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Season 2024

Front-Rower

First Grade
Messages
5,297
Marshall, meanwhile, thought Fulton was trouble, because he espoused a style of coaching the Tigers had rebelled against under Michael Maguire, who tried to instil an intensity that didn’t work with the playing roster. Marshall was one of them.

Marshall, having watched the impact Maguire’s coaching style had on his teammates, is doing things differently.

A more relaxed approach has been misconstrued as an unwillingness to dedicate the time required to be successful.

I disagree. The failure to work hard off the park is a direct result of failure on the park. If this is truly the case then the club won’t be moving off the bottom of the ladder any time soon.
 

Tigerm

Coach
Messages
10,797
NRL twitter:
"He reminded me a lot of Tom Brady..." 🏈

Billy Walters had big praise for Jock Madden as the Broncos back-up prepares to replace Adam Reynolds 🙌
———————-
Wow, high praise?
 

Pezz70

Juniors
Messages
1,977
Koroisau begged Luai to join the Tigers after ‘taxing’ first year as skipper
By Adam Pengilly
March 11, 2024 — 7.45pm

Late last year, the man in charge of leading the Tigers couldn’t help himself when the club was courting his old teammate, Jarome Luai.

Api Koroisau picked up his phone and told Luai, in not too subtle terms, what he thought about the Panthers star weighing up a club record offer to join the Tigers.

“I messaged him saying we needed him,” Koroisau laughs.

And after that?

“At the end of the day, I just kept asking him, ‘Are you coming? Are you coming? Are you coming?’ I think [coach] Benji [Marshall] put in the hard yards there.”

Luai is coming.

He will do so on five-year deal worth more than $6 million, and none are more pleased than the Tigers captain, who will be reunited with his old friend at Penrith in 2025. But that’s then, and Koroisau is about the now.

“Everyone is excited about Romey coming, obviously the calibre of player he is,” Koroisau said. “We’re all excited. But at the same time we’ve been trying to not think too much about it.”

Koroisau left the Panthers after back-to-back premierships in 2022 to join the Tigers. Try as he might, couldn’t lift them off the bottom of the ladder last year.

Without question, he was the club’s most influential player in a rotten season which saw them lose their first seven matches, their coach Tim Sheens by the end of the campaign and their entire board and chief executive before Christmas. That the captain was spared wasn’t a coincidence.

He knew he was going to have to shoulder a big responsibility, but never did Koroisau think that would include playing halfback and kicking goals in the final rounds of 2023.

“It was tough,” Koroisau says. “By the back end, you can’t say or do any more. “The hardest thing was the boys were trying. It had nothing do with effort areas. For me, it was just about doing what I can do and trying to be positive. We knew early on it wasn’t going great. By the back end it was really taxing. I just tried to be there for everyone.

“I enjoyed halfback. You don’t have to do as much tackling, but I don’t think I like the responsibility of trying to call the plays. That’s not me. Pass the ball off the deck is a super easy job for me.”

The Tigers’ long and slow climb back up the NRL ladder will begin in Canberra on Saturday when Koroisau leads Marshall’s team in their first competition match of 2024 against the Raiders. They had the bye in the opening round.

Over summer, Koroisau has already been enthused by the Tigers’ young talents Lachlan Galvin, Heath Mason and Tallyn Da Silva. And a rookie coach in Marshall.

“He’s very honest,” Koroisau says. “That’s just how his personality is. He’s very up front and doesn’t beat around the bush. If he thinks something is up, he will tell you how it is. That’s even if he’s not your coach. That’s a very good quality to have. Everyone knows exactly where they stand with Benji.”

This signing will end up worse than Adam Blair’s signing. Given we’re putting up so much cash for him it might even eclipse the Chris McQueen signing, or Rusty Packer
 
Messages
773
This signing will end up worse than Adam Blair’s signing. Given we’re putting up so much cash for him it might even eclipse the Chris McQueen signing, or Rusty Packer
Maybe we can start up a list Pezz of all time tigers shit recruitments, adjusted for inflation?

Blair set an extremely high bar. One that an olympic pole vaulter would struggle to get over.

He's my pick.
 

Perth Tiger

Bench
Messages
3,215
Maybe we can start up a list Pezz of all time tigers shit recruitments, adjusted for inflation?

