Most punters deemed Wests Tigers’ 2015 season a development year for the club. A fair enough assumption given a new coach and a young roster, but strange considering 2014 was labeled by all a rebuilding year after a disastrous 2013 campaign.
First and foremost a development or rebuilding year is a hack and a cop out. I’m yet to hear Cronulla or Parramatta officially label any of their seasons a write off before a ball is even kicked, and just look at their fortunes for the past few seasons.
Last October when Jason Taylor was appointed the new coach of the Wests Tigers I wrote that it was a groundhog day signing for the club. There was nothing to suggest that Taylor would be superior to the now axed Michael Potter.
After 11 rounds of season 2015, that remains the case.
Now I could easily paint a picture that states how the Tigers were in fact far better placed at the equivalent time last season, but then I would be discounting the fact that 2014 was Potter’s second season at the helm, which would be unfair to Taylor.
What is completely fair though, is to assess what his team are producing on the paddock each week. Quite simply, that is nothing short of boring, uninspired and dull football.
Season 2015 didn’t start that way for the Tigers; there was still some trademark flair and some wins to accompany that period. But Taylor has continuously harked on about defence, and playing simple football to ensure his team completes the 1 percenters and defends like a team capable of winning the premiership.
That’s fair enough, there’s a strategy. But questions need to be asked when your team has gone backwards over the last month, especially when in the time prior to this their defence had the same effectiveness in terms of points conceded and you know, they could actually score points.
I am particularly referring to a drastic change in attacking dynamics that occurred roughly around Round 5. That game was an abysmal match against Parramatta which, save for the last 15 minutes, was completely devoid of any attack from the Tigers. Instead there were midfield bombs with no chasing pressure at the end of almost every set. What has followed since is a litany of poor kicks and one win from their last six outings.
I was at Hunter Stadium for the Tigers match against the Knights in Round 10 and I have never been less excited at a football match. The Tigers were dreadful.
It really does not speak volumes of your football when a team who has lost five consecutive matches and is missing their key attacking organiser, Jarrod Mullen, looks to have more spark than yourself.
Saturday night’s match against the Cowboys was the worst match of rugby league I have ever seen. And I don’t blame the players, I blame the coach. The Tigers produced over 20 bombs in that match and could not produce a single try.
Further compounding those tactics is the one-out football Taylor has instilled. Don’t blame the absence of Robbie Farah for what we saw on Saturday, they played the exact same way against the Knights. Only once did the Tigers truly put the ball through the hands and feature any semblance of attack – it led to a 63rd minute line break from Pat Richards and a near try to Martin Taupau.
Taylor has completely whipped the imagination, creativity and flair out of this team – and remember that for all their youth and talent this should be one of the most creative teams in the competition. In fact, the only time the Tigers looked remotely dangerous or even interesting for that matter, was the two chip kicks provided by maligned youngster Mitchell Moses.
Taylor has tried to turn this team into a structured-and-rehearsed-play team. That’s (sort of) fine, except that the strategies, structures and rehearsed plays are abysmal – and that is the coach’s fault and his fault alone. The continual midfield bombing from Luke Brooks and Moses is a directive of Taylor – the chip and chase is closer to their natural game.
How meekly turning over possession, finding the fullback’s chest continually (Mitchell Pearce eat your heart out), and building no pressure can be considered a tactic is beyond me. Kicking to open space and corners is a tactic that 15 other sides in this competition use and funnily enough 13 of them are ahead of the Tigers on the ladder.
To have any chance of turning their season around Taylor needs to relax the reins and allow his creative halves and potentially exciting backline to play a more natural and exuberant game. The continuous bombing is the first thing that needs to stop; the players must play what is in front of them first and foremost.
The fact that Taylor felt the compulsion to call into Triple M this week and defend his tactics only serves to highlight that they are clearly very poor. Ultimately he came across as a very desperate coach, reminiscent of a child pleading his case to the principal.
For the Tigers’ sake let’s hope he turns his grades around.
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