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Squad for 2021

Messages
15,385
No hate from me, but the regression on the table was more to do with the change of rules IMO. And our squad being average enough wasn’t able to adapt

I looked at the nrl anticipated tiger sides 2019 v 2021 and low and behold, only about 4 players still standing.

This is quite telling in terms of what Madge has had to deal with.

When at least 3 out of 4 players in your squad aren’t exactly what your r&r want, your coach is not exactly salivating either.

And we know a few remain in contract that we’d rather let go at mate rates.

Madge and Harto can’t really be held responsible for the struggles of the last few years. They weren’t even around.

They came in to mop up and they are getting on with it whether the grinches like it or not.
 

BrotherJim05

Bench
Messages
3,399
Ur right on the money.Madge has made numerous diabolical misjudgements & he’s proven to be a one trick pony & very limited with match plans/coaching strategy.Dropping Benji was a disaster as he was our only competent game manager & half of Benji’s team-mates took umbrage at him being dropped as he wasnt playing anywhere near as poorly as others in the spine.How in the hell brooks wasn’t dropped(from the 17) instead of Benji is mind boggling.The thing that’s most concerning about Madge’s fitness as a coach is him telling RF & Benji to advise the pathetic Mbye to relinquish the captaincy.It’s inconceivable that a coach would outsource such primary functions of his job description.
At the end of the day it’s a results oriented business where the buck stops with the coach.The fact that we’ve regressed & gone from 9th to 11th during Madge’s tenure is telling & certainly didn’t justify rewarding him with a 2 yr extension of contract.Nevertheless good luck to him in trying to turn the club around although I’m not overly optimistic.

And hear comes the DERRRPPP patrol. Welcome to 2021
 

BrotherJim05

Bench
Messages
3,399
I'm not casting judgement on Madge's ability to coach until end of 2022, and quite frankly, neither should any of us.

Coaches get one shot to build the roster they want, then get one crack at making the top 8...then the knives come out. Some survive, some don't...that's how it works.

2021 represents the changing of the guard, but it won't be complete until 2022 when the old guard are well and truly gone and the new school reigns supreme. That will be Madge's shot for making top 8. If he fails, well he can probably scrape through another year in 2023, but the knives will well and truly be out.

I'm confident Madge will get us comfortably into finals in 2022, but as I said, not casting judgement until the end of 2022 season.
 

Tiger05

First Grade
Messages
9,162
I'm pretty sure I remember @Tiger Ted stating how good an operator Madge was. Maybe he wasn't that good and he isn't that bad now.

Personally I think Madge needs more time. I don't see us having a good year next year based on the talent that we have. Seriously compare our team to other teams in the comp.
 

WA Tiger

Bench
Messages
4,348
I agree, it’s a been a measured approach.

Perhaps another measuring stick is whether or not the players we let go have moved forward since and in the Madge/Hartigan era we haven’t seen too much of that.



It’s easy to criticise after the event and then speculate as to alternate histories.

The difficulty is that nothing you’ve courageously submitted has any basis in demonstrable fact.

For example, no one could say that if he gave the players more counselling and cuddles, the results would have been better. They could well have been worse. The point is that it is unknown.

Im not keen on going around in circles, but Ive made no secret of my support for Brooks whom in the main has held his own in some troubled sides.

As for where we arrived at seasons end, that has to be contemplated within the available talent. Now these guys earn big money in comparison to us and if Madge wants to make them earn it, that’s ok.

In any side, you are going to get pro-coach and anti coach forces. It came to a head last year with the rabble of the players liberation army. So far as I am aware, mostly populated by players out of form. Players like Allo and Nofo ripped into them.

At any rate, the rebellion was crushed and the core perpetual trouble makers have been moved on or given notice. The club said as much.

Any casual examination of the 2021 squad so far would appreciate its quite a different make up from the last few years. Not perfect, but significantly better for the season ahead and the future.....the future.

Madge got his extension and he’s not going anywhere. He doesn’t technically hit ground zero until packer leaves.

Ivan Cleary broke his promise and behaved dishonourably. Texting the players good bye was disrespectful to them personally. He could easily have had a gathering and exited professionally.