Blair set an extremely high bar. One that an olympic pole vaulter would struggle to get over.

He's my pick.

You might as well go back to the start. The signings of Terry Hill, Hoppa, Craig Field and McCracken (not his fault) basically set the standard that all our other shit signings have followed
 

Fordy20

Juniors
Messages
2,290
You might as well go back to the start. The signings of Terry Hill, Hoppa, Craig Field and McCracken (not his fault) basically set the standard that all our other shit signings have followed

That was a great big four. Right up there with Mbye, Reynolds, Packer and Matulino.
 

Ron's_Mate

Bench
Messages
4,114
The guys who arrived already injured and barely played - that old hooker from Manly a few years back; the other Cayless; the fat guy with dreadlocks who was over league; the fullback who got nicknamed 'the statue'. I'm sort of glad I can't remember their names, and not inclined to look them up. Also add Cryan Catterson, because he did have a good season and potential to make a difference and then left like a cat.
 

gordsy

Juniors
Messages
2,121
The guys who arrived already injured and barely played - that old hooker from Manly a few years back; the other Cayless; the fat guy with dreadlocks who was over league; the fullback who got nicknamed 'the statue'. I'm sort of glad I can't remember their names, and not inclined to look them up. Also add Cryan Catterson, because he did have a good season and potential to make a difference and then left like a cat.
Matt Balin adn Wade McKinnon. Both must have been signed after an examtion by our alledgel;y Inempt doctor Don Kuah.

 

Tigerm

Coach
Messages
10,797
NBWT
An outstanding start to 2024 for Fonua Pole.

Small sample but through 2 games, he is averaging 58 mins, 137 metres, 60 post contact metres and 28 tackles (1.5 missed).

Still only 21yo and isn’t even close to fulfilling his potential yet.
 

Fordy20

Juniors
Messages
2,290
The guys who arrived already injured and barely played - that old hooker from Manly a few years back; the other Cayless; the fat guy with dreadlocks who was over league; the fullback who got nicknamed 'the statue'. I'm sort of glad I can't remember their names, and not inclined to look them up. Also add Cryan Catterson, because he did have a good season and potential to make a difference and then left like a cat.

That's quite a fitting description of Jamal Idris. We got a mere 5 games out of him. Jason Cayless and Matt Ballin played 3 games each, but Ballin's stint was over the period of 2 years. At least we got 10 games out of Ray Cashmere.
 

Nutz

First Grade
Messages
5,327
OK thanks for that ...cheers
We lost rd 8 to the Roosters in SG Ball so Rd9 Maggies v Eels 29/3 we will play for a spot in finals I think???
If this is the case Taylan Da Silva's time in SG Ball would depend on this. I really don't know for sure so can someone verify all this.
He'll then be playing big minutes in KOE I would imagine. Big minutes against men I think is the right plan.
 

Tigerm

Coach
Messages
10,797
NBWT
R3
Api Koroisau (Grade 1 Dangerous Contact) and Stefano Utoikamanu (Grade 1 Careless High Tackle) both charged and facing $1,000 fines following last night’s game
 

Nutz

First Grade
Messages
5,327
Every Wests Tigers fan must see this. Bloody Awesome.
I'm only halfway through this and I will comment more fully when I digest it.
But I must say the most pleasing thing I've got out of this so far is "We are Wests Tigers" not Balmain or Western Suburbs.
We need a ground and facilities that suits Wests Tigers members and corporate and that is first class.
If that favours the Western Suburbs breeding grounds it will be because it suits the joint venture moving forward and not just Western Suburbs.
In regard to Scott Fulton's releasing was because we are to mainly a development club, the majority of future stars are to come from within and basically Scott's position of Recruitment Manager is redundant.
Richo says no player will come to the club without Benji's approval.
 
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Tigerm

Coach
Messages
10,797
NRL Fox Twitter
Premiers Penrith have been rocked by an injury to star co-captain Nathan Cleary with the Panthers halfback expected to miss up to a month of football with a hamstring injury.

Clearly came from the field in the closing stages of the Panthers victory over Brisbane in round two with scans confirming a hamstring injury for the champion no.7.

The news means Brad Schneider will make his debut for the Panthers in Thursday night’s round four blockbuster against the Sydney Roosters.
————————
We play them in 4 weeks?
 

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