Season 2025

[Nutz]

I read it to see how they came up with it:-

FOX Sports Lab simulates the season 10,000 times over, based on each team’s final rating from last season and the draw for 2025.

They are so smart those guys at Fox what they did is as follows:-

1. Rank each team 1-17 based on last seasons ladder
2. Get this years draw
3. Run a simulation on this years draw. So if team 17 plays team 1 team 17 loses.
4. Do this 10,000 times and rank the teams based on who gets the most wins

It's like the dumbest shit in the world and they write an article on it. I suppose that is why it is Fox Sports.

If you ignore all that crap and look at it logically you would put the teams best 17 against their opponents in rd 1 right through till the last Rd.
Do that with every team and you may have a clear 8 emerge.
The trouble is, in the first few rounds there're always upsets as teams struggle to get used to new combos or they are simply a bit rusty after a long break.
Also during the year there is going to be injuries. Some clubs are decimated by them.
You have SOO and no doubt some naughty boys on and off the field.
So this logical way of doing it has serious flaws.
However, the term, " the team with the best roster usually wins" again rings true.
In the modern game, usually the top 4 teams have two or more of the elete type players eg Inglis, Haas, Clearey, Munster, LUAI

 

[Tigerm]

I don't want anyone one on that list so I agree.
I really don't think there is a club who would want them either unless we pay up.
At a pinch and with a gun pointing at my head to take one ut would probably Feledy.
Simply because I've seen glimpses of good footy that gave him a reputation of being a scoring machine in Manly pathways. He also just needs to get rid of the belly role and take a second off his sprint times
You have to look at the future. Josh is still young and he and Makasini could take over from Olam and Co as our centre pairing in a year or so.

I'd keep Naden.
He was very good in second grade and obviously can come into FG if needed.

 

[Nutz]

I'd keep Naden.
He was very good in second grade and obviously can come into FG if needed.

Good for depth I guess. The problem is these sort of players are in a top 30 which means it hard to retain the up and comers. Also depends on $.

 

[Tigerm]

Good for depth I guess. The problem is these sort of players are in a top 30 which means it hard to retain the up and comers. Also depends on $.

Agree, but while we have some good kids coming up, a few showed last season they are no where near ready.
Zero tackle shows he’s on $300k and in his last year under contract with us.
Though I understand he had a sook about Benji giving it to him, after a game, where he got sent off?
He has a year to prove his worth imo.

 

[Nutz]

Agree, but while we have some good kids coming up, a few showed last season they are no where near ready.
Zero tackle shows he’s on $300k and in his last year under contract with us.
Though I understand he had a sook about Benji giving it to him, after a game, where he got sent off?
He has a year to prove his worth imo.

Yeh good point.
I don't like the ex regular first grade players getting paid more than 200k for playing in KOE. (It’s like...woohoo I'm in the top 30, now I'll just relax and bit and play out my time in KOE)
There's a ton of ex fringe players available who would gladly put down the shovel or clipboard for 120k minimum a year for a top 30 player. (2023).
Maybe they should be on min wage plus bonus pay for every NRL game they play in, just like Development Players get, which was 3k.
These bonuses would contractually vary according to how many NRL games they have played in the last 3 years. There would be a cap on the bonuses too.
I know it's a crazy proposal from "Nutz" but I'm sick of all these reserve graders on good coin who will unlikely play first grade again.
It's a professional sport with no guarantee of a long playing career, so the onus should be on the players to bust a gut to near exhaustion whilst playing and training knowing that if they sit in reserve grade for too long then the big $ will disappear.
Maybe something similar to this exists but I couldn't be bothered searching for it.

 

[Nutz]

Further to add....
players are extreme athletes but I'm sick of losing and seeing our players having a laugh and carrying on after the game with the opposition as if it was a great fun day playing park footy.
Our boys should be gutted and exhausted, shake hands, go for a quick walk around the park to say thanks to the supporters and keep the sponsors happy then get off the ground and go to the sheds for a debrief.

 

[Tigerm]

That was a good point about Matamua, he seemed to have got lost last year, after being a probable starter, but hopefully he can show his stuff next season.

 

[Tiger05]

That was a good point about Matamua, he seemed to have got lost last year, after being a probable starter, but hopefully he can show his stuff next season.

I have basically given up on him but how good would it be if he came good. I'd love to see him play lock but the thing is I have Seyfarth and Sione ahead of him for that role.

It'd be unreal if some of these young forwards come good. We have Kit Laulilii, Tim Johannssen and Matamua in the middle and Tumeth and Sukkar on the edges.

I reckon our pack is already cooking with gas but if some of these kids push there way into contention it'd be unreal.

 

[Tigerm]

The benefit of speed, I think we have addressed that a bit for next season.

 

[Nutz]

I have basically given up on him but how good would it be if he came good. I'd love to see him play lock but the thing is I have Seyfarth and Sione ahead of him for that role.

It'd be unreal if some of these young forwards come good. We have Kit Laulilii, Tim Johannssen and Matamua in the middle and Tumeth and Sukkar on the edges.

