You can argue all day long over who is right and who is wrong in the Wests Tigers fiasco.
However, despite the blow-ups, finger pointing and attempts from various media outlets to magnify the trouble, nothing has happened and none of the major players acted any differently to how we would expect them to act.
When there is no gap between the public face and the private self, us fans start wonder where the story was.
So Robbie Farah is an intense dude who demands the respect that he doesn’t always get. No surprise’s there. Gorden Tallis is emotionally raw and stands up for what he believes is right. Bingo.
Mick Potter comes across as stoic and considered. Tick, tick. And as for late entrant to the controversy, Steve Roach, well, there was a reason that Warren Ryan would replace him towards the end of close games back in the 80s.
We loved his ill-conceived outbursts as a player so we can’t really complain when he does the same now. As for the hemming and hawing of the board, that’s why the NRL are bringing in their own people and it’s very difficult for a CEO to do anything when his bosses are lame ducks.
Sports people tend to strike problems when their actions are inconsistent with their public persona. Tiger Woods is the poster boy for that, but it exists on a smaller scale as well.
Can’t quite put your finger on why you don’t like a particular player? Chances are its because there’s a gap between how they project themselves in the media and what we see them do on the field.
Willie Mason will say outrageous things on TV, but no-one cares because it’s Willie. When Josh Reynolds or Greg Bird do something grubby we aren’t shocked or confused, it’s who they are.
However when Cameron Smith presents as a politician on camera, it’s incongruent with his ferocious and sometimes viscous competitiveness on the field. Paul Gallen is heading in the same direction. We understood when he was thuggish on and off the field, but the attempt to transition him to a statesman of the game makes him a very confusing spokesman.
So even if it was consistent with his character, should Tallis have said anything? Probably not. Should Farah have done an interview with the GM from another club? Probably not.
Should Blocker have given inflammatory quotes to The Daily Telegraph? Probably not. Does any of it matter? Nope. The Tigers will still miss the top eight and it’s unlikely that Potter will be the coach next year.
But then Saturday happened.
When the Wests Tigers lost 64-0 to the Melbourne Storm in 2001, it gave the fledging joint venture a big dose of reality and it made former international John Simon quit the game. The current troubles at the Tigers provide a convenient excuse for the 64-6 result against the Cowboys, but the reality exposed by the defeat was that several members of the squad have a large gap between what are expected of them as first grade footballers and what they are able to produce.
Is this a coaching issue? Not if the coach isn’t involved in recruitment as we are led to believe. So if it’s the CEO that’s making these calls, fine, but he needs the support of the board, the coach and the captain.
Until all four of these positions are aligned, then the biggest problem the Tigers have to worry about is the one developing with their fans.
For us fans are loyal people, but only as long as the gaps on the scoreboard don’t stay too big for too long.
Tony H
Guest
Mr Mike Bailey needs to go! Sorry but he is an abject failure! Typical Labor man, everything they touch goes to poo! Since his arrival serious division has occurred! Infighting and Wests V Balmain garbage! He has to be the driving force behind it. As a result Tim Sheens gone! Benji gone! Not to mention a playing roster of regular players, most of whom were juniors! GONE! Weststigers relied on 3.5 million each from Wests Ashfield, Wests Leumeah and Balmain RLFC to survive! Under him, Wests Leumeah have pulled out and now gripe about games provided for Campbelltown! The Balmain RLFC Leagues Club fiasco has continued without any concern or support from him! We are at a point where Balmain RLFC, Leagues Club could cease to exist at all, due to incompetence and corruption of the previous State Labor Government and useless Leichhardt council. The Balmain Board proceeded with development plans approved by them, only to then be gazumped by NSW Labor and Green Councillors. Fans should be outraged! Why doesn't the mighty Weststigers have it's own Leagues Club?? We should be the strongest and most financial club in the comp! Imagine having Wests Leumeah, Wests Ashfield, BalmainRLFC Leagues Club and. Weststigers Leagues Club! Backing our team? Under people like Bailey the current situation exists! He is a gray man, quietly undermining our own club sitting quietly while it collapses! He was the one that called for that extraordinary meeting that was to be held after the Saints clash! Since that very moment the wheels have come off, the place has been destabilised and imploded after our great win over the dogs. Bailey should go NOW!
