We should have been celebrating his achievements as a Tiger. Off our seats riding him towards the try line. Writing about him on the forum. Our kids should be wearing Tigers jerseys with the number 1 on the back. Instead he’s delivered two premierships to Uncle Nick and the Roosters. We should have graduated from the Benji era to the Teddy era. Instead we went from the Benji to Teddy then back to the Benji again. The club fluffed it...!!

As a minimum every club should be having a serious tilt at the title each decade, unfortunately for us we’re heading into a tenth season without even a finals appearance.

The board sets the vision and agendas, develops the strategic direction, oversees the administration appointments and governance. We had a fractured board and then it lacked rugby league IQ with the NRL appointments, these were major contributions to our overall dysfunction and lack of success.

Maybe with the last bastions of that period departing the club, a new team culture and personality can emerge. Each generation needs to evolve their own personality and style and it’s up the board, administration and coaching staff to create the stable environment and fertile ground for those future teams to develop and prosper. A competent board and administration will reflect a healthy club, and it’s much more than one player, but you can’t win a premiership without them, so when that next Benji or Teddy enters our orbit we need to have our house in order and ready to embrace them, not allowing them to walk away, and they’ll be the cherry on the top of a well constructed and developed team that can deliver success and have another crack at the title.

Excellent post and i agree that we have blown a decade based upon vision from the Top and below.
The season you mention where Sheens departed was brought about by players and Marshall was in the thick of things.
It makes you wonder with Madge being a student of the game knew that the way forward was to instigate change now as he has only 1 year remaining on his contract as well.
I hope for stability as reported they offer him an extension for another year with assurances that the roster will improve.

 

[Tigerbuck63]

10-15 years ago the Tigers were a popular team beyond its own supporter base. They played an attractive brand of football juxtaposed with tenacity. Tensions brewed under the surface as the Tigers competed and scrapped for every inch, this would eventually boil over and fights would erupt because of a Bryce Gibbs cheap shot. I clearly remember plenty of non Tiger supporters commenting on how they enjoyed watching the Tigers, they were thrilling entertainment because of the way they played.

A number of things happened around 2012/13 which I still don’t fully understand. Players were pushed out with many going to the Sharks. Sheens was sacked a year into a lengthy extension. Benji went off the rails, Braith arrived etc, etc. The repercussions of that time are dissipating but still reverberating.

List management is critical, not only does it involve wise recruitment and retention but it also requires carefully considered succession plans that bridge each generation and also respectfully transitions players through that and celebrates their legacy. Look at the Broncos, they threw out succession planning, as a result collected the wooden spoon and could suffer the consequences for years to come.

Who are we... we should have all been James Tedesco. We should have been celebrating his achievements as a Tiger. Off our seats riding him towards the try line. Writing about him on the forum. Our kids should be wearing Tigers jerseys with the number 1 on the back. Instead he’s delivered two premierships to Uncle Nick and the Roosters. We should have graduated from the Benji era to the Teddy era. Instead we went from the Benji to Teddy then back to the Benji again. The club fluffed it...!!

As a minimum every club should be having a serious tilt at the title each decade, unfortunately for us we’re heading into a tenth season without even a finals appearance.

The board sets the vision and agendas, develops the strategic direction, oversees the administration appointments and governance. We had a fractured board and then it lacked rugby league IQ with the NRL appointments, these were major contributions to our overall dysfunction and lack of success.

Maybe with the last bastions of that period departing the club, a new team culture and personality can emerge. Each generation needs to evolve their own personality and style and it’s up the board, administration and coaching staff to create the stable environment and fertile ground for those future teams to develop and prosper. A competent board and administration will reflect a healthy club, and it’s much more than one player, but you can’t win a premiership without them, so when that next Benji or Teddy enters our orbit we need to have our house in order and ready to embrace them, not allowing them to walk away, and they’ll be the cherry on the top of a well constructed and developed team that can deliver success and have another crack at the title.

Well written in my opinion.

Could I add that 5 or 6 years ago, we allowed (as a club) one particular player manager to be in control of most of our stock, or at least the influential ones. Maybe we were not strong enough at the time to resist. You now see that happening at several other clubs, those same connections have destabilised those clubs too. The results of which are in the competition table.

We don't need the inmates running the asylum. It doesn't happen at the Roosters or Storm for example. You know your place. If you don't know your place, you probably don't have a place. That's not to say that players aren't fairly treated and rewarded, but the team and club comes first. We need to select those players that agree to that mantra.

An interesting article which is an example only of the factors that ***may*** control clubs in a negative way.

Courtesy of Chris Barrett at SMH:
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/agent-of-influence-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-nrl-s-manager-to-the-stars-20200626-p556ce.html#:~:text=The%20international%20hooker%20has%20opted,are%20among%20those%20eager%20for

Very interesting read, no wonder the Broncos are a basket case.
We have also been our own worst enemies managing our own cap with players like Mybe/Reynolds/Packer.

Lucky we have a young batch of forwards coming through and have some room to upgrade contracts if they perform.

Out of the so called Top 4 - there has only been 1 star performer and that's Tedesco and he was our next generation player that we lost.

 

[Harvey]

Do you want to be a leader? The best player at your club? The name on a huge fan bases lips?

Join the Wests Tigers, there is not much competition.

Build your brand and open opportunities at a legitimate premiership contender

 

[mike]

Do you want to be a leader? The best player at your club? The name on a huge fan bases lips?

