Luke was the DallyM halfback of the year 3 years ago , our player of the year , the year before last , and had a down year last year . Some of you guys do my head in . So hard to live up to your asinine , and downright ridiculous expectations . Seriously watch the games last years . Sooo many times , Luke had the play set up , was screaming for the ball , Benji screams the overcall word , because every team has one ( basically it’s a spur of the moment I see something and it’s on . It’s to allow off the cuff footy) , so because of this the dummy half has to pass to benji , and most of the time nothing happens .
Go watch it . It got so bad , Grant actually stopped looking for Brooks first , which is what was supposed to happen , and just going to benji.

Happy new year guys ! Hopefully this year , this team can do something special , and help with the monotony of life . We all feel it I reckon . Don’t let the black dog get a firm grip over you . Even if it means arguing with no nothings like me on This place , just to let off some steam .

@sleeve said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

Hey guys, staying under the radar is good, the less the opposition knows, the more it is to our benefit. The first couple of games although hard , are winnable. The opposing side will not be able to get a read on our game, as we have around 8 new players and no game recordings for them to study,.

Michael Chammas is the only “expert” with a brain in his head , basically saying we have spent the last 2 years recruiting the best talented juniors available . Which is true .
The only reason they think our halves are unstable is because we trialed everyone there , which is what trials are . . Hot tip . AD and Brooks are our halves . Liddle and Simpkins / Mbye will share the 9 . Mbye / Laurie the one . And first drop for halves is Mbye / madden .

Also it’s ok if Simpkin spends the year destroying CC cup teams . He’s 19 !! If Mbye moves on then he comes up. We get an injury , he comes up . It’s pretty sorted IMO.

@avocadoontoast said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

@Russell said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

I give up Avo, Gal, Hobo and all the other Pascoe Haters.

Last week he forgot to put the garbage out, He signed Madge and then let him go holidays, Didn’t comb his hair for the Q & A, He signed Jennings not Madge etc.

I think he is responsible for the crown of thorns starfish, global warming and just aboeverything else that is dodgy.

You guys should start a petition - we want a CEO.

Obviously in your opinions we don’t have one.

I don’t hate Pascoe, I’ve never even met him. But I think he’s proven himself to be a poor CEO. I don’t think much of the board either.

Based on what ? He’s currently presiding over the first profitable period in west’s tigers history .
It’s been stating numerous times that his background is finance . Seems like financially we are doing alright .
He has finally gotten a COE off the ground . This has been talked about for 10 years and it’s finally here. Signed 2 top of the tree coaches , by all accounts.
Totally gutted the back room , to now have a really solid corporate roster.
Oh wait he didn’t sign your favourite footy player … YOU SUCK PASCOE … bla bla

@Cairnstigers said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

@clontarfkid said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

Wish I cld share the optimism,but the way I see it is weve lost our best player(Harry)and our best playmaker(Benji)nd have picked up a couple of prop forwards who were surplus to requirements at Penrith and Eels.Nothing or nobody else
Cant see how were a better team in 2021,and with Titans /Warriors /Dragons/Broncos/Dogs all improving with player and /or coach changes ,were a real chance at the spoon unless Madge gets em firing…
Sure hope not,but reality bites

We also lost our worst defensive player in Benji
So our defence should hold better you would hope
Harry is a loss but its time for Liddle to shine

The benji addition by subtraction, IMO , cannot be underestimated.
The defence is obvious , but seriously so many times this year we had something setup for him to over call. And I honestly think grant got a bit star struck by him at times , He went to him so much more often , even when it wasn’t on. Liddle seemed to look for Brooks first , benji second , which IMO , it was one of the reasons we were far more direct when he was on the field . As is known , Brooks looks to run first , but it’s direct and at the middles . Benji would skirt across field, and at times collapse the space for his centres , which is why at times it seemed BJ was doing nothing .

Don’t shoot me , Benji lovers , he’s still our greatest player , I just am calling it how I see it .

I said a few weeks ago , if it came down to Angus Chrichton and JAC, considering where our team is at , I pick Chrichton every time . The kid is a legit origin player , who has fallen out of favour at the only premier league type fickleness club in Aus . The backs are not where we lack . We lack speed , sure , but we lack defence and reliability more . We have proven we can score points . But defend attacking raids is our Achilles heel. If you added a Chrichton with Tamou and Stefano , and suddenly there’s some starch in the defensive line .

