For the teams who will be watching the NRL finals, the only way is up. In the first in a series on how they can get back to the playoffs, we’re starting at the bottom with the wooden spooners-elect, the Wests Tigers.
You can’t rebuild until you hit rock bottom. Unfortunately for long-suffering Wests Tigers fans, this year’s wooden spoon may not be the turning point.
And you can’t rebuild unless you have a plan. Well, at least now the club seems to have a pathway to getting back into the finals but executing it will be a painful process which will take at least a couple more years.
For a team that has the longest playoff drought in the NRL, stretching back to incoming coach Tim Sheens’ previous stint in 2011, there is little to be enthusiastic about.
The Tigers of 2022 have been hurtling towards the bottom pretty much since the start of the season.
After finishing ninth, 11th and 13th under Michael Maguire, the club brought an end to his tenure mid-season after the 44-18 drubbing at the hands of South Sydney in Round 12.
Tim Sheens. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
They were 15th at the time with a 3-9 record and interim coach Brett Kimmorley has been unable to prevent them from dropping to last, racking up just one win in 11 games at the helm.
To be fair to Kimmorley, he’s had to operate in an environment where players have been released early like Luciano Leilua to the Cowboys or loaned out to other clubs (David Nofoaluma to Melbourne and Oliver Gildart to the Roosters) while blooding rookie prospects to get some game time into them to see if they are worth investing in next year.
Sheens returning to the head coach’s role for a two-year stint after a decade-long absence from the role in the NRL is fraught with danger.
The four-time premiership-winning mentor (three at Canberra and the 2005 success at the Wests Tigers) will enter 2023 with a strike rate of 50.8% from 340 wins in 669 matches.
He’s highly unlikely to finish above 50% when he hangs up the clipboard for good at the end of 2024 when he hands over the reins to Benji Marshall as part of the succession plan.
Despite the addition of NSW hooker Api Koroisau from Penrith and Kiwi forward Isaiah Papali’i from Parramatta, the roster for 2023 will not be drastically different to this season’s squad.
The loss of Leilua in the pack will be compounded by the further departures of fellow second-rowers Luke Garner to the Panthers and Kelma Tuilagi to Manly while the Tigers are yet to sign any backs of note.
Api Koroisau. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Veterans like prop James Tamou and centre James Roberts are unlikely to be going around again at Concord so the focus for Sheens will be on youth.
It adds up to another season where the only trophy that is likely to be in the Tigers’ claws will be of the wooden variety.
And they still have the three halves won’t go into two situation with Luke Brooks, Jackson Hastings and Adam Doueihi each preferring a spot in the halves.
Hastings is likely to again be tried at lock if all three are indeed still on the books for Round 1 but with the trio coming off contract at the same time at the end of next year, there is a strong possibility that at least one of them will be “free to explore their options elsewhere” in the off-season.
The challenge for Sheens is clearly long term and he won’t be fussed if his record cops a few dints.
His mission is to make this team competitive so that by the time Marshall takes over after serving a two-year apprenticeship as his assistant, the team is building towards sustainable success from within rather than the three-year cycles of recruiting mediocrity that has been a hallmark of the club since Sheens was punted in 2012.
Sheens was quick to shoot down speculation suggesting they would pay massive overs for Storm star Cameron Munster, which was wise because the Tigers need to shed their reputation as the club that free agents use to drive up their asking price before signing elsewhere.
The Tigers have plenty of money coming off the books at the end of next year and will be cashed up to enter the player market after next season.
But with 17 mostly young club juniors under contract for 2024, it’s clear Sheens wants to use that nucleus of talent to build around rather than pay above market value for recruits who, let’s face it, will want extra to join a team that has three finals appearances since the joint venture was formed at the turn of the century.
2023 recruits
Apisai Koroisau (Panthers), Isaiah Papali’i (Eels), Triston Reilly (rugby union, Waratahs), David Nofoaluma (Storm – return from loan), Oliver Gildart (Roosters – return from loan).
2023 departures
Luke Garner (Panthers), Kelma Tuilagi (Sea Eagles), Thomas Mikaele (Warrington).
2023 free agents
William Kei, Jock Madden, Henry O’Kane, James Roberts, Tommy Talau, James Tamou.
mach4
Roar Rookie
Forget Sheens and Marshall, just remember what Mick potter said after leaving the Tigers - "I found it to be a different club to any club I’d been with. It was a political hotbed. I knew the first day I went in there it was going to be a tough gig. I went in there to coach, not be a politician" - Nothing seems to have changed.
mushi
Roar Guru
Reports are Madden is gone after Sheens said there isn't a gig for him
Noel
Roar Rookie
I think that the last month or so has also given Noddy a clue that he's got a long way to go before he is up to NRL standard as a coach. I know he drew the short straw, but some of his press conferences and messaging has been awful. Case in point - bleating all week before the Panthers game - by resting their stars, they are disrespecting us. Not an uncommon ploy, and can be effective. But after the loss, he comes out and says (paraphrasing) 'Yeah, nah. I didn't really think that, but you've got to say something to the boys to get them interested. Nothing personal. Will have to think of something for next week.' At that point, not a single player will be listening, Noddy. There's 'caretakers' and there's 'caretakers'.
Noel
Roar Rookie
"Get your referees tickets" - love this. I reckon go one step further, get your quals and actually volunteer and ref some games. See what it's like on the other side. I know it made me a better player (though the bar was pretty low...).
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
I'd be building a team about releasing Luke Brooks to the Bulldogs/Titans and re signing Jock Madden at half Brooks' salary
Eelsalmighty
Roar Rookie
Hmmmmm? Building a team around Jackson Hastings and making him captain would be a bridge too far for me, even with his performance this season, and his ageing.
3 R M
Roar Rookie
This is the only option Arcturus . Where to ? It's obvious Campbelltown dam thing is being used as a covid testing site next to the T2 Geez .
Arcturus
Roar Rookie
Doueihi and Hastings were their best halves this year - keep them with Madden as back up and get rid of Brookes. Don't give good players a contract release or loan them to other clubs - it sends a message that your team is less important. Make all players get their referees ticket so they know the rules. Get some decent forwards to back up the ones coming next year - if you can, there aren't many good ones available. Finally, pick one home ground (Campbelltown) and stick with it. Training at Concord and having home games at Campbelltown, Leichhardt and Commbank is stupid. Pick Campbelltown and make it your fortress.
Albo
Roar Rookie
They have to build from their youth squad, using Api and Hastings to manage them on the park . There is plenty of good young talent coming through. Just need the nous to identify the best ones, develop & retain them through to NRL level . They need to get off the merry-go-round of buying up other Clubs' discards.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Unlucky to lose against the Cowboys. Could have been 8 points up yesterday with a few minutes to go without that “rookie error”. Makes me wonder do players know the rules of the game or was it just an instinctive reaction from the line drop out? Reminded me of Andrew Gee in 1996 when an incorrect “tap restart” gifted the game to the Roosters right on full time.
Wayne Turner
Guest
Wests Tigers need to make Jackson Hastings their priority.Build the team around him,offer him a reasonable 3 year extension and Captaincy. They played best with him in the team this season,from 1 point wins over Parramatta & South's.Along with win over Brisbane.They are directionless without him.