At any given time, you want Madge next to you in the trench and not Ivan.

Madge is well aware that his drive, ambition and work ethic challenges players. He admits mistakes, he cares, he leads. Using your history argument, he’s done it before....

Lets hope the written submission for Madges extension didn’t resemble this post

Inconclusive , indulgent, at times meaningless (in relation to the topic at hand) ramblings. And most confusingly Hope without reason

Inaccurate assumptions, including saying players that have left have not excelled. And that we are criticising after the event.

Anyway I hope it was good for you
 
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Messages
15,385
Lets hope the written submission for Madges extension didn’t resemble this post

Inconclusive , indulgent, at times meaningless (in relation to the topic at hand) ramblings. And most confusingly Hope without reason

Inaccurate assumptions, including saying players that have left have not excelled. And that we are criticising after the event.

Anyway I hope it was good for you

Eloquent enough, but largely failed to address the tenets of my submissions while enlisting a small but decrepit squad of straw men, thrown into battle -a dads army of argumentative nonsense.

One supposes that you consider Esan’s omission from the final Dally M point count to be an injustice without equal in the history of the game.

Alas.

As a general observation and not directed at you, I wonder whether the WT fan grinches are enjoying the overall co-vid experience, get excited by the odd car accident on the way to work, if we signed DCE on $100 match payments, one might imagine that there would be something wrong with that too?

No good to be seen anywhere for some people.

To condemn our season before it actually starts suggests a pre-judgment of the most indifferent and speculative kind. Doesn’t pass any test.

Criticism is for the good and arguably righteous and healthy, but the forum as some kind of perpetual therapy unit delivering one negative message after another becomes droll and depressing.

The reality is that supporting this club has rarely been as enlivening and cheery. Building up nicely, cash in hand, the dud situation almost overcome.

Happy new year brother WA ( meant sincerely).
 
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Tiger Ted

Bench
Messages
2,952
And hear comes the DERRRPPP patrol. Welcome to 2021
It’s not nonsense to be giving the coach an objective appraisal after 2 yrs at the club.I don’t really wish to revisit Madge’s disappointing misjudgements on this 1st day of a new yr in which I’m hoping we play finals.Selecting a peaheart as captain & persisting with the bum over the 2 yrs plus the extension of Brooks’s contract for a further 2 yrs are consequential errors in judgement.Madge is renowned for putting his imprint on his teams defence yet ours has been woeful(13th) after 2 seasons at the helm.He doesn’t strike me as someone who copes well with pressure as is evident by his juvenile tantrums.Just coz I don’t share ur confidence in Madge it doesn’t make my view silly albeit I do hope he proves me wrong.
 

Tiger Ted

Bench
Messages
2,952
I'm pretty sure I remember @Tiger Ted stating how good an operator Madge was. Maybe he wasn't that good and he isn't that bad now.

Personally I think Madge needs more time. I don't see us having a good year next year based on the talent that we have. Seriously compare our team to other teams in the comp.
I was thrilled when we signed Madge due to souths success while he was coach.However ive been very disappointed with our regression during his 2 yrs @ Concord.
 

Speedy Gonzales

Juniors
Messages
676
Have we really regressed ? I mean we didn't come 9th but is that really an achievement.

I don’t think we regressed but something happened after the warriors game which is where our season started to stink. That and our draw was ridiculous when you compared it to Cronullas draw
 
Messages
15,385
It’s not nonsense to be giving the coach an objective appraisal after 2 yrs at the club.I don’t really wish to revisit Madge’s disappointing misjudgements on this 1st day of a new yr in which I’m hoping we play finals.Selecting a peaheart as captain & persisting with the bum over the 2 yrs plus the extension of Brooks’s contract for a further 2 yrs are consequential errors in judgement.Madge is renowned for putting his imprint on his teams defence yet ours has been woeful(13th) after 2 seasons at the helm.He doesn’t strike me as someone who copes well with pressure as is evident by his juvenile tantrums.Just coz I don’t share ur confidence in Madge it doesn’t make my view silly albeit I do hope he proves me wrong.

