2025 prediction

[Nutz]

I just think one player can make a huge difference.
E.G. Turbo for Manly, Ponga for NC, Walsh for Brisbane

I think (hope) Luai takes control of the team and insists on players doing there job.
The young blokes, Galvin, S Fainu, Pole, Bula, will be another year older and wiser.
Api, Seyfarth & Olam will help.
And if the new blokes,Skelton, Hunt, Tito & Bird contribute as they should, we should certainly win a lot more games than we have for the last few years.

I agree totally. One marquee player would do it.
A great backline is going to come undone if they get get burnt out wide.
The fastest attacking players are usually on the end of an attacking raids where you have someone like Holmes or Walsh beating their opposing player to set their winger up to score in the corner.
Atm our centres are the weak link in this area.
If we had Holmes outside Olam and in the fwds we had a big body workhorse in Angus Crichton then we would give the title a shake.
Luai will keep us competitive but he needs a balanced team.

 

[Nutz]

I think you guys can jag a 7th or 8th spot if injuries are kind.
Bunji is the worry

Hee hee, spoken like a true kiwi from f**katane

 

[WA Tiger]

Kyle Flanagan is a solid no nonsense player but not a marquee ½.

He doesn’t have to be.. Brooks has proven that when surrounded with some potential star power ( Gutho, Sloane and Cook under Flanno’s Tutelage) a halfback just has to pass the ball competently to reach the finals. And the Dragons have multiple weapons including Holmes and maybe Addo Carr at the back.

 

[Nutz]

He doesn’t have to be.. Brooks has proven that when surrounded with some potential star power ( Gutho, Sloane and cook) A halfback just has to pass the ball competently.

Is that it? Just pass the ball. Wow!
Besides, Brooks was signed as a running ⅝, which he did well...DCE did more than just pass the ball...Hughes, Reynolds, Moses, Sexton, Hynes, etc etc will do a bit more than just pass the ball

 

[WA Tiger]

Pretty much..nothing that even slightly resembled marquee .. all players have their good days..but Brooks was mainly there to pass the ball on

 

[Nutz]

Pretty much..nothing that even slightly resembled marquee .. all players have their good days..but Brooks was mainly there to pass the ball on

What in the he'll has this got to do with my statement of Saints needing a marquee replacement for Hunt to be successful in 2025 like you think they will?
Time to take your medication mate.

 

[Nutz]

Wests Tigers make the finals

 

[WA Tiger]

Wests Tigers make the finals

Far from an outlandish prediction. Show some balls. Pretty much everything’s in place.

 

[Nutz]

Sorry guys, back to predictions.

Lachlan Galvin, Jarome Luai and Samuela Fainu play every game in 2025 (exception is unavailability due to representative games)

Wests Tigers opt for 2 captain's, Jarome Luai and Api Koroisau.

Top try scorers:
Forwards ~ Fonua Pole
Backs ~ Sunia Turuva

Top Points Scorer ~ Api Koroisau

We win our first 4 games in a row to be sole ladder leader.
Yeh yeh, I'm an optimistic, one eyed supporter ok.

First try in Rd 1 is Sunia Turuva from a sweeping backline movement.

Charlie Staines show great trial and early form to keep Jeral Skelton in KOE till Rd 6 when a team reshuffle makes way for Jeral to score a meat pie on debut.

Jack Bird gets the role of a ball playing lock as Pole comes off the bench as an impact player.

Makasini makes his NRL debut in rd 20.

On the downside, Big Red, Klemmer, Bateman (if he's still with us), May and Koroisau ~ most times sent to the bin. Hopefully these stints are not from brain explosions but more from something near unavoidable.

 

[Tiger Ted]

Sorry guys, back to predictions.

Lachlan Galvin, Jarome Luai and Samuela Fainu play every game in 2025 (exception is unavailability due to representative games)

Wests Tigers opt for 2 captain's, Jarome Luai and Api Koroisau.

Top try scorers:
Forwards ~ Fonua Pole
Backs ~ Sunia Turuva

Top Points Scorer ~ Api Koroisau

We win our first 4 games in a row to be sole ladder leader.
Yeh yeh, I'm an optimistic, one eyed supporter ok.

First try in Rd 1 is Sunia Turuva from a sweeping backline movement.

Charlie Staines show great trial and early form to keep Jeral Skelton in KOE till Rd 6 when a team reshuffle makes way for Jeral to score a meat pie on debut.

Jack Bird gets the role of a ball playing lock as Pole comes off the bench as an impact player.

Makasini makes his NRL debut in rd 20.

On the downside, Big Red, Klemmer, Bateman (if he's still with us), May and Koroisau ~ most times sent to the bin. Hopefully these stints are not from brain explosions but more from something near unavoidable.

…I ve been scarred by this rabble so after winning our 1st 4 games Benji gets a 3 yr contract extension & then we lose the next 12 games

 

[Vic Mackey]

I think you guys can jag a 7th or 8th spot if injuries are kind.
Bunji is the worry

The ceiling for this squad is quiet high, however there’s still some huge question marks:

* Coaching: Still the biggest one for me. I’ve never liked the Benji appointment however thought it could work if he was more of just a figurehead (I.e Mal Mengina in rep games) and had experienced assistant coaches. So far all we’ve seen is him employing his mates. Huge concern.

* Young players not progressing: Guys like Galvin, Bula, Da Silva etc have all shown they have potential to be high quality NRL players. Is our environment good enough to get them there?

* Depth: We seem to have a bit of cover at wing, haves, hooker and middle. But fullback, centre and second row is virtually non existent. Centre and Edge first choice are still nothing to write home about. A couple of injuries there and we're really screwed.