@clontarfkid said in Signing Suggestions & Rumours:

Wish I cld share the optimism,but the way I see it is weve lost our best player(Harry)and our best playmaker(Benji)nd have picked up a couple of prop forwards who were surplus to requirements at Penrith and Eels.Nothing or nobody else
Cant see how were a better team in 2021,and with Titans /Warriors /Dragons/Broncos/Dogs all improving with player and /or coach changes ,were a real chance at the spoon unless Madge gets em firing…
Sure hope not,but reality bites

Gotta say I disagree . When benji went off injured in the last game , for me we got a good look at what the attack will look like , which is actually better . It doesn’t have the razzmatazz, but does have strong play , and a clear game plan , especially if AD is at 6.
I also think the jack in the box play of grant , can be replaced , and liddles pass and deception around the ruck is way better than grants .
I thought grant dropped off , towards the end of the year , and whilst I think he will be a star , I don’t think his actual play at the back end was even as good as his start to the year .

Just as an aside , has anyone noticed how poorly a lot of clubs have recruited . It’s the Titans at number 1 for me , and then honestly us at number 2 , followed by the dogs and warriors , then it’s crickets to anyone else . It’s surprised me how little some clubs did to improve , especially the ones at the bottom.
I think the sharks , dragons , cowboys , are in for long years . They have definitely gone backwards . Also sneaky gone backwards … the panthers ! They’ve lost Tetevano and Tamou . Both big metre eaters for them , and they’re hoping Eiso picks up the slack apparently . I know they have stars , but that’s some holes to fill.

The dude who set the first try , is the guy I see . I don’t even remember, the last time I saw brooks kick it out on the full .

He put us away on the left a couple of times , only for the last past to go astray , or something diabolical to happen . He had a one on one strip , a forced knock on from a kick and 2 more almosts.
Where he let us down , was allowing these bozos in the team like garner to shift us away from the game plan , especially when it was obvious we were not getting squat from the ref .

But brooks wasn’t the reason we lost . We lost because of bad passes , drop ball , miracle plays , and generally mentally removing ourselves from the grind , especially in that 40-50 minute period . They scored their first try via a ricochet, and another a dropped ball from an opportunity for us to score at the other end .
Luke wasn’t the one who left his fullback to tackle a 120kg front rower 1 on 1 at the line , nor was he the one who was run over , and allowed their lock to go through.

But his kick out on the full , after going down 12 -6 was beyond dismal , and should not have happened . His 2 mis kicks in the first half , weren’t good enough either . But of the people that played today , he’s nowhere near one of the guys I’m most looking at for that result.

Katoni Staggs is a better footballer than Stephen Chrichton . He should be the one we are after IMO.

Surely there’s a prodigy applying his trade in a lower grade , looking for a start , or a foot in the door . Why do we always have to resort back to the same old. We don’t need someone to manage the media, corporates , egos , roster management etc. we need some guys which more cutting edge X and O .
I don’t care if the guy , is the assistant coach of the New York Turnpikers . If he’s a smart cookie , and can add to a paradigm shift within the club , then that has to be where we look.

The issue is the status quo. It only helps 3 teams . Everyone else is left to fight over the scraps . This has to be how we think , or we should just pack up and move to Perth .
We are never going to succeed playing by other peoples rules . Maybe with sheens back , we can find he tigers true identity .
I really wish , sheens could have taken this exact role he’s taking now , all those years ago.

Madge needs to swallow his pride and hire elite assistants who he thinks could take his job one day . If Madge is good enough , there’s no reason why he can’t provide a coaching pipeline , like Bellamy , Belliceck, Ferguson , etc . And to be fair even Alex Ferguson , was looking over his shoulder in the first few years at Man U . They were garbage. He just needs to accept he can’t do it himself .
Like I’ve said, I hope he does . I’m rooting for him. But if he doesn’t , or , he can’t , then we should have got rid of him today .
The problem with all this is , who has faith that the board ,Pascoe , and to a lesser extent , Hartigan are smart enough to know that answer ?
Cause I definitely don’t .

@tyga said in Madge Maguire - Mega Thread:

@strongee said in Madge Maguire - Mega Thread:

@gnr4life said in Madge Maguire - Mega Thread:

@strongee said in Madge Maguire - Mega Thread:

Here’s the thing about Madge though .
Rule 1-If the board think it’s inevitable that madge will be fired , than it’s imperative they do it right now . It’s as simple as that .
Rule 2-If Madge won’t take elite assistants , please refer to rule 1.

Complete As for his replacement . I think Kristian Wolfe should be the one . I think we should stay away from Penrith and Melbourne , and thier system coaches .

Agreed. I’m fine either way, but they need to get the decision out of the way while we have room in the cap.