Join the Wests Tigers, there is not much competition.

Build your brand and open opportunities at a legitimate premiership contender

Sales pitch 😂

 

[happy_tiger]

Do you want to be a leader? The best player at your club? The name on a huge fan bases lips?

Join the Wests Tigers, there is not much competition.

Build your brand and open opportunities at a legitimate premiership contender

Sales pitch ?

As long as you are prepared for a few years of pain

 

[tig_prmz]

Do you want to be a leader? The best player at your club? The name on a huge fan bases lips?

Join the Wests Tigers, there is not much competition.

Build your brand and open opportunities at a legitimate premiership contender

Yep, we are pretty much an unglorified development club.

Players come here, get experience then go somewhere else to win the premiership. All these players we lament over, MOST of them had a contract on the table but chose to leave. Not saying that we handled the negotiations well, but we are pretty much being used as a stepping stone to get to a "better club." And the funny thing is, when they get there, they crap on us down here.

When Teddy won Dally M, no mention of Tigers who looked after him all the years he was injured. We stood by Mitchell Moses when he used to miss the 10 tackles a game. We bloodied Woods in a finals gme for his development. Matterson got on the cusp of SOO with us.

THen, when they're at the top, they'll crap on us.

This is who we are.. .How sad

 

[bbobb]

Mission statements are hollow words issued by people who have no idea apart from a belief that an ideology will fix everything.
I'm not a communist and I'm not having a shot at religious people but do like Marx's words - 'Religion is the opiate of the masses' - mission statements are the same. Hollow, meaningless words.
A better fix is to a put together a team with a goal and the will to work together to achieve it.

Tell that to the military and law enforcement agencies around the world. We use Mission Statements all the time, and we take them seriously.

You're welcome to you point of view. My experience is the opposite.

Maybe that is because of the value you place in them.

People follow those with good leadership skills, a genuine belief in what they are doing and a realistic plan to make it work. People see meaningless fluff for what it is.
The best leaders I have worked for were always the ones willing to get down and dirty with the crew and a genuine care for eveyone's welfare.
Never had time for those in ivory towers and I've worked with many of those.

I agree. Lots of people talk about culture when things are good but you need to live it when you’re up against the wall.

In footy terms, culture becomes important in games when a clutch play is needed or you have defend 4 sets on your line - not when you’re 30 points up wth 10 minutes to go. When the culture is good, in difficult times, you can trust in the culture and your team mates to do their job and the right thing. When it is bad, self preservation becomes the instinctive behaviour and you look to others to shift blame.

I reckon the Tigers somewhere in the middle. They don’t have complete trust in each other to get the job done but don’t appear to be a total rabble when it comes to taking ownership.

 

[happy_tiger]

We are a merged entity formed by 2 clubs that were on the decline within the NRL when expansion came outside NSW.

Originally Balmain were the dominant entity but over time and back stabbing at a board level this has now come full circle with Wests now controlling the board.

As a former Balmain supporter i don't really care as i am a Wests Tigers supporter - Winning in 2005 merged us.

We now do have stability at a board level and our finances are under control with a vision for a high performance centre to be completed in Mid 2021.

Currently in CO-VID 2020 we have been training out of make shift facilities and it's hard to attract good players that want to contribute unless the facilities compliment.

Roster has been woeful and another year of pain unless some of the younger players develop faster than anticipated in 2021.

Think once we break our drought playing finals we will be firmly entrenched for the following years, upon that maybe success again, limit the leaks, and buy smarter for less years.

With Benji leaving our statement really is change in culture, change in facilities, change in results.

Change your stripes.

2005 just confirmed that the bad decisions we were making in lot of area were completely wrong ..yet many at board level thought a premiership was right

 

[happy_tiger]

And it took us years to fix it ....and then we decided to start backending bad player signings that put us in a worse place again

 

[BZN]

If you look at my past posts you will see I have said a few times we don’t stand for anything. That’s why it’s so hard to build a culture, because nobody knows what to draw on. Hate to sound like a broken record but............1 home ground would be a big start.

What would you like us to stand for?

Well, in an obvious word....success. But its so much more than that. Some issues are being dealt with while others are continuing to just chug along. I want players to look at our club and WANT to come here, not because we have to pay overs but because to play for Wests Tigers means your playing footy for a club that prides itself on turning average players into good/great players, are a regular top 8 club and prepare you for life after football.
I want parents to look at their kids who are talented and be over the moon that among the clubs that are interested in them is ours, because they know the Wests Tigers system will do the right thing by their kids and they will have a great chance to be successful at our club.
I want a club that treats it's departing players much better than ours has in the last few weeks. I heard Madge say "once a Wests Tiger always a Wests Tiger" well believe me, there are a couple of departing players whose lasting memory will be the dreadful way they have been treated by the club in the last couple of weeks. If management wants honesty and accountability from the players then they need to be honest and accountable with the players. Its a 2 way street.( i will not elaborate further)
You know the dread that comes in playing a lot of clubs at their home grounds, how tough they are going to be to beat there, i want our club to have that too. I don't care which ground it is. Our members, supporters and the players deserve to feel like we have a "home" so to speak.

