Benji Marshall recently described the pre-season under new Wests Tigers coach Michael (Madge) Maguire as the hardest of his career.
The 33-year-old veteran of 16 NRL seasons told the media that Madge drives standards and culture very hard.
Heir apparent to Robbie Farah’s hooker spot, Jacob Liddle, reports that he has bulked up and is stronger than ever under Maguire in pre-season. That’s welcome news for the previously slightly-built rake who has undergone more than one shoulder surgery in his short career.
So what does this new tough physical regime mean for the fortunes of the Wests Tigers?
On its own probably not much.
All 16 NRL clubs are out in the media enticing fans into memberships and season tickets by activating stories of ‘best pre-season ever,’ ‘never been fitter’ and (ahem) ‘training the house down.’
For a number of reasons 2019 off-season recruitment has been a non-event at the Wests Tigers. The only stand out gain for 2019 was Roosters back rower Ryan Matterson while they lost their best metre-eating forward Sauaso Sue to the Bulldogs and flamboyant outside back Kevin Naiqama to St Helens in Super League.
After the Cleary circus came to an end in late October 2018, Maguire moved in to Concord and despite not having a lot of room to move, he strongly hinted at bringing in a couple more players from outside to compliment his inherited squad.
Benji Marshall of the Tigers said the most recent pre-season was the hardest of his career. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)
A run in with Todd Greenberg and the NRL prior to Christmas resulted in a $639,000 salary cap penalty with CEO Justin Pascoe being deregistered. This will severely restrict any further purchases unless a downgrade can be secured through appeal.
Wests Tigers have not been spared from off season player behaviour issues with Michael Chee Kam (assault) and Zane Musgrove (indecent assault) on charges awaiting legal processes. It would be safe to assume that if either player is found guilty their contracts will be terminated. In Musgrave’s case, his contract is yet to be registered with the NRL
Madge has inherited the squad that Ivan built. It is a squad that showed plenty of promise in 2018 but eventually lacked consistency and finished in ninth position. The Tigers also finished ninth in 2016 under the much maligned Jason Taylor, and a lowly fourteenth after Cleary took over from Taylor in 2017.
It has been well documented that the club hasn’t made the finals since finishing fourth in 2011 under coach Tim Sheens.
The longest finals drought in the side’s history sits very uncomfortably on the shoulders of Wests Tigers fans who have endured many years of club turmoil and media criticism since the team won their only premiership back in 2005.
So how can Michael Maguire change the floundering fortunes of the merged club?
He will be the fourth clipboard holder to give it a go since Sheens left in 2012.
Madge has reputation for being a tough straight talker. Someone who doesn’t tolerate ill discipline. A trait that may be very handy at a club where it has been reported that players have ruled the dressing room at times.
It is rumoured that the 45-year-old coach participates in the fitness drills at training. Surely avoiding the embarrassment of being physically shamed would be enough for any young professional rugby league player to find that extra one per cent of effort.
Maguire is a successful coach with a 55 per cent win record in the NRL. More importantly, he won a premiership with Souths in 2014. Previously he found success in the English Super League at Wigan taking out an SL grand final and Challenge Cup final during his two year stint.
There is no doubt he knows what it takes what it takes to create a successful club.
For balance we should mention Maguire’s abrupt and early exit from the Rabbitohs. After finishing 12th in 2017 there were whispers from South Sydney officials that Madge was too harsh on the players and had not kept pace with modern day rugby league.
Maguire told media told media that he had learned a lot from his experience at Souths and in his 12 months away from the NRL where he also coached the New Zealand team.
If the Tigers are to be any chance in 2019, Madge will need to get into the heads of the two marquee props, Packer and Matulino. Stats don’t tell the full story but their numbers in terms of metres gained were not good enough in 2018.
He will need to find new strategies to get the team over the try line. The team ranked second last for points scored last season.
The form of last year’s Dally M halfback of the year Luke Brooks will be crucial to the team’s fortunes in attack. Veterans Marshall and Farah will play a part but they are running on old legs.
Luke Brooks of the Tigers runs onto the field (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
It will be interesting to see how the talented Moses Mbye reacts to the captaincy role with Maguire reverting to a one on-field leader policy after Cleary opted for five skippers in 2018.
So to the big question. Can the Wests Tigers conjure up some finals rain for fans in 2019?
My heart says Madge will strike again and bring success back to Concord.
My head says the Wests Tigers need to add a marquee prop and a strike centre to the roster before they can play deep into September.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
The coach believes his Tigers reverted to ways of old, trying to chase the soft way of winning instead of doing the hard yards…
"What are the touchies doing?"
For someone who insists he’s a centre, Zac Lomax is a top-quality winger. He is set to cost himself hundreds of thousands of dollars…
The Tigers forward was already on report for an earlier high tackle in which he was lucky to stay on the field, but this…
Think about all the other players sin-binned and suspended for less.
The referee called him a disrupter and not going for the ball but to put the player off - but Andrew Voss says mid-air…