All the worry about the media is bollocks . How could our rep get any worse ? I don’t believe that could possibly be the case , if it is than the club is truely lost .

You watch the media attention dry up once Madge is gone because Chammas isn’t feeding his vendetta . Kind of sad really .

The club is driving the media. We are inept in head office everyone knows it. Again they are trying to scapegoat a coach. If you can’t see it’s the board and management after a decade then nothing will get through.

Of course it’s the board . I’m just saying , that the media at the moment is driven by a couple of people with axes to grind . Both those ideas don’t have to go hand in hand .

@gnr4life said in Madge Maguire - Mega Thread:

@strongee said in Madge Maguire - Mega Thread:

Here’s the thing about Madge though .
Rule 1-If the board think it’s inevitable that madge will be fired , than it’s imperative they do it right now . It’s as simple as that .
Rule 2-If Madge won’t take elite assistants , please refer to rule 1.

Complete As for his replacement . I think Kristian Wolfe should be the one . I think we should stay away from Penrith and Melbourne , and thier system coaches .

Agreed. I’m fine either way, but they need to get the decision out of the way while we have room in the cap.

All the worry about the media is bollocks . How could our rep get any worse ? I don’t believe that could possibly be the case , if it is than the club is truely lost .

You watch the media attention dry up once Madge is gone because Chammas isn’t feeding his vendetta . Kind of sad really .

Here’s the thing about Madge though .
Rule 1-If the board think it’s inevitable that madge will be fired , than it’s imperative they do it right now . It’s as simple as that .
Rule 2-If Madge won’t take elite assistants , please refer to rule 1.

Complete As for his replacement . I think Kristian Wolfe should be the one . I think we should stay away from Penrith and Melbourne , and thier system coaches .

@cochise said in Who Should Coach the Wests Tigers:

@strongee said in Who Should Coach the Wests Tigers:

@cochise said in Who Should Coach the Wests Tigers:

@strongee said in Who Should Coach the Wests Tigers:

So, is Madge gone ? Or have we seen reason and realised the guy needs assistants born this side of 1970 ? Not being ageist , but the super coach worked this out a long time ago . You need guys , who’ve played with and against modern tactics . Plus it immediately stops players making excuses like “what would you know” .

Who are the smartest assistants / up and coming coaches , who could make the difference ?
Does anyone have any ideas ? There’s the Penrith Cabal types , but is there a Demetriou type , grinding away coaching Shellharbour cutters ?

Madge doesn’t want those sort of assistants, hence why we have the assistants we have.

He’s going to have to get on board , otherwise he will be down at Centrelink. I’m Pro Madge to a point , I want the guy to succeed , but seriously , he’s going to have to realise that not everyone is Anthony Seibold . And that bloke was found out in the end anyway . Demetriou hasn’t white anted the super coach. If Madge won’t allow himself to be helped , well you can lead a horse to water and all that .

That is one of the big reasons I think it is time to move him on, he doesn’t want to be surrounded by strong people. That is poor leadership.

Yep , any great leader has said have the right guys underneath who can interpret your orders and execute . Often even just interpreting your intent is enough , if information is lacking . He’s up the creek then . It’s a shame , because this is exactly how he was brought undone last time . Even to the point of hiring Collins . It doesn’t matter how smart you are , when you hire a bloke who everyone else is asking “huh?” , it really undermines your position .

@cochise said in Who Should Coach the Wests Tigers:

@strongee said in Who Should Coach the Wests Tigers:

So, is Madge gone ? Or have we seen reason and realised the guy needs assistants born this side of 1970 ? Not being ageist , but the super coach worked this out a long time ago . You need guys , who’ve played with and against modern tactics . Plus it immediately stops players making excuses like “what would you know” .

Who are the smartest assistants / up and coming coaches , who could make the difference ?
Does anyone have any ideas ? There’s the Penrith Cabal types , but is there a Demetriou type , grinding away coaching Shellharbour cutters ?

Madge doesn’t want those sort of assistants, hence why we have the assistants we have.

He’s going to have to get on board , otherwise he will be down at Centrelink. I’m Pro Madge to a point , I want the guy to succeed , but seriously , he’s going to have to realise that not everyone is Anthony Seibold . And that bloke was found out in the end anyway . Demetriou hasn’t white anted the super coach. If Madge won’t allow himself to be helped , well you can lead a horse to water and all that .

So, is Madge gone ? Or have we seen reason and realised the guy needs assistants born this side of 1970 ? Not being ageist , but the super coach worked this out a long time ago . You need guys , who’ve played with and against modern tactics . Plus it immediately stops players making excuses like “what would you know” .

