The Tigers entered 2017 full of optimism, with a young and talented core that had only narrowly missed the finals in 2016, finishing in ninth place. However, the season quickly unravelled, with head coach Jason Taylor sacked after just three rounds.
Further turmoil was to follow as Mitchell Moses was traded to the Eels mid-season, while the club’s two best players – James Tedesco and Aaron Woods – elected to take up offers with the Roosters and Bulldogs respectively in 2018.
Under Ivan Cleary, there were signs of progress from the overall wreckage late in the season, however it was another wasted year for the Tigers and their long-suffering fans.
Season finish: 14th
Seven wins, 17 losses, 413 points scored, 571 against.
Season ranking: 3/10
In Round 1, against Souths, they played like Globetrotters and looked set for a big season. However, things deteriorated quickly, with four straight losses resulting in the departure of the coach and key players looking for greener pastures.
After a few months wallowing in their own misery, the team actually played really hard in the back half of the year, and competed better than most clubs with nothing to play for.
However, that still can’t mask the fact it was a sixth straight season outside the finals at a time when things were expected to be looking up.
Coach ranking 7/10: Ivan Cleary
Cleary couldn’t have done much to salvage the Tigers’ season. He took over a club in turmoil, with some of their best players leaving.
Cleary is no stranger to the rebuild, so he is the perfect fit for a club unable to attract top-end talent that has wallowed at the bottom of the ladder for far too long.
What I really liked about Cleary is he improved a number of younger players significantly in the second half of the season, and while the Tigers have been a mess defensively for five years, under Cleary there were signs there that they are working better as a unit.
A cool and composed coach, Cleary has the respect of all, but needs time to turn this ship around.
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Best win: Round 1 – South Sydney Rabbitohs 18-34 Wests Tigers
No one could have envisaged such a lean season for the Tigers after they thumped the Bunnies in Round 1. On a wet night in Sydney, they played some scintillating, attacking football to rack up seven tries against a stunned Rabbitohs.
Sadly, that was the best we saw of the Tigers all season.
Worst loss: Round 3 – Canberra Raiders 46-6 Wests Tigers
The Tigers were bullied in this game through the middle, giving up a number of soft tries against a side that knew how to target their weaknesses.
Jason Taylor looked like a haunted man in the post-match press conference and was put out of his misery a day later, being sacked.
Best player: James Tedesco
Tedesco was below his best this year, however it’s hard to make a case for any other player as the Tigers’ best.
David Nofoaluma won the club’s Player of the Year award, however his defence was suspect and he was responsible for too many opposition tries down his flank.
Tedesco played hard until the end, despite joining the Roosters, and will be impossible to replace next season at the back.
Most disappointing player: Aaron Woods
Woods left the Tigers in the lurch this year with aspects of his leadership. His performances were generally pretty strong, however he contributed to the chaos surrounding the club all pre-season, and into the first two months of the regular season.
At a time when he should have been pulling everyone together, he was partly responsible for tearing it all apart with his contract saga and some of his misplaced comments. Despite being a good player, he won’t missed by many fans.
2018 prospects
Josh Reynolds, Chris McQueen and Ben Matulino are three players coming off poor seasons at clubs that failed to fire.
I like the signing of Russell Packer, as the Tigers desperately need more aggression in the forwards. Benji Marshall will add depth and give the fanbase a boost.
I trust Ivan Cleary, however this roster has way too many question marks about it with the loss of Tedesco, Moses and Woods to say they will improve above 14th next season.
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