I think the great struggle for our club is when you go back through our history as Wests Tigers, it is mostly one of mediocrity. We have had some dreadful, dreadful people and players through this club. There has obviously been some bloody good ones too, so it's not all doom and gloom. The problem is we kind of need to be successful to build that culture and i think Madge knows that. He also knows that its going to have to come from a new wave of kids with some old heads thrown in.
I have often heard Trent Robinson refer to "the Rooster way" and thought what a wank, but then i think about the "Wests Tigers way" and if you looked at the last decade, it's not a "way" you would want to be associated with.
In the end, ive crapped on and on and i apologise for that, but i want our club to stand for it's people and be known as a professional slick, well run and successful place to play footy. The envy of others.

Here here, well said, good onyuh @Furious1.
A great post written straight from your heart.

 

[BZN]

‘About Cronulla Sharks’
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are based in the Sutherland Shire. Since entering the competition in 1967 we have appeared in four grand finals, winning our first premiership in 2016 after defeating the Melbourne Storm 14-12.

10 outa 10 for your effort @Needaname

 

[BZN]

Mission statements are hollow words issued by people who have no idea apart from a belief that an ideology will fix everything.
I'm not a communist and I'm not having a shot at religious people but do like Marx's words - 'Religion is the opiate of the masses' - mission statements are the same. Hollow, meaningless words.
A better fix is to a put together a team with a goal and the will to work together to achieve it.

Tell that to the military and law enforcement agencies around the world. We use Mission Statements all the time, and we take them seriously.

You're welcome to your point of view. My experience is the opposite.

Well I'm speaking from experience Mikey, as you are. Obviously we work in different industries with different mindsets. In my profession we do what we say and leadership is paramount to achieving any Mission Statement or Tasking.

What field of work are you employed in @willow?

 

[BZN]

10-15 years ago the Tigers were a popular team beyond its own supporter base. They played an attractive brand of football juxtaposed with tenacity. Tensions brewed under the surface as the Tigers competed and scrapped for every inch, this would eventually boil over and fights would erupt because of a Bryce Gibbs cheap shot. I clearly remember plenty of non Tiger supporters commenting on how they enjoyed watching the Tigers, they were thrilling entertainment because of the way they played.

A number of things happened around 2012/13 which I still don’t fully understand. Players were pushed out with many going to the Sharks. Sheens was sacked a year into a lengthy extension. Benji went off the rails, Braith arrived etc, etc. The repercussions of that time are dissipating but still reverberating.

List management is critical, not only does it involve wise recruitment and retention but it also requires carefully considered succession plans that bridge each generation and also respectfully transitions players through that and celebrates their legacy. Look at the Broncos, they threw out succession planning, as a result collected the wooden spoon and could suffer the consequences for years to come.

Who are we... we should have all been James Tedesco. We should have been celebrating his achievements as a Tiger. Off our seats riding him towards the try line. Writing about him on the forum. Our kids should be wearing Tigers jerseys with the number 1 on the back. Instead he’s delivered two premierships to Uncle Nick and the Roosters. We should have graduated from the Benji era to the Teddy era. Instead we went from the Benji to Teddy then back to the Benji again. The club fluffed it...!!

As a minimum every club should be having a serious tilt at the title each decade, unfortunately for us we’re heading into a tenth season without even a finals appearance.

The board sets the vision and agendas, develops the strategic direction, oversees the administration appointments and governance. We had a fractured board and then it lacked rugby league IQ with the NRL appointments, these were major contributions to our overall dysfunction and lack of success.

Maybe with the last bastions of that period departing the club, a new team culture and personality can emerge. Each generation needs to evolve their own personality and style and it’s up the board, administration and coaching staff to create the stable environment and fertile ground for those future teams to develop and prosper. A competent board and administration will reflect a healthy club, and it’s much more than one player, but you can’t win a premiership without them, so when that next Benji or Teddy enters our orbit we need to have our house in order and ready to embrace them, not allowing them to walk away, and they’ll be the cherry on the top of a well constructed and developed team that can deliver success and have another crack at the title.

Very well said @Fletch. Very inspiring.

 

[happy_tiger]

Mission statements are hollow words issued by people who have no idea apart from a belief that an ideology will fix everything.
I'm not a communist and I'm not having a shot at religious people but do like Marx's words - 'Religion is the opiate of the masses' - mission statements are the same. Hollow, meaningless words.
A better fix is to a put together a team with a goal and the will to work together to achieve it.

Tell that to the military and law enforcement agencies around the world. We use Mission Statements all the time, and we take them seriously.

You're welcome to your point of view. My experience is the opposite.

Well I'm speaking from experience Mikey, as you are. Obviously we work in different industries with different mindsets. In my profession we do what we say and leadership is paramount to achieving any Mission Statement or Tasking.

What field of work are you employed in @willow?

He is a movie superstar ......

 

[hobbo1]

Not sure which thread to post this but wanted to know if anyone can answer the following for me please. Thanks in advance.
a) If any identified areas in the article impact Wests Tigers and
a) Where our catchment areas are.
I've never understood the discussions surrounding our catchment areas or any of the (forumer's) suggestions on geographic areas we should be targeting, so was wondering if someone can fill me in a little by explaining it's importance for the club's future success. Sorry if it seems a dumb question yet I'm genuinely wanting to know because I've seen it brought up occasionally.
P.S Admit I haven't read all of it as I don't know too much about the regions/areas.