Who are the smartest assistants / up and coming coaches , who could make the difference ?
Does anyone have any ideas ? There’s the Penrith Cabal types , but is there a Demetriou type , grinding away coaching Shellharbour cutters ?

@hobbo1 said in Luke Brooks:

@strongee said in Luke Brooks:

@hobbo1 said in Luke Brooks:

@truetiger said in Luke Brooks:

@geo said in Luke Brooks:

I’m over whatever gender keeps banging on about Brooks… no matter what side you fall… no one is going to convince the other…it really is a waste…

It’s funny really as he is not as bad as made out nor is he a good as he has made out depending on which side you sit…

Everyone knows I like him and will defend him when things that are said that isn’t true…I also feel his time is done here…that is no slight on Brooks a guy who has never tanked wearing our jersey and gave it a crack even if he did come up short…the vitriol he cops is unfair…which is what I’ll defend…

In any case he would be one of the very few that I would be happy to see succeed if he left…

Thing is Geo,if the club wasnt a rabble when Luke first made his debut and we had stable admin,coaches and a really good roster,I think we may have seen an even better halfback in Luke…but he is a WTs lad and is loyal,if you do look at his form he is doing his best with whats around him…

That’s not the argument mate…
It’s about his lack of smarts when an opportunity is there to be taken .
He looks for others to do his job .
Either shift him to 9 or 13 or pay him out

Are you saying close to the line Hobbo ? Because , I’m sure it’s been stated that in the red zone , his primary objective is to get early ball in the hands of AD and Laurie . AD said it in a podcast , and Madge has alluded to it several times .
In years gone past the complaint was that the ball would die in the centre of the field . The lack of killer instinct , is a fair judgement for Luke , I’ll cop that , his execution in critical times can be poor , He’s not the benji type who will pluck a 20 point deficit out of his backside , but Luke brooks in a front running team like the storm or roosters . I think we will be singing a different tune .

Disagree
He wouldn’t have been around long enough to find out if he could cut it either with the Storm or Roosters …
10 out - 20 out - 30 out - he lacks the basics of a top 7 .
It’s his lack of ability with his kicking and long passing game that lets him down …
He’s got talent … sure … but due to lacking brains / smarts he’s too inconsistent in leading us around the park and taking the team into the finals .
Can’t keep blaming those around him when it’s his primary job to make the most of the opportunity’s when they arise …
Doueihi is a rookie 6
Laurie is a rookie 1
Liddle can’t cut it for more than 30 mins yet Brooks has had the opportunity to play 160 odd games and in my opinion it’s on him !

I’m not going to debate that stuff . We’ve been over it . I’m more pointing out the red zone passing it on , it’s literally the game plan .

It’s clear he needs to move on , but I’m going to say I told you so , when he hoists the trophy with another , better club.
And that will , with the whole big 4 , and even benj and Robbie only winning 1 premiership , at to the list of how badly mismanaged this club has been .

@hobbo1 said in Luke Brooks:

@truetiger said in Luke Brooks:

@geo said in Luke Brooks:

I’m over whatever gender keeps banging on about Brooks… no matter what side you fall… no one is going to convince the other…it really is a waste…

It’s funny really as he is not as bad as made out nor is he a good as he has made out depending on which side you sit…

Everyone knows I like him and will defend him when things that are said that isn’t true…I also feel his time is done here…that is no slight on Brooks a guy who has never tanked wearing our jersey and gave it a crack even if he did come up short…the vitriol he cops is unfair…which is what I’ll defend…

In any case he would be one of the very few that I would be happy to see succeed if he left…

Thing is Geo,if the club wasnt a rabble when Luke first made his debut and we had stable admin,coaches and a really good roster,I think we may have seen an even better halfback in Luke…but he is a WTs lad and is loyal,if you do look at his form he is doing his best with whats around him…

That’s not the argument mate…
It’s about his lack of smarts when an opportunity is there to be taken .
He looks for others to do his job .
Either shift him to 9 or 13 or pay him out

Are you saying close to the line Hobbo ? Because , I’m sure it’s been stated that in the red zone , his primary objective is to get early ball in the hands of AD and Laurie . AD said it in a podcast , and Madge has alluded to it several times .
In years gone past the complaint was that the ball would die in the centre of the field . The lack of killer instinct , is a fair judgement for Luke , I’ll cop that , his execution in critical times can be poor , He’s not the benji type who will pluck a 20 point deficit out of his backside , but Luke brooks in a front running team like the storm or roosters . I think we will be singing a different tune .