There is no greater man-child tantrum throwing nutcase coach than super coach Bellyache. Madge pales by comparison Tedster.

The premise that all teams are equal and that a coach can somehow turn the ship around over night is very strange to me.

When you axe or let go more than 75% of your side in 2 years, that is indicative of a pretty low starting point.

Hartigan has done an amazing job cleaning up the books whilst introducing some youth and
talent.

The point is that we are at very early stages of this building journey.

If we are to rise out of the murk like Souths, we need to be patient and supportive.

This club can become a super-power in the game. We can hit top 4 every year.

But the hard yards need to be done on the quiet. A steady foundation. That’s where we are now. We haven’t quite cleared the arrears ( ie Packer) but can more than meet the interest payments. That’s taken 3 years.
 
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WA Tiger

Bench
Messages
4,348
And hear comes the DERRRPPP patrol. Welcome to 2021
I’m sorry we will need an IQ rating on this one before we can proceed. We haven't had any posts at this either very high or very low IQ rating..Not sure which.Can you test that one please.
 

Tiger Ted

Bench
Messages
2,952
Have we really regressed ? I mean we didn't come 9th but is that really an achievement.
Dropped 2 rungs on ladder after making some decent additions to our squad in AD BJ & Harry.We only beat 1 top 8 team which was the bog average sharks who finished 8th.We conceded 19 more points in 4 less matches than in ‘19.We were unlucky to just b pipped for the 8 by broncos in ‘19 whereas in ‘20 we were appalling & really never looked like making the 8.Hence we have regressed in Madge’s 2nd season as coach.
 

Tiger Ted

Bench
Messages
2,952
There is no greater man-child tantrum throwing nutcase coach than super coach Bellyache. Madge pales by comparison Tedster.

The premise that all teams are equal and that a coach can somehow turn the ship around over night is very strange to me.

When you axe or let go more than 75% of your side in 2 years, that is indicative of a pretty low starting point.

Hartigan has done an amazing job cleaning up the books whilst introducing some youth and
talent.

The point is that we are at very early stages of this building journey.

If we are to rise out of the murk like Souths, we need to be patient and supportive.

This club can become a super-power in the game. We can hit top 4 every year.

But the hard yards need to be done on the quiet. A steady foundation. That’s where we are now. We haven’t quite cleared the arrears ( ie Packer) but can more than meet the interest payments. That’s taken 3 years.
The likelihood of us becoming a super power or regularly making the top 4 is buckleys chance.That’s hilarious & reminds me of Steve Noyce’s delusional declaration that we could become the Man Utd of the NRL.
 
Messages
385
The likelihood of us becoming a super power or regularly making the top 4 is buckleys chance.That’s hilarious & reminds me of Steve Noyce’s delusional declaration that we could become the Man Utd of the NRL.[/QUOTEP
The likelihood of us becoming a super power or regularly making the top 4 is buckleys chance.That’s hilarious & reminds me of Steve Noyce’s delusional declaration that we could become the Man Utd of the NRL.
The post Fergie Man Utd perhaps!
 
Messages
15,385
I’ve made the point enough times, yet the grinches seem to think we started 2019 with the entire kangaroo side.

You ask @Mr Spock!, @BotanyBorn&Bred and @Travitoh whether back in 2000 they thought they’d ever play one game of nrl again let alone win their 20th premiership, become the 2nd biggest club in the game and regularly feature in finals. Their progress was beyond their dreams. Each year they have a chance. It must feel good.

They will tell you it’s takes a lot of time and patience to build sustained growth, Madge was a massive figure in that process, won everything possible. Premiership, world club challenge, 9s or whatever.

Even today, he’s highly regarded and even revered at Souths, despite being let go which was right. Hard but right for them at the time.

They learnt a lot from Madge and in the broad he left them a way better club than when he arrived.

He was slashing the tyres of favoured players back at Souths as he is here. He’s not very new age.

I have had some professional dealings with Mr Noyce and I shall leave that there :stuck_out_tongue:

I would prefer that Lee keeps out of club business publicly, not that he’s harmful. He talks tough and then meekly surrenders at the sight of $1.50. Maybe he’s a better lawyer. Maybe they keep him away from legal customers and he just drafts wills phoned through by the receptionist.

