Opinion
Come sit, pour yourself a drink and reminisce with me about 2005, the year of the tiger.
Firstly, the Wests Tigers finished ninth the year before, which would later become their niche. They lost their final three games of the season when they literally needed one win to secure themselves a spot in the finals. Unfortunately they went into Round 24 needing one win out of three games but the wheels just fell off.
However, comparing that to the previous season, it was a step in the right direction.
But what would take place the following year is the definition of a miracle.
Tim Sheens remained with the luckless Tigers after receiving the job, the same job Craig Bellamy turned down in 2003. Undeterred, Sheens would change the game for his club and for all of rugby league.
The Tigers lacked size and were failing to secure any names. Sheens decided to rely mostly on the one thing the club did have – speed – and there was more than enough of that.
The 2005 Tigers are remembered for a having a very flamboyant offensive strategy.
At the time, these boys were not huge household names but you’ll never forget that spine: Brett Hodgson, Benji Marshall, Scott Prince and Robbie Farah.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
This spine will forever be etched in rugby league history.
The Wests Tigers went from never making the finals to finishing fourth.
In the first week of the finals, the Tigers beat the Cowboys 50-6. In the second, they beat the Broncos 34-6. In the third, they beat the Dragons 20-12. And in the grand final, they beat the Cowboys 30-16.
Voted the second greatest try in history is obviously the greatest pass ever thrown: Marshall’s flick pass to Pat Richards.
The audacity to even attempt that pass in a grand final is extremely brave (or cocky), but for it to land and lead to a try is actual magic. What a flex.
Richards still had some work to do to finish that try but the hardest part was already completed and the rest is history.
The 2005 Wests Tigers gave us an incredible game with a likeable bunch and did it while starting off 150-1 underdogs.
Bravo, we’ll never forget.
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