I reckon our pack is already cooking with gas but if some of these kids push there way into contention it'd be unreal.

Do you think we've managed Matamua properly?

 

[Tigerm]

Do you think we've managed Matamua properly?

That’s hard to say, did he manage himself properly?
I don’t know if he was injured.

 

[Nutz]

That’s hard to say, did he manage himself properly?
I don’t know if he was injured.

Yeh I'm not sure either. I remember his good form that saw him rewarded with his debut at LO against the Eels, I think. I can recall how elated he was.
That was in 2022?
Unfortunately for him there was the Sheens, Furner, Marshall and Noddy there at the time. When Madge got booted, I think Justin was there when Noddy was interim.
All I'm saying is, how can you be the next best thing then sit in reserve grade ever since. What went wrong. Was he lost in the thick of club dramas and he simply wasn't mentored properly.

 

[Tigerm]

Yeh I'm not sure either. I remember his good form that saw him rewarded with his debut at LO against the Eels, I think. I can recall how elated he was.
That was in 2022?
Unfortunately for him there was the Sheens, Furner, Marshall and Noddy there at the time. When Madge got booted, I think Justin was there when Noddy was interim.
All I'm saying is, how can you be the next best thing then sit in reserve grade ever since. What went wrong. Was he lost in the thick of club dramas and he simply wasn't mentored properly.

OR, he thought he just to turn up.

I like the kid and I hope he makes the next step.

But as you say, something went wrong and Benji was playing the kids a lot last year.

 

[Nutz]

OR, he thought he just to turn up.

I like the kid and I hope he makes the next step.

But as you say, something went wrong and Benji was playing the kids a lot last year.

I feel with Benji that Justin missed the Benji boat.
Anyway, we don't really know what's happened. He could have slackened off or switched off like you said. I just hope he wasn't lost in translation as they.
It's just a bit weird.
Maybe @RHYTHM AND STEALTH might know?

 

[Tigerm]

Wests Tigers in two double-headers in Pre-season Challenge | Wests Tigers

The National Rugby League (NRL) has confirmed the annual Pre-Season Challenge will include matches in Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland and a host of other locations across NSW, Queensland and Victoria.

www.weststigers.com.au

 

[Tigerm]

Gallery: Pre-season Week 4

Pre-season starts to heat up as we move into Week 4.

www.weststigers.com.au

Good to see Sione training.

 

[Tiger05]

Do you think we've managed Matamua properly?

I missed this one. I don't know. I'm one of those people who think that you get given a certain amount of talent (or privilege or whatever) but you have to make the most of it.

So I think it Matamua comes good it'll be because he is talented enough and he works on it.

Obviously some people can get away with being complete morons because they are so talented. Maradona was a cocaine addict but his talent was far above any person who has ever played rugby league. I watched a documentary on Andy Irons (the surfer) and he was on all sorts of drugs but he was still the best in the world.

I think maybe we haven't managed him correctly but if he is good enough and he works hard enough he'll make it.

 

[Nutz]

I missed this one. I don't know. I'm one of those people who think that you get given a certain amount of talent (or privilege or whatever) but you have to make the most of it.

So I think it Matamua comes good it'll be because he is talented enough and he works on it.

Obviously some people can get away with being complete morons because they are so talented. Maradona was a cocaine addict but his talent was far above any person who has ever played rugby league. I watched a documentary on Andy Irons (the surfer) and he was on all sorts of drugs but he was still the best in the world.

I think maybe we haven't managed him correctly but if he is good enough and he works hard enough he'll make it.

I don't think we were the only club where pathways were effected by covid and I'm sure there were lingering effects associated with it. I'd love to hear from someone in the know if this is so.
Matty had to adapt to different coaches and player changes.
He always played up a year in Matts and Flegg also in the NSW Cup and made the U19 NSW SOO. I back track and say he captained SG Ball too.
So he's always jumped into deep end and successfully survived.

He made his debut against the Eels in rd 17 2022 whilst Noddy was interim coach. Was Matty picked because there may have been pressure on Noddy to say "hey we are are a development club"
Nothing else was working, coaches sacked and losing games practically every week.
Whilst it was a befitting reward for this outstanding kid, he now is a young man, and one should say he's ready for the NRL. SO what happened?
I'll say it again, was it the coaching debacle?

He seems to have been camouflaged among the club mumbo jumbo.

 

[Nutz]

I'd keep Naden.
He was very good in second grade and obviously can come into FG if needed.

It would be ok if the grounds were bigger and we had 20 v 20 and a top 36 squad, then Nado would get a run.

 

[Tigerm]

It would be ok if the grounds were bigger and we had 20 v 20 and a top 36 squad, then Nado would get a run.

I think depth has been the biggest problem we’ve had for the past decade or more.
I look at the dogs last year, there reserve grade side was on par with our FG side, in the game we played them.
We certainly need to develop players, no problems. But we need quality in reserve grade as well.
IMO, at least 2 or 3 backs and the same for the forwards.