How to wreck a team in 18 months

He's more like Gollum: not good for much, pops up when you don't want him to (like when you need someone to tackle) and he's from New Zeland. I reckon Melbourne will take him back though...he'll probably be a superstar in less than season again.

Let's set some facts straght rather thanbelieve the delusional lies posted in this article: 1. Playing with flair is fine, and creates more enjoyment for neutral fans. However, I hardly think that three finals appearaces in ten seasons justifies any sort of claims to genuine success. Neutral fans no doubt enjoy seeing flair, but fans prefer to see success. 2. Crowds rose at the start of Sheens' tenure, then they died in the backside. If you say Shens was the reason for crowds going up, then he must be the reason for crowds going down. 3. Potter was left with Sheens' mess. Do you think it is fair t be held responsible for something you didn't do?Or for the reults achieved without exactly what you wanted? 4. The only suits tying to move away from Leichhardt Oval are those with concerns about whether the ground i up to NRL standard. Further, why are we all epxeted to go with progress, then suddenly preserve heritage? The future is in the south west and the pillocks who emand WT hold on to Leichhardt are simply denying reality. 5. I wasn't aware that Jarryd Hayne, Shaun Johnson, Jhnathon Thurston and the defending premiers were undesirable oppsition. Far better to face off against mre glamourous oppostion lke, err... Luke Walsh and Terry Campese? 6. Your delusional claim to be unbiased shows through by failing to even ONCE acknowledge the Wests element in the organisation. If you want to have dreams about Benny Elias, go ahead. However, it is twits who live of memories of Elias who are holding back WT from being based in the Macarthur and turning into a powerhouse.

The author of this article has contradicted himself. "Chris Heighington, Andrew Fifita and Beau Ryan were forced out to accommodate signing of the milennium Adam Blair. Hasn’t that gone well?" The signing of Blair was the wrong move, as was losing Fifita, but who was responsible for that? Tim Sheens, the man you are demanding should never have been sacked? Andrew Fifita is the only player of note the Tigers have lost in this much needed cleanout. Beau Ryan is a bog average first grader who had one very good season in 2012. Chris Heighington is the epitome of average, gets through lots of work but it is all about quantity and not quality. Blake Ayshford has had one good season and is again, barely an average first grader. These players are no losses. The decision to punt the likes of Ryan and Ayshford will secure players like Simona, Nofoaluma, and Koroibete, all who have far more talent than the players that are leaving. "Instead the Tigers recruiting gurus have served up Eddy Pettybourne, Braith Anasta and Bodene Thompson. Oh, and Adam Blair." Who do you think the "Tigers recruiting gurus" are? Tim Sheens ran this club from top to bottom. His recruitment is diabolical, as you have noted above, yet here you are telling us all that he shouldn't have been sacked? While we are struggling right now, the de-Sheensifying of the club needed to happen. He should have been sacked long before he was.

Rubbish article. The entire predicament we are in now is sue almost solely to Sheens. His awful recruitment, retention and team selections has crippled this club, left a lot of players with poor attitudes and little desire to be professional. We could have signed Bellamy with Bennett his assistant and they would have struggled to get this pathetic bunch of primadonners to play well. At least Potter and Mayer have started strengthening the ship and our squad already looks much stronger for next season! We have lost nothing and improved greatly. The kids will have new players to aspire towards. This is the first season the Tigers have ever really failed, and its probably about time. It allows the club to go through a much needed re-building and restructuring phase. As long as youre in or close to the finals a club tends to fill over the cracks but never really deal with them. Finally we have dealt with them and are creating a new culture at the club, one which is much healthier for the future. Wests Tigers play in all three grades as one now, and games will continue to be played at Leichhardt and Campbelltown, and we'll have to put up with ANZ to ensure some profits. The day the Tigers move from Leichhardt is the first nail in the coffin. The club will struggle without LO.

How to wreck a team in 18 months its easy you can destroy it in less than a season employ Ricky Stuart as coach

In the period of 2003 to 2012, when Sheens was coach, here are the number of premierships won by each team: 2 Sea Eagles ('08 & '11) 1 Storm ('12 + 2 subsequently stripped) 1 Panthers, Bulldogs, Tigers, Broncos, Dragons 0 Warriors, Raiders, Sharks, Roosters, Eels, Cowboys, Titans, Knights, Rabbitohs To say that 1 comp is a fail with the Tigers line-up is one of the most ridiculous statements ever heard. I would more readily believe that your belief in the strength of the team in that period is vastly over-rated, and the 1 comp won is more than they "should" have. A much more believable reason for Sheens being deemed a failure is the fact that the team made the finals only 3 times in that period. Absolute gold that he turned one of those three into a premiership though. Parra nearly won a comp in '09 with a stinker of a list, and what happened to Anderson would have happened to Sheens a lot earlier than it did if the Tiges were runners-up in '05.

