WTF – Wests Tigers Faithful Podcast

If Mac is right, we might have a future immortal on our hands in the way of Logan Brookes! Haha

Real interesting podcast again lads. The chat really makes you think about how 50 to 100k here and there in a contract could really influence the other cap spots and the type of targeted player in 2026. Very easy for people to just say target a gun 2nd rower. But not always feasible with the positions and cap available.

I have faith in the man with a plan!
#Richo #Outlaws #Crocodileroll
 
I liked this discussion ..and appreciate the difficulties and effort required for this particular episode … im hoping that they can attract another big name player over the next 12 months …although there didn’t seem to be a lot of spare money left to do so if your numbers are correct ..
 
Tom Shines said:
I liked this discussion ..and appreciate the difficulties and effort required for this particular episode … im hoping that they can attract another big name player over the next 12 months …although there didn’t seem to be a lot of spare money left to do so if your numbers are correct ..
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Yeah and that's notwithstanding we have to find probably 600k for Galvin and probably 200k for Samuela Fainu at least.

We should be able to manage, clubs have more talented rosters than ours, but those rosters are stacked with players on 2-400k a year that are actually COMPETITIVE, because they develop well, and surround them with cohesive rosters with good top end talent.
 
poopy_diaper said:
Yeah and that's notwithstanding we have to find probably 600k for Galvin and probably 200k for Samuela Fainu at least.

We should be able to manage, clubs have more talented rosters than ours, but those rosters are stacked with players on 2-400k a year that are actually COMPETITIVE, because they develop well, and surround them with cohesive rosters with good top end talent.
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We could start a go fund me page!!!! And the club could reimburse us in membership.
 
poopy_diaper said:
Yeah and that's notwithstanding we have to find probably 600k for Galvin and probably 200k for Samuela Fainu at least.

We should be able to manage, clubs have more talented rosters than ours, but those rosters are stacked with players on 2-400k a year that are actually COMPETITIVE, because they develop well, and surround them with cohesive rosters with good top end talent.
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Just as well we have a good nursery to hopefully develop around a core group.
The salary cap increases slightly each year but the balance in the squad is paramount. In the past we’ve had a bad record of panicking and signing very average players on overs.
 
Tigerwould said:
Just as well we have a good nursery to hopefully develop around a core group.
The salary cap increases slightly each year but the balance in the squad is paramount. In the past we’ve had a bad record of panicking and signing very average players on overs.
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Yes it certainly helps. The bulk of the strategy of any successful side is the mix of retention and development of youth players, but also the identification of good but cheap job doers from other, lesser, clubs. Where they are undervalued because they are average players at bad clubs, but would be also average players at great clubs and therefore you can get them for that 200-400k as a Penrith or Melbourne.

We have made some very splashy signings and most of them appear to have been reasonably astute business. For a club in the doldrums like ours, signing guys like Luke Garner, Shaun Blore, Matt Eisenhuth types from clubs like the Dragons, Knights, Titans etc. is clearly not going to move the needle right now, but it will need to become a core part of our strategy once we have players we've developed like Makasini, Galvin, Laulilii, Fainus etc. on big big coin. Just like it's a core part of the strategy of Penrith (Alamoti, Garner, Kepaoa, Schneider, Sorenson) and Melbourne (Blore, Katoa, King, Meaney).

Those clubs rarely make premium signings because their cap is never in a state where they can afford it as a result of being permanently tied up on paying the stars they develop in house, which is optimal because it creates long term on field and off field synergy.

Next off season is going to be quite an interesting one when you look at our players whose final contract year with us is 2026.
 
Hey Guys, just caught your Christmas Special. Well done on the episode and the overall poddy in general. First up: Balter isn't a bad way to keep the vocal chords lubricated - good choice.

Liked the SWOT analysis. It is definitely a useful tool for analysis and usually produces good insights. Richo must have come up with similar opportunites and has moved pretty quickly to exploit the opportunites and at the same time protect our weaknesses. Opening an office in the Macarthur region, Pasifika Youth Summit, individual pathways for every junior etc. As long as we don't lose focus on the why as we progress these are positive signs that the club is heading in the right direction to achieve sustained success.

