Former West Tiger Curtis Sironen has told the club’s angry NRL fans to “pull their heads in” following the abusive banners and jeering directed at outgoing captain Aaron Woods.
Sironen left the Tigers at the end of last year for Manly but still has close links to the club through younger brother Bayley, who is in reserve grade, and father Balmain legend Paul.
Sironen was at Leichhardt on Saturday to watch the Tigers’ 22-16 loss to Cronulla, where NSW police and the club are investigating crowd behaviour after a full can was thrown at players at the end of the match.
That incident followed an already heated night at Leichhardt, where banners labelling Woods a “dog” were held aloft – along with similar displays against James Tedesco and Mitchell Moses.
Sironen said it was time for fans to get a grip.
“Those people should pull their heads in,” Sironen said at NSW City-Origin training.
“That sort of crap – no one wants to see that stuff.
“Those people should be embarrassed.”
Woods confirmed on Sunday he had signed a four-year deal with Canterbury for next year, after he failed to meet a club-imposed deadline laid down by the Wests Tigers last month.
However, his more immediate future is unclear.
The 26-year-old is still waiting on the final results of his hamstring injury, which threatens to rule him out of the opening game of the State of Origin series.
Any absence could be a blessing in disguise for the Tigers though, amidst hopes the issue will finally blow over.
The Tigers have just one game in Sydney over the next month – immediately following the representative round – meaning the next time home supporters could see Woods in action may not be until June.
Meanwhile the speculation surrounding Tedesco’s future is expected to be over this week, as it’s understood his deal with the Sydney Roosters will be confirmed in the coming days.
Sironen expects the crowd troubles to eventually ease, but reinforced his frustrations towards the fans’ behaviour in the first place.
“I’m against all that,” he said.
“It’s just petty, childish sort of things.”
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