* Strength & Conditioning: 2024 was the worst conditioned I'd ever seen a footy team. When it was reported early that Galvin had broken a stack of training records a lot of people were yahooing. I was shocked. An 18 year old straight out of school is the best trainer in the 25 years of a professional sporting organization? Thats diabolical. I'm hoping the new standards reported are a real thing, however the coaching/S&C staff are more to blame for this then the players.

I know a lot of people focus on ladder position, and of course thats important, everyone wants to play finals. But to me I would rather take say 9/10 wins with genuine improvement noticed in players and structures over say 12 wins with a few scratchy wins over injury riddled teams falling you into 8th.

Anything below 9 wins is an abject failure and Benji needs to be punted immediately.

 

[Nutz]

…I ve been scarred by this rabble so after winning our 1st 4 games Benji gets a 3 yr contract extension & then we lose the next 12 games

I don't have scars but scabs.
Scars are where wounds have healed

 

[WA Tiger]

The ceiling for this squad is quiet high, however there’s still some huge question marks:

* Coaching: Still the biggest one for me. I’ve never liked the Benji appointment however thought it could work if he was more of just a figurehead (I.e Mal Mengina in rep games) and had experienced assistant coaches. So far all we’ve seen is him employing his mates. Huge concern.

* Young players not progressing: Guys like Galvin, Bula, Da Silva etc have all shown they have potential to be high quality NRL players. Is our environment good enough to get them there?

* Depth: We seem to have a bit of cover at wing, haves, hooker and middle. But fullback, centre and second row is virtually non existent. Centre and Edge first choice are still nothing to write home about. A couple of injuries there and we're really screwed.

* Strength & Conditioning: 2024 was the worst conditioned I'd ever seen a footy team. When it was reported early that Galvin had broken a stack of training records a lot of people were yahooing. I was shocked. An 18 year old straight out of school is the best trainer in the 25 years of a professional sporting organization? Thats diabolical. I'm hoping the new standards reported are a real thing, however the coaching/S&C staff are more to blame for this then the players.

I know a lot of people focus on ladder position, and of course thats important, everyone wants to play finals. But to me I would rather take say 9/10 wins with genuine improvement noticed in players and structures over say 12 wins with a few scratchy wins over injury riddled teams falling you into 8th.

Anything below 9 wins is an abject failure and Benji needs to be punted immediately.

Hence the need for senior players. As much for Benji as the junior players.

 

[WA Tiger]

I don’t think Benji’s a 2 captain guy.. I think his love affair with Api will remain as will Api’s sole captaincy position .. with Luai as a roving “captain”/ voice when needed. Prob suit the team better with Luai new to the team for now although that may change but only I think if api volunteers the loss of captaincy

 

[WA Tiger]

Benjis got what all the great coaches have ..Empathy. He was born with it. But now finally has that hard edge and players that are probably willing to spit blood for him..He has the knowledge he just has to pull it all together now.. Bateman may even come back to the fold now he knows his antics arnt going to work.

Question: why is Twal in the top 30 and not fainu? I’m not a forwards expert but those two Faunus have the same skill set… power balance etc etc ..Big mistake if we lose him which could still happen

 

[Tiger05]

Benjis got what all the great coaches have ..Empathy. He was born with it. But now finally has that hard edge and players that are probably willing to spit blood for him..He has the knowledge he just has to pull it all together now.. Bateman may even come back to the fold now he knows his antics arnt going to work.

On Benji let's hope so. I mean I'm pretty empathic. I'm also a little whining bitch. So maybe you are right about Benji. I mean I love the guy but he is a sensitive little bitch at times isn't he.

My take is I want to see the team come across as well coached. I don't know how I judge that but I know when he told the team to just play footy my blood boiled.

Question: why is Twal in the top 30 and not fainu? I’m not a forwards expert but those two Faunus have the same skill set… power balance etc etc ..Big mistake if we lose him which could still happen

Twal has a contract and Fainu doesn't. It's that simple. There are 30 spots and they are all taken. I reckon they'll be some movements prior to the season starting and Fainu will get a top 30 spot.

 

[Tigerm]

On Benji let's hope so. I mean I'm pretty empathic. I'm also a little whining bitch. So maybe you are right about Benji. I mean I love the guy but he is a sensitive little bitch at times isn't he.

My take is I want to see the team come across as well coached. I don't know how I judge that but I know when he told the team to just play footy my blood boiled.



Twal has a contract and Fainu doesn't. It's that simple. There are 30 spots and they are all taken. I reckon they'll be some movements prior to the season starting and Fainu will get a top 30 spot.

Both Bateman (eagles) & Dooee (Drags) are still under consideration, tbh, a few of the young guys, especially the lot that just got disciplined, wouldn’t cost much to move on either.
It will only be considered terrible, until we start winning games.

 

[WA Tiger]

On Benji let's hope so. I mean I'm pretty empathic. I'm also a little whining bitch. So maybe you are right about Benji. I mean I love the guy but he is a sensitive little bitch at times isn't he.

Me too

 

[Fordy20]

I think you guys can jag a 7th or 8th spot if injuries are kind.
Bunji is the worry

Not really. 2005 is proof that if your halfback is good enough, it doesn't matter who the coach is.

 

[Chins get the wins]

Not really. 2005 is proof that if your halfback is good enough, it doesn't matter who the coach is.

Sheens had the advantage of people believing he COULD coach. Everyone in the rugby league world knows Benji is out of his depth, including the man himself.