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It takes a Tiger time to change his stripes

Roar Rookie
29th March, 2013
5

Timing is everything in rugby league. Tim Sheens had lost the confidence of the players, just at the point when the Wests Tigers expansive gameplan looked looked like more of a disaster than ever.

Hard-nosed Mick Potter became coach and said it all.

The Wests Tigers of 2013 would be more measured in their brilliance, more selective in their choice of style over substance.

For 10 minutes on a wet, windy Thursday night in Gosford, the Wests Tigers rolled up their sleeves.

After six repeat sets, Manly were spent.

The Sea Eagles had already committed countless errors inside their own half, and each set the Tigers ran had gone the same way.

Forward hit up from the first pivot for a few, a shortside play, then a lateral spread to test the fringes, followed by a deft grubber/chip into the Manly in goal to force a repeat set.

No look away cutout passes, no chip and chases, no dummy half runs on the last, no banana kicks to no one. Just intelligent, thoughtful and patient play.

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Three words that are usually only used in a sentence following ‘not’ with regards to Wests.

Then a penalty. Kickable, sure, but hardly in front of the posts.

Farah looked at the Sea Eagles players as they tried to conceal their deep breaths and called his 2IC Benji Marshall over.

As the Sea Eagles forwards began to slowly trudge over to the right side of the field, ready for a hit up and another set of defence, the ref blew the whistle.

They’ll take the two points.

Taking the commentators out of the equation, whose dislike of taking a shot at goal reeks of nostalgic false bravado, this decision meant two things.

It’s worth noting both of these options involved Manly getting a rest for 2-3 minutes, and not conceding a try.

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The first is that the Tigers backed themselves to kick the goal, and soon work their way back to Manly’s line. More passages of play in those conditions and a side would tackle themselves out of the game.

The Tigers of 2013 were taking a more methodical, more measured approach to their offense game, choosing their moment carefully.

Secondly, the Tigers backed themselves to kick a goal, not knowing when they would work their way back to Manly’s line.

More passages of play in those conditions and they might drop the ball, resulting in possession to Manly.

The Tigers of 2013 were taking a more methodical, more measured approach to their offense game, choosing their moment carefully.

Timing is everything in rugby league

Benji missed the goal. Manly patted each other on the back, they scored a try within five minutes, and would obliterate the Tigers in atrocious conditions.

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The first lesson Tigers fans have to realise is that a change of coach does not immediately mean a change in style. Or attitude. Or the bad habits that brought about a new coach being brought in.

For one new man, there are 95% of the old men still there.

A coach can bring in new players, new support staff, a new sponsor, but the old players are still driving to the same ground for training, still seeing the same fans, still getting patted on the back by the same strappers, still pulling on the same jersey.

Every coach that arrives to a struggling club says the same thing. We need to improve key areas of the side, and discipline is always the key area.

Fans can live with an inept side if they put in every week.

The Canberra Raiders went from arguably the greatest modern franchise in rugby league to a side that would occasionally sneak into the finals in the space of five years.

But because they had adopted a dour, defensive driven style of game, nobody said anything because they were seen as ‘having a dig’.

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It’s now that they don’t play that style, and throw the ball around resulting in rocks and diamonds that those same ladder performances, once lauded, are now condemned.

The Tigers have been threatening to pull their socks up since 2007, when it appeared the cavalier style of play that brought them riches in 2005 would never reap the same rewards.

Every so often, they play straight, they run hard into gaps, they defend with as much energy as they attack.

But for such a talented side, the results over the past six seasons indicate that they haven’t done these things enough.

As Peter Sterling once said you have to earn the right to play sideways.

No doubt Mick Potter said the same thing to Wests Tigers’ board members in September last year. No doubt he said the same thing to the powerful playing group on the first day of pre-season.

So Mick Potter came in, and said they played too laterally.

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But, don’t stop, just pick your times, because timing is everything.

A perfectly placed bomb to your winger is wonderful on the opposition line. Not so good 20 metres out from yours.

After six sets of exquisite wet weather football, albeit for no immediate reward, they had earnt the right to play sideways in search of points, with Manly under immense pressure.

And they chose to kick for goal.

Timing is everything in rugby league.

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