Battle for the West: How Rabbitohs, Eels and Panthers are growing
Author
Brad Walter
NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Fri 9 Oct 2020, 05:34 PM
Brad Walter
Share on social media
Share via Facebook
Share via Twitter
Share via Whats-app
Share via Reddit
Share via Email
When South Sydney chief commercial officer Shannon Donato is asked to identify the club's catchment area, he has a ready-made reply.

“It’s something I often get asked and I always say our catchment is between Maroubra Beach and Cottesloe Beach," Donato said.

Souths have almost as many members in Western Australia as they do in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and inner city, and nearly twice as many in south-east Queensland.


However, the largest area for Rabbitohs supporters is Sydney’s west, where about 10,000 of the club's 29,670 members reside.

South Sydney pip Parramatta for the largest membership base in the NRL, with the Eels having 29,011 members.

Ticketing data for Saturday's sold-out elimination final between Souths and Parramatta at Bankwest Stadium indicates that the overwhelming majority of fans at the match are from Sydney's west, including those in the Rabbitohs supporter bays.

Eels v Rabbitohs - Semi FinalEels v Rabbitohs - Semi Final
Eels v Rabbitohs - Semi Final
With the victor to play minor premiers Penrith in the grand final qualifier, the three clubs have formed a virtual western Sydney conference and they are competing for hearts and minds - as well as premiership glory.

**The Panthers are the third most supported Sydney team, with 18,906 members, ahead of Wests Tigers and Canterbury in a tightly contested western Sydney market – although Penrith officials view the other clubs as "east" and are looking to grow support beyond the Blue Mountains.**

The Rabbitohs, whose fans were evenly split in a recent survey asking whether they would prefer the club to remain at ANZ Stadium, play at Bankwest Stadium or return to Moore Park once the new Sydney Football Stadium is completed in 2023, have a long term western Sydney strategy.

Our catchment is between Maroubra Beach and Cottesloe Beach

Rabbitohs chief commercial officer Shannon Donato
With the population of Camden set to triple to 143,000 by 2036 and 42 per cent growth predicted for Campbelltown, Souths are targeting a new generation of fans in Sydney’s west and south-west.

Souths Cares, the club’s community arm, has established the Liverpool Opportunity Hub to provide support for Aboriginal students from grade five until they finish school and transition into education or employment, while other staff deliver school programs in western and south-western Sydney.


They include former Rabbitohs players Rhys Wesser and Yileen "Buddy" Gordon, while Greg Inglis is also involved in a part-time capacity.

"We have got a long and storied history of support in the western Sydney community," said Donato, who played 78 first grade matches for Souths, Cronulla and Penrith.

"For us, it is about real community engagement. Every school holidays we do clinics, every day of the week we are in schools and we are working with people to transform their lives, whether it be through education, employment or the health programs.

"We have got staff committed to strategies in western and south-western Sydney. It is something we are very passionate about and it is a secret to us having the biggest membership in the NRL."

Eels fans at Bankwest Stadium.
Eels fans at Bankwest Stadium.
©Grant Trouville/NRL Photos
Eels aiming high
The Eels have seen a 16.5 per cent spike in memberships during COVID – the largest increase among NRL clubs.

"We believe 40,000 members is a realistic goal within the next two-to-three years," Parramatta’s head of communication and brand Joshua Drayton said.

The experience at Eels games since Bankwest Stadium opened last year has resulted in waiting lists for some categories of ticketed membership and the club has now surpassed the Broncos for the most season ticket holders.

Western Sydney has a diverse and growing population, and that is a strength and opportunity going forward.

The Eels have enjoyed the support of a strong multicultural base via the various communities who have settled in Western Sydney over the past decades.

They are also starting to engage with the new multicultural communities who have settled in Western Sydney and North-West Sydney.

Victoria Bitter presents – 'Keeping The Light On' in TathraVictoria Bitter presents – 'Keeping The Light On' in Tathra
Victoria Bitter presents – 'Keeping The Light On' in Tathra
Eels fans are drawn mainly from the Parramatta and Hills District areas, which also have booming participation numbers.

The Hills District has the highest number of redeemed Active Kids vouchers in NSW for all sports, including league and touch football.

Rouse Hill Rhinos is the fastest growing rugby league club in Australia, Toongabbie Tigers has enjoyed the biggest growth in female participation, while Hills Bulls and Kellyville Bushrangers are other strong clubs in the area.

Parramatta share their training base at Kellyville with the Bushrangers and the club has secured $15 million in Federal Government funding to develop a community-based match venue, with a grandstand and capacity for 5000 spectators, on the site.


The Eels plan to play Canterbury NSW Cup and women's games at the venue, which will also be a home for all their junior representative teams.

"We will have a Centre of Excellence and next door we will have the biggest rugby league facility of its type in the country and all of it will be community based," Drayton said.

"This will bring our Members, fans and community closer to the Club then ever before."

It's been a big year for Panthers fans.
It's been a big year for Panthers fans.
©Gregg Porteous/NRL Photos
Grassroots key for Panthers
All 700 players at an Under 6s gala day at Panthers Stadium last month received a replica Penrith jersey and watched an address on the big screen from Nathan Cleary.

The Panthers are unlikely to see the benefits of the exercise, organised by Penrith and Districts Junior Rugby League general manager Nathan Mairleitner, for another decade but it is a step towards ensuring long-term support by those players and their parents.

"There is a much closer connection now between the Panthers and the Penrith junior league," Panthers GM Matt Cameron said.

