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Season 2021

Tigerm

First Grade
Messages
8,902
Was he here before ok...I wouldn’t be surprised if Morris impresses from here on (hopefully they let him coach out his contract until years end) he has the teams complete attention and respect so depending on how well he does and how badly Madge does The plot may thicken …he’s only on $350 k
He was here as a player, from memory a 7 and ended up at Sharks as a 7 then 9 I think.

It would be difficult for him atm, not the first coach this has happened to and wont be the last, but I thought he has done well, in his time as head coach.

I can't see Madge going anytime soon, they just recently extended his contract for another 2 years. He's on slightly more than John Morris:D

But we need to do something with our halves.
 

WA Tiger

Bench
Messages
4,349
He was here as a player, from memory a 7 and ended up at Sharks as a 7 then 9 I think.

It would be difficult for him atm, not the first coach this has happened to and wont be the last, but I thought he has done well, in his time as head coach.

I can't see Madge going anytime soon, they just recently extended his contract for another 2 years. He's on slightly more than John Morris:D

But we need to do something with our halves.
Maybe confirm that $ Mage is on for me..I thought he was on more than twice that. I might be wrong
We’ve prob got the $$ to work something out if need be
 

stryker

First Grade
Messages
5,277
He was here as a player, from memory a 7 I think.
Who could forget Johnny Cronk???
For the younger members, John Morris was brought to this club by Tim Sheens to replace Scott Prince at halfback. Sheens had watched Craig Bellamy manufacture Cooper Cronk into a halfback and thought he’d give it a go manufacturing another utility into a halfback. Lightning did not strike twice. Morris tried hard but this is elite level rugby league, thus “Johnny Cronk” was a failure.
 

Vozzy

Juniors
Messages
1,689
That was quite disappointing obviously but I'm not surprised these days. At this point I don't really care about skill, reputation, experience I just want enthusiasm. The only 5 players I see who look like they want to be there or fight for every metre even if the game seems won or lost is Laurie, Stefano, LL, AD and Twal. Now those 5 guys aren't the best in their positions but they at run hard and seem desperate to get the ball to the players who should score points. Twal, LL and Stefano are the only forwards who run into it and try and find gaps the latter 2 are looking for offloads aswell. These 5 might make a mistake but they try and make up for it. The others drop their heads or talk to much before the game about sentimental things. Simpkin, Kiah Cooper, Tuilagi, Madden. Whether these players are fully ready for first grade they can't be worse then what we see most weeks.
 

Tigerm

First Grade
Messages
8,902
Maguire not the problem: Brooks in cross-hairs as Tigers ask ‘where to now?’
By Michael Chammas
April 12, 2021 — 6.00am

Michael Maguire has a clause in his recently-extended two-year contract that would allow the Wests Tigers to hit the eject button without much of an impact to the bottom line.

It’s the protection mechanism that the club were adamant they needed in case the rumblings around Maguire’s relationship with the players spilled over and left them with no choice but to part ways.

If Tigers powerbrokers believed sacking the coach would fix the problems that saw them humiliated in the first half of their loss to the previously hapless Cowboys, the club would not hesitate in triggering the termination and moving on.

But instead the questions aren’t being asked of the coach, with the blow torch now firmly pointed at under-siege halfback Luke Brooks as his career at the embattled club reaches a crossroad.

Sitting atop the grandstand at Leichhardt Oval, the club’s hierarchy watched on in disbelief as to how, in front of a packed home crowd in what was meant to be a tribute to Tommy Raudonikis, one of the most passionate men in rugby league history, the team put in such an uninspired performance.

At half time one of the most respected figures in rugby league walked into the corporate suite full of Tigers directors and hanger-onners to an avalanche of questions.

“What is our problem?” they asked. The conversation went on for some time, but the key point was made. “I tell you what isn’t the problem, your coach,” the person replied.

Clearly the Tigers held concerns about the coach otherwise they wouldn’t have felt the need to include the clause in the contract, however at this point in time Maguire is under no pressures to keep his job.

The same can’t be said for the halfback. The Wests Tigers have stuck by Brooks for the best part of a decade. He’s one of their own. A local junior. Brooks is a fantastic ambassador for the club and has worked tirelessly to help turn the joint venture’s fortunes around, but the reality is he has failed to deliver a single finals game in his eight seasons in the top grade.

However their faith in Brooks has all-but dwindled to the point of no return, with the club set to ponder a future without the halfback despite having two more years to run on his $900,000-a-season deal.

