First 8 games of the season

[madunit]

I was just compiling some data from the first 8 games of every Tigers season (including tonight)

W D L F A Pos Diff
2000 4 2 2 124 164 4 -40
2001 4 0 4 175 184 8 -9
2002 4 0 4 182 193 7 -11
2003 2 0 6 118 217 13 -99
2004 3 0 5 130 168 11 -38
2005 3 0 5 199 240 13 -41
2006 4 0 4 170 210 8 -40
2007 4 0 4 173 134 5 39
2008 4 0 4 170 178 8 -8
2009 4 0 4 182 209 9 -27
2010 4 0 4 169 178 7 -9
2011 4 0 4 185 153 7 32
2012 3 0 5 154 169 11 -15
2013 2 0 6 107 203 15 -96

 

[Matchball]

On par with 2003, we finished 13th.
I'd be happy with that this year.

 

[madunit]

Our worst attack to start a season yet.

Avraging almost 30 pts conceeded per week

 

[Matchball]

And our so called best attacking weapon wants an upgrade.
Replay is on later, how many mid field bombs did he do tonight?

 

[madunit]

Not many, he got injured but stayed on the field to really help the side out.

 

[Das Hassler]

Stating the obvious to say that the side Potter prepared in his first offseason has been completely ripped to pieces by injury, pretty much from a few games in....that's all there is to it. This too shall pass and things will eventually start taking shape...pretty sure Benji copped knees in the back and he did the best he could playing hurt...Blair does need a rocket up his arse though

 

[mayfieldtiger]

I dont know why everyone is going off!!! I know it sucks to see us get beat like this ,but this was always a rebuilding year.i think all these injuries may be a godsend, having all theses young blokes playing so early can only give them alot more experience for next year.Like how Newcastle played young blokes last year and it only helped them eg Tyrone roberts. Plz keep the faith

 

[innsaneink]

'03 was Sheens' first year too

2002 saw the beginnings of bajouri mears paterson trindall Wozza Cupples Air fitzy

2003 saw the beginnings of (among others) Heighno farah Fulton gibbs halatau Marshall

Hopefully '13 sees some young blokes kick on like the names of 03

 

[Fordy20]

I'm going off because the club keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. Not enough props, not sticking with one halfback to take the organising pressure of Marshall. Not enough hard hitting, hard running, hard working forwards. Slow outside backs incapable of contesting the ball in the air. Not dropping players for underperformance.

The club keeps coddling certain players and treating others like garbage. Miller should have been guaranteed the halfback spot for the next two years to give Brooks more time to develop and to give the side a stable halfback. If the club wasn't prepared to do that, they should have let him go to ESL instead of blocking the move. Then there's Tedesco who should have been fullback from day dot. Even Sheens got that one right. It's a shame that it's taken an injury to Moltzen to this to happen. Then you've got Sironen in the halves when he offers very little in the way of creativity and organising, but he stays in there so his dad doesn't get the shits.

 

[Tiger05]

Not enough props,

Ava, Galloway, Groat, Woods, Bell & Buchanan to me can all slot in there easily. Maybe even Blair can play prop.

not sticking with one halfback to take the organising pressure of Marshall.

Miller has been ordinary. Moltzen got injured. Sironen has been average.

Not enough hard hitting, hard running, hard working forwards.

Agreed.

Slow outside backs incapable of contesting the ball in the air.

Tedesco has had his share of misses as had Koro and they both should be in the team full time.

Utai can't catch a bomb but I love the way he puts in when we have the ball.

Not dropping players for underperformance.

Look at all the injuries we have and how the players have been playing that have been called in.

The club keeps coddling certain players and treating others like garbage. Miller should have been guaranteed the halfback spot for the next two years to give Brooks more time to develop and to give the side a stable halfback. If the club wasn't prepared to do that, they should have let him go to ESL instead of blocking the move. Then there's Tedesco who should have been fullback from day dot. Even Sheens got that one right. It's a shame that it's taken an injury to Moltzen to this to happen. Then you've got Sironen in the halves when he offers very little in the way of creativity and organising, but he stays in there so his dad doesn't get the shits.

I basically disagree with most of this.

I think we are a mess at the moment and there isn't a short term fix. I also think it is pretty easy to turn this around without spending a fortune on getting better players.

 

[leoc]

Props are a massive issue for us! Woods is a great prop and hopefully will be around a while. Galloway is good when fit but of late injuries are his biggest problem and now we may have already seen the best of him. As for the rest, they are honest but I havent seen anything outstanding!! We need bulk and we need to hit the market to secure it ASAP!!

 

[Tigers Tale]

After 8 round I knew we'd be struggling but I didn't see us sitting at the bottom of the table...

 

[Ron's_Mate]

After 8 round I knew we'd be struggling but I didn't see us sitting at the bottom of the table...

We are below Parra on for and against. Bottom of the barrel. Time for some hard decisions.

 

[hutch]

Props are a massive issue for us! Woods is a great prop and hopefully will be around a while. Galloway is good when fit but of late injuries are his biggest problem and now we may have already seen the best of him. As for the rest, they are honest but I havent seen anything outstanding!! We need bulk and we need to hit the market to secure it ASAP!!

I think we are struggling in the backrow department more than up front. Problem is, can't think of any good second rowers on the market.

 

[BuffaloRules]

We are below Parra on for and against. Bottom of the barrel. Time for some hard decisions.

Any suggestions?

With only Richards so far coming on board next year, I am not optimistic of improvement in the short to medium term.

 

[benched tiger]

Injuries have not helped but that can not be used entirely as an excuse considering the players that we had in the side last year were pretty ordinary finishing outside the 8.

 

[madunit]

worth noting that the injuries haven't been there since Round 3 or 4.

We always had poor depth and were very light in the back row.

We gotta find clauses in players contracts to set them free. we did it with players we should have retained, can't be too hard to do.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Other teams wanted the players we should have retained.

Not much chance I'd that happening with the likes of Blair, Lawrence, Ayshford...

 

[Magpies Forever]

To be fair to the players- they have to be tapped on the shoulder now and publicly be able to seek new clubs either here or ESL. For me it's outskies to Blair, Lawrence, Moltzen, Utai, Reddy, Tiquiri, Masada plus a serious rethink of this huge deal to re-sign benji for 5 years. It's too long and too much for substandard performances by a supposed star, world class player. He is getting on, has not developed any consistency, his maturity and reading games has not developed and all this begs the question as to his real worth on the market. Miller will go to ESL next year- he has nothing to stay for.

We need some forward starch, and we may as well promote and give experience to our second string backs. Give them the opportunity. I'd keep Ayshford for 2014 as, he can provide some stability and experience, along with Richards in a pretty raw back line eg Tedesco, Richards, Ayshford, Simona, Korobete, Marshall / Anasta, Anasta / Brooks

 

[leoc]

Fairly certain that all fans can see that some guys need to be set free & we need to actively sign some new players to the team but why am I reading that Koroibete is off contract and not signed yet? I hope this isn't another one of the players that we should sign but ends up elsewhere.
Is Vatuvei an option for us?
What about Frank Paul Nuuasala at Prop?
Can feleti Mateo offer anything at lock for us?
Still think we need an established half,maybe Finch or Mortimer just to guide young Brooks through.
Any Thoughts??