"They have always had an Under 6s gala day but this has just taken it to the next level.

"Every Under 6s kid in the district was given a Panthers jersey. They played a game on the back field and then they came in and got their jersey before playing a game on the main field at Panthers Stadium. It was phenomenal engagement, and it is about keeping them now."

The success of the Panthers this season has seen an increase in support but it is the number of local juniors and the connection with the Penrith community that the club hopes will see that continue to build.

"If you go up into the corporate spaces on a game day everybody knows everyone," Cameron said.

Edwards: Two halves create a whole lot of beliefEdwards: Two halves create a whole lot of belief
Edwards: Two halves create a whole lot of belief
"There is a real connection within the area and then a deep-seated connection back to the football team.

"[Panthers chairman] Dave O’Neill says everyone in Penrith walks a bit taller on Monday after a win because they feel like they are part of it, and they are."

The Panthers have also been working to grow support in the western corridor region of NSW, with the club taking one home match to Bathurst each season since 2015 and having committed to doing so until at least 2028.

With seven of Penrith’s last 22 debutants coming through the Western Rams program, the move is paying dividends on and off the field.


"The country regional program that the Western Rams run is a natural fit for what we do," Cameron said.

"It kicked off in Group 10 because of the game in Bathurst and that morphed into doing a bit in Group 11 around Dubbo and the Rams encompass Group 14 as well which pretty much goes out to the border."

With Souths announcing that they will play a match at Dubbo next year, the Panthers would also be interested in being the away team.

"We play our 11 home games and we take one game to Bathurst so I’m sure it would be worth a discussion if Souths were interested," Cameron said.

"Any club that is promoting footy in country areas deserves a pat on the back."

Movement the key to the South Sydney attackMovement the key to the South Sydney attack
Movement the key to the South Sydney attack
Rabbitohs look to future
The Rabbitohs announced on Thursday that they will be playing nine home games at ANZ Stadium in 2021 and taking three other matches to Dubbo, the Central Coast and Sunshine Coast.

All are areas where South Sydney have strong support, according to the club’s data, which shows Rabbitohs members live in:

9% South-East Queensland
10% Central Coast
30% western Sydney
5% inner Sydney and Eastern Suburbs
3% Western Australia
"Fandom tends to be generational. If mum and dad go for a team they bring up their kids to go for that team and so on," Donato said.

“By virtue of the fact that we are a foundation club with 112-years history, the population have moved away for reasons of lifestyle and affordability so that fandom over the generations has gone with them.”

After experiencing an increase in memberships when Souths won the 2014 grand final followed by a sharp decline, the Rabbitohs developed a strategy for future growth focused heavily on population projections and public transport projects.

Suburbs such as Green Square and Mascot in Souths' traditional heartland are forecast to have increased populations and have major rail stations, while the construction of Sydney's light rail network could help attract fans in the eastern suburbs.

However, longer-term opportunities were identified in Campbelltown and Camden, which is predicted to have the highest population growth in NSW of people under 20.

TLDR

Sorry lol 😂

 

[gallagher]

We're getting a gym.

 

[cochise]

Not sure which thread to post this but wanted to know if anyone can answer the following for me please. Thanks in advance.
a) If any identified areas in the article impact Wests Tigers and
a) Where our catchment areas are.
I've never understood the discussions surrounding our catchment areas or any of the (forumer's) suggestions on geographic areas we should be targeting, so was wondering if someone can fill me in a little by explaining it's importance for the club's future success. Sorry if it seems a dumb question yet I'm genuinely wanting to know because I've seen it brought up occasionally.
P.S Admit I haven't read all of it as I don't know too much about the regions/areas.


Battle for the West: How Rabbitohs, Eels and Panthers are growing
Author
Brad Walter
NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Fri 9 Oct 2020, 05:34 PM
Brad Walter
Share on social media
Share via Facebook
Share via Twitter
Share via Whats-app
Share via Reddit
Share via Email
When South Sydney chief commercial officer Shannon Donato is asked to identify the club's catchment area, he has a ready-made reply.

“It’s something I often get asked and I always say our catchment is between Maroubra Beach and Cottesloe Beach," Donato said.

Souths have almost as many members in Western Australia as they do in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and inner city, and nearly twice as many in south-east Queensland.


However, the largest area for Rabbitohs supporters is Sydney’s west, where about 10,000 of the club's 29,670 members reside.

South Sydney pip Parramatta for the largest membership base in the NRL, with the Eels having 29,011 members.

Ticketing data for Saturday's sold-out elimination final between Souths and Parramatta at Bankwest Stadium indicates that the overwhelming majority of fans at the match are from Sydney's west, including those in the Rabbitohs supporter bays.

Eels v Rabbitohs - Semi FinalEels v Rabbitohs - Semi Final
Eels v Rabbitohs - Semi Final
With the victor to play minor premiers Penrith in the grand final qualifier, the three clubs have formed a virtual western Sydney conference and they are competing for hearts and minds - as well as premiership glory.

**The Panthers are the third most supported Sydney team, with 18,906 members, ahead of Wests Tigers and Canterbury in a tightly contested western Sydney market – although Penrith officials view the other clubs as "east" and are looking to grow support beyond the Blue Mountains.**

The Rabbitohs, whose fans were evenly split in a recent survey asking whether they would prefer the club to remain at ANZ Stadium, play at Bankwest Stadium or return to Moore Park once the new Sydney Football Stadium is completed in 2023, have a long term western Sydney strategy.