But I know my Grinches, there’s always a f**king problem with everything, nothing is ever good enough, a half mongrel, light a sparkler and chug a celebratory beer when a WT player does an a.c or is suspended for sniffing glue. Ffs. Spoon on.
 
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Travitoh

First Grade
Messages
5,156
I’ve made the point enough times, yet the grinches seem to think we started 2019 with the entire kangaroo side.

You ask @Mr Spock!, @BotanyBorn&Bred and @Travitoh whether back in 2000 they thought they’d ever play one game of nrl again let alone win their 20th premiership, become the 2nd biggest club in the game and regularly feature in finals. Their progress was beyond their dreams. Each year they have a chance. It must feel good.

They will tell you it’s takes a lot of time and patience to build sustained growth, Madge was a massive figure in that process, won everything possible. Premiership, world club challenge, 9s or whatever.

Even today, he’s highly regarded and even revered at Souths, despite being let go which was right. Hard but right for them at the time.

They learnt a lot from Madge and in the broad he left them a way better club than when he arrived.

He was slashing the tyres of favoured players back at Souths as he is here. He’s not very new age.

I have had some professional dealings with Mr Noyce and I shall leave that there :stuck_out_tongue:

I would prefer that Lee keeps out of club business publicly, not that he’s harmful. He talks tough and then meekly surrenders at the sight of $1.50. Maybe he’s a better lawyer. Maybe they keep him away from legal customers and he just drafts wills phoned through by the receptionist.

But I know my Grinches, there’s always a f**king problem with everything, nothing is ever good enough, a half mongrel, light a sparkler and chug a celebratory beer when a WT player does an a.c or is suspended for sniffing glue. Ffs. Spoon on.

21 mate but whose counting? :wink:

But the point you make is accurate imo. Without Madge, Souths don't win that premiership. They possibly don't even make top 4.

I can remember watching Souths with a young John Sutton in 2007 get pumped by Manly in an elimination final on a shitty stream and feeling excited at full time because the team had played finals footy for the first time in my lifetime.

Wests aren't anywhere near that level of desperation as a club. They've been hovering around the finals for a few years and it's probably been detrimental to their premiership hopes. Recruitment has been angled towards just making finals the next year. It created a sense of mediocrity being good enough. It's only since Madge has come in that I've seen any kind of future planning in recruitment.

The loss of juniors at times has hurt those plans, sure but every club losses juniors. It's a part of recruitment. The club has always had brilliant individuals but often fell short as a team. Madge will build a team. He will teach standards and if the club wins a premiership in 5 years or so, the team will have his fingerprints all over it.
 

WA Tiger

Bench
Messages
4,348
He was slashing the tyres of favoured players back at Souths as he is here. He’s not very new age.
.
Yes he did ..Of players we would rather have kept than scared off to another club..

It’s funny when the talk on Madge starts the language becomes hallucinatory, vague, at best hopeful, and things like “our recruitment has improved” - Madge has been barred from final recruitment decisions. Likely since AD and before that Brooks ...Hartigan is in charge of recruitment now. Madges opinion is just that nothing more.
- And yes he’s dropped players! - if that results in an improvement then ok, but it hasn’t..And then he didn't have the balls to actually drop Brooks when it was huge news in the media that he did. Instead he creates a ludicrous position on the bench especially for Brooks that made things worse. Seriously that one is worth a laugh it’s so fked up.
- and Madge won a premiership in 2014 ...A lifetime ago and fired since
All I want to hear is one thing that he has done as a coach of WT that indicates he’s clever and would help make me support him.. You know, any of the usual stuff..He caused that player to improve because he just gets him ..He picked such and such out of the blue and he exploded in that position. He didn’t at first but he stuck with him. He just knows how to get the best out of players. There has to be those kind of things going on for a coach to be great and to turn a club.. Even with non Oz rep players there can still be things done that are clever and makes a difference or results in a win / unlikely win (ala Gold Coast) ..Ive only seen the opposite from Madge or bad things left for too long, including him
 
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