Could the real Tigers please stand up?
Roar Guru By Steve Kaless, 17 May 2010 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- NRL, Rugby League, South Sydney, West Tigers
Chris Heighington is tackled during the round 10 Wests Tigers V South Sydney Rabbitohs National Rugby League match at the SCG, Sunday 16th May 2010. Digital Image by Robb Cox © Action Photographics.
While the Dragons remain the benchmark and the Broncos and Knights hint at a revival, the match which could be the biggest turning point of the season was the Rabbitohs destruction of the Tigers at the SCG.
The Rabbitohs went into the game as underdogs, despite the Tigers having lost the past three matches, but the Bunnies once again found their mojo to again ramp up the hype around this year’s team.
It’s the second time this season the Rabbitohs have responded in such fashion in a big game. The first when they outmuscled the Bulldogs in Round 4 38-16, and that’s a good sign for a team hoping to play finals footy.
But while they’ll be plenty of backslapping going on around Redfern, they big question will be “just what did they beat?” The Tigers were woeful and simply didn’t look up for it.
I do pity Tigers fans, one minute their team is looking red hot with flick passes sticking and the side performing like world beaters, the next they look like park footballers at best.
Benji Marshall, so often the headliner grabber with some showstopping skills was instead jawdroppingly awful with his first couple of plays and the confident swagger that you expect from the Tigers soon resembled a limp.
The doors of the sheds were locked post game as the players were given some home truths and one suspects they need to respond next Friday in Newcastle to order to get their season back on track.
While some of my pity was heading out to Tigers fans, some was also going to Nathan Merritt.
On a weekend in which even a few Sharks players were being talked up for Origin, Merritt scored a hat-trick but it probably wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow of the selectors.
I’ll be honest, I probably wouldn’t pick him this year but he’s been a very consistent performer for Souths but for some reason has himself tagged as a player who wouldn’t cut it at State of Origin.
I don’t want to bring race into it, but for whatever reason Nathan Merritt like Luke Patten will probably end a fairly glittering career with plenty of memories, stacks of points but no Sky blue jumper.
Now, I believe I wrote them off a few weeks ago, but is that the Broncos and the Knights putting a run together?
The Broncos look like a completely different side from three weeks ago and the Knights dispatched the Roosters in impressive fashion.
Such is the nature of this competition that you’ll only need two decent consecutive results and you’ll start flying up the table, but both teams have shown that they have the cattle to at least match it with those challenging for positions 5-8.
Like everyone else the next question will be how they survive the Origin period, the list of absentees going up over the next 48 hours.
Bring it on.
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- NRL, Rugby League, South Sydney, West Tigers
May 17th 2010 @ 3:08am
Marcel Proust said | May 17th 2010 @ 3:08am | Report comment
Have people’s views of Burgess changed since his arrival ? He went out to to Oz with a high reputation, methinks. Would be interesting to see how well he has done since then.
Apparently, he is going to stay there for the rest of his career. The salary cap question always puzzles me. How is it possible for there to be more money in English RL than in Australian RL ? That’s illogical. Aussie RL is higher profile and a considerably bigger sport.
So how can English money attract Australian players over here to England ? I don’t understand.
May 17th 2010 @ 10:52am
Corey said | May 17th 2010 @ 10:52am | Report comment
I think RL generates a lot of money in England by there marketers, they have great marketers for selling the rights on TV, they average (given it is accumulative) higher crowds than RU on TV- so they make their money through rights sold. And there are a lot more people in England than Australia to watch League.
May 17th 2010 @ 10:56am
Nicholas R.W. Henning said | May 17th 2010 @ 10:56am | Report comment
Don’t forget the value of the Sterling Pound, which is the strongest currency in the world!
May 17th 2010 @ 2:54pm
bazza said | May 17th 2010 @ 2:54pm | Report comment
It was strong about a year or 2 ago.
When you get $3 to 1GBP the money on offer in the UK is much bigger than Australia. However, the current rate of around $1.75 to 1GBP makes it in Australian RL’s favour
May 17th 2010 @ 5:50pm
Gilbank said | May 17th 2010 @ 5:50pm | Report comment
Mate, its simple. In the UK superleague alot of Player’s wives are the best-paid cleaners in the world. And much is paid into off-shore accounts (tax-free baby).
May 17th 2010 @ 8:06am
Willy said | May 17th 2010 @ 8:06am | Report comment
The Tigers were an absolute disgrace to the jersey – plain and simple.
A simple dummy and run was enough to tear them apart, the sign of a team clearly not there mentally.
And, in the salary cap age, you can’t even dump a few blokes and get someone else in. We’re stuck with this lot.
The only good news? The Tigers definitely won’t be losing any players over the Origin period.
May 17th 2010 @ 9:20am
Nicholas R.W. Henning said | May 17th 2010 @ 9:20am | Report comment
Willy I feel your pain, and Steve thank you for this article, I was hoping you might write on this subject.