Our catchment is between Maroubra Beach and Cottesloe Beach

Rabbitohs chief commercial officer Shannon Donato
With the population of Camden set to triple to 143,000 by 2036 and 42 per cent growth predicted for Campbelltown, Souths are targeting a new generation of fans in Sydney’s west and south-west.

Souths Cares, the club’s community arm, has established the Liverpool Opportunity Hub to provide support for Aboriginal students from grade five until they finish school and transition into education or employment, while other staff deliver school programs in western and south-western Sydney.


They include former Rabbitohs players Rhys Wesser and Yileen "Buddy" Gordon, while Greg Inglis is also involved in a part-time capacity.

"We have got a long and storied history of support in the western Sydney community," said Donato, who played 78 first grade matches for Souths, Cronulla and Penrith.

"For us, it is about real community engagement. Every school holidays we do clinics, every day of the week we are in schools and we are working with people to transform their lives, whether it be through education, employment or the health programs.

"We have got staff committed to strategies in western and south-western Sydney. It is something we are very passionate about and it is a secret to us having the biggest membership in the NRL."

Eels fans at Bankwest Stadium.
Eels fans at Bankwest Stadium.
©Grant Trouville/NRL Photos
Eels aiming high
The Eels have seen a 16.5 per cent spike in memberships during COVID – the largest increase among NRL clubs.

"We believe 40,000 members is a realistic goal within the next two-to-three years," Parramatta’s head of communication and brand Joshua Drayton said.

The experience at Eels games since Bankwest Stadium opened last year has resulted in waiting lists for some categories of ticketed membership and the club has now surpassed the Broncos for the most season ticket holders.

Western Sydney has a diverse and growing population, and that is a strength and opportunity going forward.

The Eels have enjoyed the support of a strong multicultural base via the various communities who have settled in Western Sydney over the past decades.

They are also starting to engage with the new multicultural communities who have settled in Western Sydney and North-West Sydney.

Victoria Bitter presents – 'Keeping The Light On' in TathraVictoria Bitter presents – 'Keeping The Light On' in Tathra
Victoria Bitter presents – 'Keeping The Light On' in Tathra
Eels fans are drawn mainly from the Parramatta and Hills District areas, which also have booming participation numbers.

The Hills District has the highest number of redeemed Active Kids vouchers in NSW for all sports, including league and touch football.

Rouse Hill Rhinos is the fastest growing rugby league club in Australia, Toongabbie Tigers has enjoyed the biggest growth in female participation, while Hills Bulls and Kellyville Bushrangers are other strong clubs in the area.

Parramatta share their training base at Kellyville with the Bushrangers and the club has secured $15 million in Federal Government funding to develop a community-based match venue, with a grandstand and capacity for 5000 spectators, on the site.


The Eels plan to play Canterbury NSW Cup and women's games at the venue, which will also be a home for all their junior representative teams.

"We will have a Centre of Excellence and next door we will have the biggest rugby league facility of its type in the country and all of it will be community based," Drayton said.

"This will bring our Members, fans and community closer to the Club then ever before."

It's been a big year for Panthers fans.
It's been a big year for Panthers fans.
©Gregg Porteous/NRL Photos
Grassroots key for Panthers
All 700 players at an Under 6s gala day at Panthers Stadium last month received a replica Penrith jersey and watched an address on the big screen from Nathan Cleary.

The Panthers are unlikely to see the benefits of the exercise, organised by Penrith and Districts Junior Rugby League general manager Nathan Mairleitner, for another decade but it is a step towards ensuring long-term support by those players and their parents.

"There is a much closer connection now between the Panthers and the Penrith junior league," Panthers GM Matt Cameron said.

"They have always had an Under 6s gala day but this has just taken it to the next level.

"Every Under 6s kid in the district was given a Panthers jersey. They played a game on the back field and then they came in and got their jersey before playing a game on the main field at Panthers Stadium. It was phenomenal engagement, and it is about keeping them now."

The success of the Panthers this season has seen an increase in support but it is the number of local juniors and the connection with the Penrith community that the club hopes will see that continue to build.

"If you go up into the corporate spaces on a game day everybody knows everyone," Cameron said.

Edwards: Two halves create a whole lot of beliefEdwards: Two halves create a whole lot of belief
Edwards: Two halves create a whole lot of belief
"There is a real connection within the area and then a deep-seated connection back to the football team.

"[Panthers chairman] Dave O’Neill says everyone in Penrith walks a bit taller on Monday after a win because they feel like they are part of it, and they are."

The Panthers have also been working to grow support in the western corridor region of NSW, with the club taking one home match to Bathurst each season since 2015 and having committed to doing so until at least 2028.

With seven of Penrith’s last 22 debutants coming through the Western Rams program, the move is paying dividends on and off the field.


"The country regional program that the Western Rams run is a natural fit for what we do," Cameron said.

"It kicked off in Group 10 because of the game in Bathurst and that morphed into doing a bit in Group 11 around Dubbo and the Rams encompass Group 14 as well which pretty much goes out to the border."

With Souths announcing that they will play a match at Dubbo next year, the Panthers would also be interested in being the away team.

"We play our 11 home games and we take one game to Bathurst so I’m sure it would be worth a discussion if Souths were interested," Cameron said.

"Any club that is promoting footy in country areas deserves a pat on the back."