Tony H
Guest
Good point! I would like to know what the trainers are doing? We are losing a team of players to serious injury repeatedly. It was almost a player a game, gone for the year! Heck we were losing guys before the comp started! Robbie Farah could have been gone for longer had it not been for his tenacity and courage to come back earlier! It is a serious issue and it needs to be addressed!
HarryT
Guest
Good article Shaun. But while all this stuff is relevant, I'm amazed that the subject of injury prevention and management is never broached. While every club has its injury setbacks, the Tigers' roster year after year looks like the extras from the movie "Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. Youth, potential, outrageous talent and game winning x-factors, are all meaningless terms if they are sitting in the stands.
The Barry
Roar Guru
It will be a shame when this rubbish costs Potter his job. Looking from the outside I think he's done a good job in two tough years. He's led the club through generational change and looks an astute coach. He was under fire to keep his job this time last year and to go through the same this year bust be ridiculously tough. As an aside is Mick Potter one of the most under rated players of all time? He won two Dally Ms in 84 and 91. The short list of players to have won two is a whos who of rugby league legends (Sterling, Miller, Lyons, Johns and Thurston). No one won theirs as far apart, although Thurston will at least equal that record if he wins another with his last in 2007. He also played in four GFs (I think) winning two. Only ever played one Origin and no test football.
GmG
Guest
The NRL is big on this stop bullying stance yet here we see players bullying the coach out of a job
curaeus
Guest
No club is immune to crises of some sort and by next year, all this crap will have been forgotten with a new WT Board in place, a new CEO (hopefully), a clean out of a couple of guys now well past their use by date and a bit of sensible recruitment which should be affordable out of the savings made on the aforesaid punted players all of whom are senior and currently on good money. And the club still has the best group of up and comers in the NRL including the likes of Tedesco, Nofoaluma and Moses, all of whom, like Brooks, will be that much better and more dangerous next year after playing NRL for a good part of 2014. Very much better times ahead.
curaeus
Guest
Anyone else you don't like?
Tobias Zulaikha
Roar Rookie
Well written, Shaun. I can't help but feel Potter will cop the consequences.. seems a shame as I thought he'd done a pretty decent job given the circumstances. Apart from the in-house issues they have had a rather extensive injury toll, however they seemed to be rebuilding nicely and were looking strong for next season with their "cubs" gaining valuable experience this year and plenty of starch added to the pack with Gavet and Taupau - but after last weekend it all seems up in the air - and it doesn't get any easier with the Roosters this week, a real test for the playing group to restore some pride the jumper.
peterdoogie
Guest
I have the one sure thing that will fix the problems with the TIGERS ---------------- WAIT FOR IT -------------------KICK THE TIGERS OUT OF THE NRL --------------for good .Problem fix
BlakeW
Guest
If this club was a horse, you'd just shoot it and be done with.
Gaz
Guest
Z Correct!
Robz
Guest
Believe Farah's version if you like, but he was instrumental in getting rid of Sheens, Marshall and Ryan. No club will perform when the tenure of coaches and players are at the whim of whether the captain likes you or not.
curaeus
Guest
I also agree that the team contains at least two senior players of long standing and a recent recruit who are either no longer of NRL standard or who simply never were of NRL standard. These players must be moved on.
curaeus
Guest
As the writer correctly notes there is presently no effective board in charge due for the most part to the NRL stuffing around nominating their 3 board members. Smith now has an executive team to equal that of BHP Billiton so why doesn't he just get on with it. This, I believe, has led to much of the current trouble. A lame duck board unable to make any commitment on who will coach the joint in 2015 and beyond (information of importance not just to Potter but also to players, their agents and anyone new the club might approach). It has also no doubt hampered Mayer who should still have shown stronger leadership dealing with the players and the media. Blocker should never have been hired in the first place. He seems unable to understand that old Balmain and Wests differences have been holding the joint venture back for years. Only ever hear him talking about " black and gold"- NEVER black WHITE and gold-which he must know is deeply and needlessly offensive to those good Wests people who have been holding the club together financially since Balmain got into fiscal hot water and couldn't pay their way. Just incredibly dumb!
Magic Sponge
Guest
Boil more like it , but he is their best player, farah just has to apologise and move on and get the tigers going again and get on with Potter.
Zedman
Guest
The pimple on the bum here is Farah,he is the divisive element and it wouldn't matter who was coaching. Until the so called board at the Tigers man up and move him on the club will struggle.