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If you aren’t following a NRL club at the moment, I’d suggest you take a long, hard look at the exciting Wests Tigers team when they shape up to St George Illawarra at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.
The club has assembled the best array of young talent seen for many a day and if you jump on board as a supporter, you’re guaranteed an exciting ride.
What we saw from Tiger cubs such as Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks at the weekend was the future.
Given the right guidance, I have no doubt this team is heading straight to the top. They have speed, imagination, flair and toughness, with the only trait in short supply being experience.
I sat, mouth agape, watching 19-year-old Moses destroy the Bulldogs last Sunday. In only his third top grade game, he came up with five try assists, two line breaks, and two goals from three attempts. And all of this from the unaccustomed position of fullback – he has proved a standout No. 6 in the juniors – and with a niggling groin injury!
The confidence shown by this extraordinary newcomer provided wonderful viewing against the Dogs. He was asked by coach Mick Potter to ‘boss’ the players in the team and did so like a young Peter Sterling.
Sure, there’s not much of him at the moment, but with a big summer on the weights Moses will be bigger and stronger when he partners his best friend Brooks at the scrum base in 2015.
It could be a case of move over Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran. Like the Sea Eagles, the Tigers will be very good to watch.
The Brooks and Moses act (or will it be Moses-Brooks show?) will be closely monitored by the Dragons who, of course, have veteran Benji Marshall at halfback. The Tigers say it will be a case of out with the old and in with the new. The Dragons will counteract with something like “you can’t put an old head on young shoulders”.
This Tigers team has a heck of a lot to like about it. It’s the department of youth fused with some steely senior citizens.
Held together by the vast experience of Robbie Farah, Pat Richards, Keith Galloway and Adam Blair, there are loads of exciting players such as Aaron Woods, Curtis Sironen, Tim Simona and Blake Austin.
Toss in the injured duo of David Nofoaluma and James Tedesco and it’s a player list that oozes class and thrill-a-minute football.
We saw some of that in the second half against Canterbury, when the kids grabbed the game by the throat and powered away for a truly exceptional win.
I’m not sure the Tigers can snare a finals spot this year, but it’s not impossible if they go on a run. But next year and beyond you can bet they will be fixtures in the top echelon. A premiership win or two seems to be their birthright.
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