I tried to warn fellow Tigers fans that the early season form was fickle. Michael Hagan wrote earlier this year that the team had turned the corner and was no longer a flash in the pan.
As a long time fan inconsistency is what the Tigers seem to specialise in.
I am at a loss by the signing (late 2009) and selection of Daniel Fitzhenry on the wing. And Marshall is a game breaker not a play maker. When the club had Matthew Head in 2008 Marshall was much more effective. Sheens tried Marshall on and off for three years at half back, which was a proven unfavourable position for Marshall. When the club signed John Morris at the end of 2006 on a four year deal, this was yet another poor decision. Morris is a good player, but not a true play maker. The list of poor signings is too long to mention, but poor selections in 2010 has finally come home to roost.
Some changes need to be made to the structure of the team and Arana Taumata must come into consideration now.
Jake Mullaney should take Fitzhenry’s spot on the win, and his goal kicking skills will give Marshall one less responsibility, which may actually assist Marshall to focus on other facades of his game.
Also the Tigers bench needs to have more punch to it. It seems too small, and under used.
Perhaps the biggest shock for me was how out of place Blake Lazarus looked in first grade. The Tigers have supported him for three years, through numerous major injuries.
The loss against Souths may actually help the club, as three of the four wins this year were lucky, and the team needs to objectively assess its resources and capability. The loss to Souths was the big kick in the backside the team needed to wake up! I actually believe that they might win this week. Nicholas R.W. Henning – Australian Author
May 17th 2010 @ 11:13am
Steve Kaless said | May 17th 2010 @ 11:13am | Report comment
Lazarus is still young, maybe not worth dismissing yet.
Tuaiki will be a big improvement on Fitzhenry when he returns, when is he due?
I notice you used the word facade instead of facet in regard to Marshall. Freudian?
May 17th 2010 @ 11:35am
Nicholas R.W. Henning said | May 17th 2010 @ 11:35am | Report comment
I hope Lazarus will surprise me in time. I’d be happy to eat my words if he becomes a super star in first grade.
T.T. may not be back this year, but some reports say four to six weeks, which appears optimistic.
You got me Steve! I meant facets but come to think of it both might be applicable for Marshall at the moment!
May 17th 2010 @ 11:59pm
Corey said | May 17th 2010 @ 11:59pm | Report comment
What about Tame Tupou, whats with signing him and not using him, I see he is on the casualty list but he hasn’t even played a game, how can he be injured? His size would help the tired forwards and the Tigers would have wingers bigger than most teams’ props.
May 18th 2010 @ 9:26am
Nicholas R.W. Henning said | May 18th 2010 @ 9:26am | Report comment
Tame Tupou was recruited by the Wests Tigers coming off an injury, and as far as I know he is still in the process of recovery. I would like to see him on the field too!
May 17th 2010 @ 10:15am
Brett McKay said | May 17th 2010 @ 10:15am | Report comment
quite right Steve, it was quite the display from Souths. Makes you wonder why Nine chose Cronulla-Penrith actually.
And just quietly, how good did Souths look in the late 70s-early 80s strip?? The only thing missing was the Ignis Fridges logo!!
May 17th 2010 @ 10:54am
Nicholas R.W. Henning said | May 17th 2010 @ 10:54am | Report comment
It was the Sunday Channel Nine game last year, and I was scratching my head over the choice of Cronulla versus Penrith. I’m glad the game wasn’t on Channel Nine as I’m all out of tissues following four losses in a row! Souths uniform is ugly! But it was the winning strip yesterday.
May 17th 2010 @ 9:43pm
Glen Mahoulis said | May 17th 2010 @ 9:43pm | Report comment
I was keen to see a one-off sponsorship from 100 Pipers Scotch on the Minties jersey, which I must say I really love. It brought back some rich memories of the 80s when I first became a fan.
I dunno if the jerseys need to be the original, first ever worn strips. All that’s necessary is to revive some aspect of the club’s past, from whenever that might be, and celebrate all of a club’s history, not just its’ first day.
i’d like to see a heritage Origin year, where the balls are yellow and black, the players wear black paint under their eyes, and the fans throw cans on to the ground. AND Darrell Eastlake calls the game.
May 17th 2010 @ 11:08am
Steve Kaless said | May 17th 2010 @ 11:08am | Report comment
Good point Brett, I thought same, maybe they needed to show the Panthers some love.
The Rabbitohs jersey did look good, but do you reckon we need to have some sort of order with these heritage jerseys. Some teams jog out in an 80′s strip, some in the original, and then there’s warriors.
For example, the Dragons played in the Steelers jersey and the Dogs in the original jersey in a match supposedly celebrating the anniversary of the 1985 Grand Final.
Of course, maybe I’m just bitter that I didn’t get to see the Panthers in the chocalate soldiers strip….especially with the white shorts. Now that would have been worth the price of admission. Colin Van Der Voort to toss the coin.