Movement the key to the South Sydney attackMovement the key to the South Sydney attack
Movement the key to the South Sydney attack
Rabbitohs look to future
The Rabbitohs announced on Thursday that they will be playing nine home games at ANZ Stadium in 2021 and taking three other matches to Dubbo, the Central Coast and Sunshine Coast.

All are areas where South Sydney have strong support, according to the club’s data, which shows Rabbitohs members live in:

9% South-East Queensland
10% Central Coast
30% western Sydney
5% inner Sydney and Eastern Suburbs
3% Western Australia
"Fandom tends to be generational. If mum and dad go for a team they bring up their kids to go for that team and so on," Donato said.

“By virtue of the fact that we are a foundation club with 112-years history, the population have moved away for reasons of lifestyle and affordability so that fandom over the generations has gone with them.”

After experiencing an increase in memberships when Souths won the 2014 grand final followed by a sharp decline, the Rabbitohs developed a strategy for future growth focused heavily on population projections and public transport projects.

Suburbs such as Green Square and Mascot in Souths' traditional heartland are forecast to have increased populations and have major rail stations, while the construction of Sydney's light rail network could help attract fans in the eastern suburbs.

However, longer-term opportunities were identified in Campbelltown and Camden, which is predicted to have the highest population growth in NSW of people under 20.

TLDR

Sorry lol ?

The biggest problem for Wests Tigers in regards to that article is our confusion about our identity, what and where we represent.

 

[hobbo1]

Not sure which thread to post this but wanted to know if anyone can answer the following for me please. Thanks in advance.
a) If any identified areas in the article impact Wests Tigers and
a) Where our catchment areas are.
I've never understood the discussions surrounding our catchment areas or any of the (forumer's) suggestions on geographic areas we should be targeting, so was wondering if someone can fill me in a little by explaining it's importance for the club's future success. Sorry if it seems a dumb question yet I'm genuinely wanting to know because I've seen it brought up occasionally.
P.S Admit I haven't read all of it as I don't know too much about the regions/areas.


Battle for the West: How Rabbitohs, Eels and Panthers are growing
Author
Brad Walter
NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Fri 9 Oct 2020, 05:34 PM
Brad Walter
Share on social media
Share via Facebook
Share via Twitter
Share via Whats-app
Share via Reddit
Share via Email
When South Sydney chief commercial officer Shannon Donato is asked to identify the club's catchment area, he has a ready-made reply.

“It’s something I often get asked and I always say our catchment is between Maroubra Beach and Cottesloe Beach," Donato said.

Souths have almost as many members in Western Australia as they do in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and inner city, and nearly twice as many in south-east Queensland.


However, the largest area for Rabbitohs supporters is Sydney’s west, where about 10,000 of the club's 29,670 members reside.

South Sydney pip Parramatta for the largest membership base in the NRL, with the Eels having 29,011 members.

Ticketing data for Saturday's sold-out elimination final between Souths and Parramatta at Bankwest Stadium indicates that the overwhelming majority of fans at the match are from Sydney's west, including those in the Rabbitohs supporter bays.

Eels v Rabbitohs - Semi FinalEels v Rabbitohs - Semi Final
Eels v Rabbitohs - Semi Final
With the victor to play minor premiers Penrith in the grand final qualifier, the three clubs have formed a virtual western Sydney conference and they are competing for hearts and minds - as well as premiership glory.

**The Panthers are the third most supported Sydney team, with 18,906 members, ahead of Wests Tigers and Canterbury in a tightly contested western Sydney market – although Penrith officials view the other clubs as "east" and are looking to grow support beyond the Blue Mountains.**

The Rabbitohs, whose fans were evenly split in a recent survey asking whether they would prefer the club to remain at ANZ Stadium, play at Bankwest Stadium or return to Moore Park once the new Sydney Football Stadium is completed in 2023, have a long term western Sydney strategy.

Our catchment is between Maroubra Beach and Cottesloe Beach

Rabbitohs chief commercial officer Shannon Donato
With the population of Camden set to triple to 143,000 by 2036 and 42 per cent growth predicted for Campbelltown, Souths are targeting a new generation of fans in Sydney’s west and south-west.

Souths Cares, the club’s community arm, has established the Liverpool Opportunity Hub to provide support for Aboriginal students from grade five until they finish school and transition into education or employment, while other staff deliver school programs in western and south-western Sydney.


They include former Rabbitohs players Rhys Wesser and Yileen "Buddy" Gordon, while Greg Inglis is also involved in a part-time capacity.

"We have got a long and storied history of support in the western Sydney community," said Donato, who played 78 first grade matches for Souths, Cronulla and Penrith.

"For us, it is about real community engagement. Every school holidays we do clinics, every day of the week we are in schools and we are working with people to transform their lives, whether it be through education, employment or the health programs.

"We have got staff committed to strategies in western and south-western Sydney. It is something we are very passionate about and it is a secret to us having the biggest membership in the NRL."

Eels fans at Bankwest Stadium.
Eels fans at Bankwest Stadium.
©Grant Trouville/NRL Photos
Eels aiming high
The Eels have seen a 16.5 per cent spike in memberships during COVID – the largest increase among NRL clubs.

"We believe 40,000 members is a realistic goal within the next two-to-three years," Parramatta’s head of communication and brand Joshua Drayton said.

