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Wests Tigers 2018 season preview and prediction

Roar Guru
22nd February, 2018
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Avagalu Seumanufagai of the Wests Tigers. (AAP Image/Michael Chambers)
Roar Guru
22nd February, 2018
31
1177 Reads

In recent seasons the Wests Tigers have had problems all the way from the front office to the backline. Unfortunately for the Tigers’ faithful, it doesn’t look likely to change anytime soon.

Last season – 14th
Seven wins, 17 losses, 413 points scored, 571 points against

Last five seasons
15th, 13th, 15th, 9th, 14th

2017 review
2017 was over before it began for the Tigers, with coach Jason Taylor being sacked after three rounds, and three of the club’s biggest players in James Tedesco, Mitchell Moses and Aaron Woods all taking up contract offers elsewhere. In Week 6, Ivan Cleary walked into what was a circus.

It was an awful season for the Tigers really, when you consider they finished 2016 in ninth place, and had a number of younger players expected to take the team to the next level.

Once the turmoil died down, the team actually played pretty well in the back half of the year under Ivan Cleary, without getting many results to show for it.

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.

2018 gains
Mahe Fonua (Hull – 2019), Tyson Gamble (Redcliffe – 2019), Pita Godinet (Sea Eagles), Benji Marshall (Broncos – 2018), Ben Matulino (Warriors – 2020), Chris McQueen (Titans – 2020), Taane Milne (Dragons – 2019), Russell Packer (Dragons – 2021), Josh Reynolds (Canterbury – 2021), Robbie Rochow (Storm – 2019), Corey Thompson (Widnes – 2019),

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2018 losses
Matt Ballin (retired), Justin Hunt (retired), Jamal Idris (retired), Jordan Rankin (Huddersfield), Ava Seumanufagai (Sharks), James Tedesco (Roosters), Aaron Woods (Bulldogs), Joel Edwards, Jack Littlejohn, Kyle Lovett (Leigh Centurions), Moses Suli (Bulldogs).

The Tigers virtually have a new side in 2018 with plenty of salary cap space freed up by the departures of Tedesco, Moses and Woods.

They have taken an interesting path with the signings of a number of older/experienced type players that were perhaps in need of a fresh start. Josh Reynolds was the Tigers’ biggest signing and will be expected to form a stable partnership with Luke Brooks.

The Tigers have overpaid for Reynolds who is clearly a risk on a four-year deal given his recent spate of calf and hamstring injuries. However he is the sort of inspirational and popular figure the club perhaps needed to try and build a new culture.

Reynolds, Chris McQueen and Ben Matalino all played in struggling sides last season and all three experienced some injuries and average form.

I really like the signing of Russell Packer as he is a reformed character and will add much-needed aggression to the forward pack. The club won’t miss Woods greatly as he was a poor leader, and they have enough depth in their forward pack in 2018. However, they will clearly miss Tedesco who is a game breaker and a dynamic fullback, and is impossible to replace.

Tedesco-Origin

James Tedesco (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

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Head coach – Ivan Cleary
Last season Cleary was picking up the pieces really. He could hardly be judged either way on what the side produced. Now he has made a number of signings and reshaped the roster somewhat how he wanted, so fans will be expecting things to be on the up.

The good thing about Cleary is he has achieved similar mass rebuilding jobs at both the Warriors and Panthers.

He is used to working from the ground up and, at a club like the Tigers, that’s the only way at the moment given they have missed the finals the past six seasons. I don’t expect much pressure to be on Cleary this year. However, there is pressure on some of his recruits to deliver, and if they don’t, the Tigers will have an ageing roster with recruits that are perhaps past their best.

Ivan Cleary NRL Rugby League Wests Tigers 2017

Ivan Cleary (AAP Image/Paul Miller)

Most important player – Luke Brooks
It’s time for Brooks to step up, having played virtually four full seasons in the NRL. He would be the first to admit he has fallen a long way below expectations the past few years, after some outstanding performances in his debut season.

Brooks will control the team this season, with Reynolds acting as a roving five eighth, and he needs to fire if the Tigers are any shot of doing something.

If he’s quiet Brooks may struggle to retain his place at halfback, with club legend Benji Marshall lurking in the shadows, and rumours Nathan Cleary would like to play under his father when off contract in 2020.

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Luke Brooks passes the ball

(AAP Image/Paul Miller)

Best 17
1. Tui Lolohea 2. Corey Thompson 3. Esan Masters 4. Thane Milne 5. David Nofoaluma 6. Josh Reynolds 7. Luke Brooks 8. Russell Packer 9. Matt McIlwrick 10. Ben Matulino 11. Elijah Taylor 12. Chris Lawrence 13. Matthew Eisenhuth
14. Chris McQueen 15. Alex Twal 16. Sauaso Sue 17. Josh Aloiai

2018 verdict – 15th
I love my Tigers, but it’s really hard to see them turning it around this season, given they lost three of their best players in the off-season.

While they have added depth to their roster, their top 17 looks to be close to the weakest in the competition in terms of quality in key positions and strike power.

Tui Lolohea is not a proven fullback and it’s impossible to replace someone of the quality of James Tedesco, while their halves in Brooks and Reynolds will need to build a combination, and their main hooker Jacob Liddle is only very young and coming off shoulder surgery.

Their forward pack can likely compete quite well, the likes of Alex Twal, Matt Eisenhuth and Josh Aloiai could really surprise teams with their size and strength.

However, their backline lacks class, speed, and anyone who can really turn a game. In key positions, only Reynolds is an established player, and Brooks has never lived up to the hype.

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Expect a season of less drama for the Tigers, and a physical and competitive team, but one lacking the strike power to really worry many sides. That said, I’m prepared to give Cleary a couple of seasons to turn things around for a club that has struggled mightily of late.

They will avoid the spoon, but won’t win more than seven or eight games.

Eddie’s ladder
15th: Wests Tigers
16th: New Zealand Warriors

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