I agree with most of what you have said in this article, but Tim Sheens had to go because it was evident that he had gone stale with no new ideas, he took them from playing an unpredictable free running style that won them the 2005 premiership, to doing nothing but running straight into the opposition pack and being predictable, how could the smallest pack in the comp stand up to crash and bash tactics, no wonder the Tigers had massive injuries, but the biggest disappointment has been Mick Potter, he seems to have less ideas of a game plan, and has continued on from where Tim Sheens left off. Yes, the recruitment was atrocious and the players that were moved on have now excelled at the sharks, not to mention the fact that Potter and management are wasting what is left of the season not giving the younger talent some experience this year for 2014, what have they got to lose, do they think they can still make the eight with this team ???? Our favorite sons Benji Marshall and Blake Ayeshford should not be playing, as they can not afford to get injured going to new clubs, so how insane is Potter and the management if they can not see this point. Unless Mayer, Potter and the infighting board get it together and do something positive, the fans members, supporters and club will just fade away.

So the problem with the club is that in one off season you lost three front rowers - Payten, Gibbs, Fifita and signed an edge backrower in Blair, then repeated the dose by releasing Ellis and Heighinton replaced by Anasta, Pettybourne and Bodene Thompson. Yet you want to keep the coach? You're mad. It was obvious for three seasons that Wests lacked starch through the middle. They didnt earn the right to go sideways and play expansive and they were as soft as butter in the middle in defense. Yet the Sheens orcestrated signings for the past 3 seasons have ripped the heart out of the side. Signing backrowers and centres when a fullback, halfback and front rowers have been needed. Sheens was lucky to last as long as he did and his sacking and Benji's release will be the best things to happen to this club

Well he's not Megan Fox

Good article. As a manly fan I was disappointed for the tigers this year I love the rivalry that's been going on for years! Manly tigers games used to be close exciting down to the wire stuff. But after watching the other night all I can say is why buy anasta? He has never been good atleast Blair used to play well and sironen is no half and should regulate to 2nd row. Losing gareth Ellis was there biggest loss. He was there best player by far. Any way good luck to them farrahs a machine next year they will do a lot better

If Fifita is Optimus Prime, does that make Adam Blair Megatron?

I had read that Anasta was promised the five-eighth role, given that Benji spent 2011-12 learning to play at halfback.

No other club in the history of this great game has won more Prems on paper , constantly over rated by the media , since fudging a GF against the Cows (watch the game it's obvious they wanted the Tiges to win) they haven't achived squat !! Sure they've played some good games but they've never been a power house club !!!

Sidenote worthy of discussion : I'd just finished reading this and all the comments, when I returned to Twitter to find the rumour being circulated that Chris Lawrence is in talks with the Sharks .... Back to the article : It is my belief as an outsider looking in with a vested interest (Dogs fan residing in the greater Macarthur area with a young son who'll wind up playing local footy), that factionalism off-the-field will inevitably destroy the merger. The two are feeding off each other like a pair of parasitic hosts. Wests have the infrastructure and a formidable junior base, but lack board-room nous to go it alone. Balmain has the board level clout, but lack stable finances and depend on the Macarthur area resources to maintain it's heritage. I foresee a series of ugly compromises in the future, followed by more resentment from both factions. - Like a marriage that "stays together for the kids".

NQld plays predictable football - they lose. They are lazy up in holiday paradise part of Oz. Thurston's laziness dictates how the team underperforms.

Right on tiger ...that big flat green area is worth squillions to the greedy souless developers ... Buying anasta was another masterstroke in turning fans away ,useless big overated, overpayed slug was a boat anchor for years at the rooosters ....so I do have the tigers board to thank for that ...

Good call slieman and jack, I am from Melbourne and love the fact I can travel easily to a nice comfortable ground in less than an hour. I also follow a very ordinary team and am thankful for the stadium deal they have.

The best time for a game at Leichhardt is Sunday afternoon..crowds are huge regardless of the opposition..they have purposely not played at this time as other times attract less people. It is definintely a NSW government plan (influencing the various parties through offers of money ie a cash strapped Tigers board) to knock the oval down to make way for developers.. Combine this with their desire to knock down Callen Park and it is one HUGE area for development! This is not some wacko conspiracy theory, political groups have been fighting to prevent this for years. So rather then give some money to upgrade the oval they will see its downfall by the old tactic of neglect..a government speciality!

I agree with you on the Leichardt stance and, being a Tigers fan, your assessment of our despair in what has occured is accurate. Sadly though there is a major flaw to your argument rendering it invalid. Sheens is the one responsible for signing Adam Blair. And he sign Anasta to play half FFS. He dumped Fifita cause they din't get on. He flicked Beau Ryan which subsequently got him sacked due to Ryans popularity with sponsors. Yes, he won us a cop in 2005 but, with the talent at his disposal, one premiership at the Tigers should be considered a fail. So, sadly, it seems you don't actually know what your talking about.

You are correct Sleiman, that clubs are financially rewarded for moving to bigger stadia. I was simply countering many people's arguments that the game restricts itself by playing out of small suburban grounds. I'm just hoping they find a happy medium. Move the absolute blockbusters to Homebush and the SFS. But don't get rid of suburban grounds entirely. Out of town teams rarely draw big crowds in Sydney.