You hit our key weakness on the head; stability. I think you are 90% there. From my point of view a lack of stability is a third order effect. You did also identify the root cause though - ownership (leadership). The second order effect being the inability of the owners representatives to develop and stick with a plan; which results in the instability we have seen at the club since its inception. The separation of Wests Tigers from HBG, the appointment of a quality CEO has gone a long way towards addressing the stability issue. Once the independent directors are appointed (hopefully high quality individuals) we should see it the management side of the house settle and long term plans developed.

I think you also correctly identified our critical vulnerability as being our junior nursery. It is something we need to protect at all costs - losing our key talent to other clubs will undermine the plan. So we need to invest heavily in our pathways programs and the individuals we select to run them. Those appointments are probably more important than who we select as a coach - we can remove a coach pretty quickly but stuff up the junior development and lose a family of footballers, plus their friends and so on.

So well done on the analysis and on the podcast to date. I trust you both wake up a bit dusty in the morning after the celebrations tonight. Look forward to catching up with you guys again in the new year. Have a great Christmas and thanks for the shout out.

Cheers n Beers
Jolls
 
Hi guys, the noise in the background really impacts otherwise usually good content.

Really hard listening tbh.
 
Jolls said:
Hey Guys, just caught your Christmas Special. Well done on the episode and the overall poddy in general. First up: Balter isn't a bad way to keep the vocal chords lubricated - good choice.

Liked the SWOT analysis. It is definitely a useful tool for analysis and usually produces good insights. Richo must have come up with similar opportunites and has moved pretty quickly to exploit the opportunites and at the same time protect our weaknesses. Opening an office in the Macarthur region, Pasifika Youth Summit, individual pathways for every junior etc. As long as we don't lose focus on the why as we progress these are positive signs that the club is heading in the right direction to achieve sustained success.

You hit our key weakness on the head; stability. I think you are 90% there. From my point of view a lack of stability is a third order effect. You did also identify the root cause though - ownership (leadership). The second order effect being the inability of the owners representatives to develop and stick with a plan; which results in the instability we have seen at the club since its inception. The separation of Wests Tigers from HBG, the appointment of a quality CEO has gone a long way towards addressing the stability issue. Once the independent directors are appointed (hopefully high quality individuals) we should see it the management side of the house settle and long term plans developed.

I think you also correctly identified our critical vulnerability as being our junior nursery. It is something we need to protect at all costs - losing our key talent to other clubs will undermine the plan. So we need to invest heavily in our pathways programs and the individuals we select to run them. Those appointments are probably more important than who we select as a coach - we can remove a coach pretty quickly but stuff up the junior development and lose a family of footballers, plus their friends and so on.

So well done on the analysis and on the podcast to date. I trust you both wake up a bit dusty in the morning after the celebrations tonight. Look forward to catching up with you guys again in the new year. Have a great Christmas and thanks for the shout out.

Cheers n Beers
Jolls
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well said mate and thanks for listening. as you say it looks as if there's a plan in place but still a little to be done on the corporate governance side of things.

the nursery should provide a sustainable pipeline of youngsters but as you said we need to be mindful of other clubs and codes in our backyard. making a tangible difference in the community should help with that though.

appreciate your involvement and time spent listening and analysing! my head is certainly heavy. enjoy your Christmas too mate.
 
Silly season is in full swing evidenced by the fact the lads are recording in person for the first time, hosted by The Edinburgh Castle in the centre of the greatest city in the world.

A review of the news cycle evolves into a business-esque SWOT analysis of Wests Tigers and a handful of their competition counterparts.

2024 has been a ride. Thank you to everyone who jumped in and played a part. See y'all in 2025. Have a safe and happy holiday season.


Spotify Apple Music
 
jrtiger said:
Silly season is in full swing evidenced by the fact the lads are recording in person for the first time, hosted by The Edinburgh Castle in the centre of the greatest city in the world.

A review of the news cycle evolves into a business-esque SWOT analysis of Wests Tigers and a handful of their competition counterparts.

2024 has been a ride. Thank you to everyone who jumped in and played a part. See y'all in 2025. Have a safe and happy holiday season.


Spotify Apple Music
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Good!

These days are getting longer and this will help. Haha.
 
I really enjoy listening. Great insights into the young fella’s coming through. I didn’t mind the background noise of the pub, just sounded like two mates talking footy at the pub. Looking forward to listening in the new year.
 
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