May 17th 2010 @ 11:49am
Nicholas R.W. Henning said | May 17th 2010 @ 11:49am | Report comment
I wish the Tigers had enough wealth so they didn’t have to sell off so many home games to the SCG Trust (SFS). I would much rather our heritage game, which is a Tigers home game each year at Leichhardt Oval. Leichhardt Oval is heritage, and if a game at the SCG was worth the effort – more teams would play there.
Since 2001 the Tigers have been the pawn brokers of selling home ground advantage. When the Tigers played in season double headers, it was always a Tigers home game, and there was a year where the club used five home grounds! The Tigers are the gypsies of rugby league. I have had season tickets since 1996, but I think I’m close to the end with them.
May 17th 2010 @ 11:52am
Brett McKay said | May 17th 2010 @ 11:52am | Report comment
completely agree Steve. It seems the novelty factor might have worn off for some clubs too, with the Roosters and Newcastle playing in their classic strips from … 2010.
I thought it odd that after Josh Morris appeared on The Footy Show Thurs night in a t-shirt proclaiming the 1985 GF, that both teams wore strips nothing like the 1985 variant.
I’m not quite sure if the AFL apply any specific rules, but you’d think if the NRL are going to continue with this whole Heritage thing, they should do it properly, and either apply a theme across all clubs, or apply the theme to each specific game of the round.
Of course, the cynic in me says it’s just another ruse for the clubs to sell yet another $160 jumper…
May 17th 2010 @ 11:56am
Nicholas R.W. Henning said | May 17th 2010 @ 11:56am | Report comment
There’s no cynic there! You’re right!
May 17th 2010 @ 11:59am
sunshinecoaster said | May 17th 2010 @ 11:59am | Report comment
The Warriors should wear the old Auckland Rugby League strip,blue with the white V,the one worn by Auckland before joining the NRL
May 17th 2010 @ 12:05pm
Steve Kaless said | May 17th 2010 @ 12:05pm | Report comment
It is clearly a bigger pull for some clubs.
The Titans obviously decided against wearing the Giants original strip. But surely they missed a great chance to bring back Captain Charger!
I thought it was actually clever to play the Panthers and Sharks as they joined in the same year, but they need to work out if the heritage round means original kit, 70′s kit or 80s kit.
Like how the AFL watered down the rivalry round the NRL’s heritage round is probably now really just about a few key match up and as you say a boost to the coffers.
To add to the mystery of the Dragons strip, when the two sides played in Wollongong in round two the Dragons wore the red v, now there are in Sydney its the Steelers jersey.
I say if you are in a retro jersey it must be a return to the cotton jersey.
Admittedly it is a slow Monday.
May 17th 2010 @ 1:58pm
Brett McKay said | May 17th 2010 @ 1:58pm | Report comment
..with the 3/4 sleeves Steve, if you’re going to do it properly!!
May 17th 2010 @ 2:51pm
Steve Kaless said | May 17th 2010 @ 2:51pm | Report comment
And only play with leather balls and demand all conversions be toe poked?…
I’d hate to be accused of starting something.
KB in the stands??
May 17th 2010 @ 4:34pm
The Link said | May 17th 2010 @ 4:34pm | Report comment
Come to Henson Park Steve, KB is still on ice every weekend for Jets fans.
May 17th 2010 @ 12:30pm
M1tch said | May 17th 2010 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
Steve, trust me nobody on the goldie wants to see Captain Charger back
May 17th 2010 @ 1:50pm
Steve Kaless said | May 17th 2010 @ 1:50pm | Report comment
And that is a tragedy.
May 17th 2010 @ 3:00pm
eastperthroyals said | May 17th 2010 @ 3:00pm | Report comment
Just tell me one thing how can the SCG be the spiritual home for NRL they have only been playing there for 3 years.
It is the spiritual home for aussie rules in sydney though as games played there pre date the swans and it has been the home of the swans for decades now
May 17th 2010 @ 3:05pm
JK said | May 17th 2010 @ 3:05pm | Report comment
Huh, where did you get your info from?
May 17th 2010 @ 3:11pm
Chris said | May 17th 2010 @ 3:11pm | Report comment
I don’t know… wait… got it… perhaps it’s something to do with the SCG having hosted a game a week from 1908 to 1988?
May 17th 2010 @ 3:13pm
JK said | May 17th 2010 @ 3:13pm | Report comment
I think the odd Grand final too.
May 17th 2010 @ 3:16pm
M1tch said | May 17th 2010 @ 3:16pm | Report comment
how much do you want to take back your post lol
May 17th 2010 @ 5:39pm
Gob Bluth said | May 17th 2010 @ 5:39pm | Report comment
Julie Bishop was right. Kids know nothing about history.
May 17th 2010 @ 3:19pm
M1tch said | May 17th 2010 @ 3:19pm | Report comment
Only good thing to come out the game for the Tigers was over 30 000 people at the game, this game against Souths on a sunday afternoon at the cricket is something both sets of fans love.