The experience at Eels games since Bankwest Stadium opened last year has resulted in waiting lists for some categories of ticketed membership and the club has now surpassed the Broncos for the most season ticket holders.

Western Sydney has a diverse and growing population, and that is a strength and opportunity going forward.

The Eels have enjoyed the support of a strong multicultural base via the various communities who have settled in Western Sydney over the past decades.

They are also starting to engage with the new multicultural communities who have settled in Western Sydney and North-West Sydney.

Victoria Bitter presents – 'Keeping The Light On' in TathraVictoria Bitter presents – 'Keeping The Light On' in Tathra
Victoria Bitter presents – 'Keeping The Light On' in Tathra
Eels fans are drawn mainly from the Parramatta and Hills District areas, which also have booming participation numbers.

The Hills District has the highest number of redeemed Active Kids vouchers in NSW for all sports, including league and touch football.

Rouse Hill Rhinos is the fastest growing rugby league club in Australia, Toongabbie Tigers has enjoyed the biggest growth in female participation, while Hills Bulls and Kellyville Bushrangers are other strong clubs in the area.

Parramatta share their training base at Kellyville with the Bushrangers and the club has secured $15 million in Federal Government funding to develop a community-based match venue, with a grandstand and capacity for 5000 spectators, on the site.


The Eels plan to play Canterbury NSW Cup and women's games at the venue, which will also be a home for all their junior representative teams.

"We will have a Centre of Excellence and next door we will have the biggest rugby league facility of its type in the country and all of it will be community based," Drayton said.

"This will bring our Members, fans and community closer to the Club then ever before."

It's been a big year for Panthers fans.
It's been a big year for Panthers fans.
©Gregg Porteous/NRL Photos
Grassroots key for Panthers
All 700 players at an Under 6s gala day at Panthers Stadium last month received a replica Penrith jersey and watched an address on the big screen from Nathan Cleary.

The Panthers are unlikely to see the benefits of the exercise, organised by Penrith and Districts Junior Rugby League general manager Nathan Mairleitner, for another decade but it is a step towards ensuring long-term support by those players and their parents.

"There is a much closer connection now between the Panthers and the Penrith junior league," Panthers GM Matt Cameron said.

"They have always had an Under 6s gala day but this has just taken it to the next level.

"Every Under 6s kid in the district was given a Panthers jersey. They played a game on the back field and then they came in and got their jersey before playing a game on the main field at Panthers Stadium. It was phenomenal engagement, and it is about keeping them now."

The success of the Panthers this season has seen an increase in support but it is the number of local juniors and the connection with the Penrith community that the club hopes will see that continue to build.

"If you go up into the corporate spaces on a game day everybody knows everyone," Cameron said.

Edwards: Two halves create a whole lot of beliefEdwards: Two halves create a whole lot of belief
Edwards: Two halves create a whole lot of belief
"There is a real connection within the area and then a deep-seated connection back to the football team.

"[Panthers chairman] Dave O’Neill says everyone in Penrith walks a bit taller on Monday after a win because they feel like they are part of it, and they are."

The Panthers have also been working to grow support in the western corridor region of NSW, with the club taking one home match to Bathurst each season since 2015 and having committed to doing so until at least 2028.

With seven of Penrith’s last 22 debutants coming through the Western Rams program, the move is paying dividends on and off the field.


"The country regional program that the Western Rams run is a natural fit for what we do," Cameron said.

"It kicked off in Group 10 because of the game in Bathurst and that morphed into doing a bit in Group 11 around Dubbo and the Rams encompass Group 14 as well which pretty much goes out to the border."

With Souths announcing that they will play a match at Dubbo next year, the Panthers would also be interested in being the away team.

"We play our 11 home games and we take one game to Bathurst so I’m sure it would be worth a discussion if Souths were interested," Cameron said.

"Any club that is promoting footy in country areas deserves a pat on the back."

Movement the key to the South Sydney attackMovement the key to the South Sydney attack
Movement the key to the South Sydney attack
Rabbitohs look to future
The Rabbitohs announced on Thursday that they will be playing nine home games at ANZ Stadium in 2021 and taking three other matches to Dubbo, the Central Coast and Sunshine Coast.

All are areas where South Sydney have strong support, according to the club’s data, which shows Rabbitohs members live in:

9% South-East Queensland
10% Central Coast
30% western Sydney
5% inner Sydney and Eastern Suburbs
3% Western Australia
"Fandom tends to be generational. If mum and dad go for a team they bring up their kids to go for that team and so on," Donato said.

“By virtue of the fact that we are a foundation club with 112-years history, the population have moved away for reasons of lifestyle and affordability so that fandom over the generations has gone with them.”

After experiencing an increase in memberships when Souths won the 2014 grand final followed by a sharp decline, the Rabbitohs developed a strategy for future growth focused heavily on population projections and public transport projects.

Suburbs such as Green Square and Mascot in Souths' traditional heartland are forecast to have increased populations and have major rail stations, while the construction of Sydney's light rail network could help attract fans in the eastern suburbs.

However, longer-term opportunities were identified in Campbelltown and Camden, which is predicted to have the highest population growth in NSW of people under 20.

TLDR

Sorry lol ?

The biggest problem for Wests Tigers in regards to that article is our confusion about our identity, what and where we represent.

Cheers
I know the thread but that post was too long to read ..
Who we are ...
Where we come from ...
Tigers army ...(repeat )