Is he a halfback? Can he control a football team? The questions will be rampant again this week. Ironically the man sitting in the away coach’s box on Sunday afternoon, Cowboys coach Todd Payten, could hold the solution to both the Tigers and Brooks’ woes.

Payten has a close relationship with Brooks having coached him in the club’s juniors. To think he is not speaking to the halfback about a future outside of the Wests Tigers would be naive.

Several of Brooks’ closest confidants are also encouraging the 26-year-old to consider life at another club. The Cowboys are expected to have close to an extra $1m to spend in the salary cap if Michael Morgan is granted a medical retirement after he succumbed to a shoulder injury and hung up the boots during the week.

The Cowboys are after Adam Reynolds as a halfback, but there is also an appetite to lure Brooks as a five-eighth in a combination that would take the pressure of controlling the football team away from the Tigers No.7.

A few months ago the club considered making a play for Mitchell Pearce, but their faith in Brooks prevented them from acting on it. After Sunday’s loss, in which a knock-on from Brooks in the dying seconds denied the Tigers a chance at snatching a miracle last-ditch win, the club has changed its tune.

Two weeks ago Phil Gould tweeted: “Luke Brooks is NOT the problem with Tigers. Tigers may well be the problem for Luke Brooks”.

There’s no doubt there are people trying to convince Brooks that is the case. Those trying to convince the Tigers it is the other way around might have just succeeded.
 

Perth Tiger

Bench
Messages
3,022
Who could forget Johnny Cronk???
For the younger members, John Morris was brought to this club by Tim Sheens to replace Scott Prince at halfback. Sheens had watched Craig Bellamy manufacture Cooper Cronk into a halfback and thought he’d give it a go manufacturing another utility into a halfback. Lightning did not strike twice. Morris tried hard but this is elite level rugby league, thus “Johnny Cronk” was a failure.

The old overlap murderer.

Still I would rather him than Brooks. And I mean for next week!
 

Tigerm

First Grade
Messages
8,902
Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire backed by club
The Wests Tigers have given an iron-clad guarantee that coach Michael Maguire’s job is safe.
After a terrible performance against the Cowboys on Sunday, chairman Lee Hagipantelis directed full blame at the playing group.
“There is no change of coach on our radar whatsoever,” Hagipantelis said.
“Madge has extended for two years. I don’t think the issue at our club is the coaching.
“Your patience can be tested but that first half performance on Sunday was all about effort and attitude.”
The Wests Tigers lost 34-30 and were booed off the paddock at half-time, trailing 28-6.
“This is something no administration has got control over,” Hagipantelis said.
“Once the boys cross that line and run onto the paddock they’ve got to do their jobs.
“We can’t run onto the field and neither can Madge.
“It’s not his job to make tackles and catch the football.
“I’m sure he’ll make the appropriate enquiries into why they played so poorly.
“We’ve got some cap space and when the appropriate opportunity comes up, we’ll be looking at it.”
 

Tigerm

First Grade
Messages
8,902
Wests Tigers can provide the following Chemist Warehouse Injury Report ahead of the club’s Round 6 game against South Sydney.

After sustaining a wrist fracture in the pre-season, Shawn Blore is making excellent progress in his return from surgery with a return to full squad training next week.

He is on track for a return to play in Round 8.

Joey Leilua failed his head injury assessment against the North Queensland Cowboys last week and is undergoing the concussion return-to-play protocols, which will see him unavailable for selection this week.

Billy Walters will undergo a surgeon review this week as he closes in on a return from his lengthy knee injury, with the utility to return to play in the coming weeks.

Russell Packer and 2021 Development Player William Kei have both had arthroscopic surgery following contact-related knee injuries — Packer is aiming for a return to play in Round 10 while Kei is hoping to be available in Round 8.

Train-and-trialist Edene Gebbie has also successfully had arthroscopic knee surgery and will be available for selection in the coming weeks.

CHEMIST WAREHOUSE INJURY REPORT
Joey Leilua (concussion) — Round 7

Shawn Blore (wrist) — Round 8

Russell Packer (knee) — Round 10

Billy Walters (knee) — Close to return
 

Tigerm

First Grade
Messages
8,902
I didn’t watch the Roosters / Storm game, but Harry getting rave reviews for his work?
 

axl rose

Bench
Messages
4,936
I didn’t watch the Roosters / Storm game, but Harry getting rave reviews for his work?
Killed it. Unlike the merkins in the media he has given the tigers credit for his development last year. Very hard to find anything to dislike about him other than a purple jersey. I said it after a few games last year, hes already better than the one dimensional Cook.
 

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