Thoughts on 2017/2018

[super_coach]

Brooks can actually defend quite well these days surprisingly. It’s just his positional defense that gets caught out but I’ve seen him nail blokes 1 on 1

Naiquama and mwz though...serial shirt grabbers

Said the same thing last year, Brooks can tackle, but when he has to make a decision it can go pear shape. I often think he is better off defending near the middle where basically you just have to hit the guy running at you, its when they try and hide him a little wider that things can go wrong

 

[Tiger05]

https://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2018/03/02/josh-reynolds-on-nrl360/

Hearing Josh talk about Brooks is interesting. I really wan to see Brooks come good. We could be a quality team if we can get maximum value from Brooks and players like Aloiai.

 

[mepelthwack]

https://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2018/03/02/josh-reynolds-on-nrl360/

Hearing Josh talk about Brooks is interesting. I really wan to see Brooks come good. We could be a quality team if we can get maximum value from Brooks and players like Aloiai.

I agree with you in that if Brooks and Aloiai have big years we will be a quality team.

If also the rotations of Packer, Mataulino and Twal workout, we have a strong and settled fullback and Liddel kicks on we might even have a shot at the big one, very least top 4.

Unfortunately sounds like a lot of things need to go right.

 

[Tiger05]

I agree with you in that if Brooks and Aloiai have big years we will be a quality team.

If also the rotations of Packer, Mataulino and Twal workout, we have a strong and settled fullback and Liddel kicks on we might even have a shot at the big one, very least top 4.

Unfortunately sounds like a lot of things need to go right.

Way too many things have to go right and that hasn't happened to us in years. Liddle kicking on and someone being a quality fullback though and we'd be quality. I just reckon way too much has to go right for us to have a top 8 team. It could happen. I think Cleary can coach.

 

[Tiger Ted]

https://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2018/03/02/josh-reynolds-on-nrl360/

Hearing Josh talk about Brooks is interesting. I really wan to see Brooks come good. We could be a quality team if we can get maximum value from Brooks and players like Aloiai.

Talk has zero substance unlike past form & proven consistent ability.We unfortunately have a spine that has a million question marks as to whether they can do the job for us.Personally & I hope I’m massively wrong but our spine is close to the weakest if not the weakest in the NRL & we r glaringly devoid of a quality game manager.If we go close to making the 8 with this ordinary spine it will b a remarkable achievement.

 

[Tiger Ted]

Way too many things have to go right and that hasn't happened to us in years. Liddle kicking on and someone being a quality fullback though and we'd be quality. I just reckon way too much has to go right for us to have a top 8 team. It could happen. I think Cleary can coach.

Agree about IC being a good coach but more significant than a quality fullback & young liddle kicking on is we need someone to steer the team competently around the park someone who has great vision & nous with a top draw kicking game that gives us good field position & enables us to put constant pressure on opposition in their red zone.Right now the best candidate is Marshall which demonstrates how deficient we are with game management.

Like I’ve said b4 I’d b inclined to trying to sign Kane Elgey coz he seems to b surplus to the Titans needs & hed b a massive improvement on what we’ve got at the scrumbase.

 

[Clifferd]

Talk has zero substance unlike past form & proven consistent ability.We unfortunately have a spine that has a million question marks as to whether they can do the job for us.Personally & I hope I’m massively wrong but our spine is close to the weakest if not the weakest in the NRL & we r glaringly devoid of a quality game manager.If we go close to making the 8 with this ordinary spine it will b a remarkable achievement.

We really do have the weakest spine in the comp mate. Well atleast on par with the Titans and Knights

Brooks has shown glimpses he’s capable of some freakish stuff but at this point in his career I’d say the negatives outweigh the positives

Reynolds is a clunky ball player but has shown in the past he can play at the highest level. Just needs the right support players

Our fullback and dummy half are as good as anyone’s guess to how they’ll go

Reynolds keeps banging on about how Brooks demands the ball and has a dominant voice but I really don’t think he’s an organisers a hole from what I’ve seen. Always seen Brooks strengths as running the football and chiming in when necessary, not directing a team around the park

Love to be proven wrong, but yeah as said many times said before this season will tell us whether Brooks has got it or not

 

[Tiger05]

Always seen Brooks strengths as running the football and chiming in when necessary, not directing a team around the park

They keep stating that he is an organiser and whatever but his running game has been awesome at times. I'd love to see him turn into an organiser as well but he will really need to improve that part of his game.

I'm starting to think though that he may come good. I mean he has Benji and Gamble in reserves and Tui playing fullback. There is competition for his spot now. He also looks to have a better team around him than what he has had in the past.

 

[BrotherJim05]

Im not expecting a finals appearance this year, I just want to see a competitive side that starts asking serious questions about pushing into the top 8. I want this to be a year where elite players want to play for us and we can supplement our recruitment drive with 2-3 signings in key positions.

 

[Tiger Ted]

They keep stating that he is an organiser and whatever but his running game has been awesome at times. I'd love to see him turn into an organiser as well but he will really need to improve that part of his game.

I'm starting to think though that he may come good. I mean he has Benji and Gamble in reserves and Tui playing fullback. There is competition for his spot now. He also looks to have a better team around him than what he has had in the past.

Organising is not in his DNA.U can’t teach game management as it’s mainly an innate ability.

To try get the best out of Brooks I believe he’d need to b playing as 5/8 outside of a brilliant organiser & have him concentrate on his running game.

I’m imagining Brooks playing outside of a sublime game manager like Cronk who’d enhance Brooks’s game enormously especially how he’d b the ideal mentor for Brooks.

 

[Tiger Ted]

Im not expecting a finals appearance this year, I just want to see a competitive side that starts asking serious questions about pushing into the top 8. I want this to be a year where elite players want to play for us and we can supplement our recruitment drive with 2-3 signings in key positions.

I’d additionally b over the moon if we beat the 3 clubs Isaac the swindler moses’s 3 puppets r playing with !

 

[macnaz]

My thoughts on 2018 ..
Usually im pretty pumped up for every season, regardless of whether our team has a chance , its just the thought that Rugby League is back ! But this year i feel a big decline in my interest for the game itself in general
I see the game becoming predictable not only in the way its played but the way its coached , refereed and administrated.
The comp has become have and have nots , something they eliminated in the past but its back bigger and better but now its become corrupted to the point its pretty well a 5 team ball game.
We get excited now thinking of making the 8 !!!! Like thats something special , while at the same time knowing 100% we have absolutely zero chance of winning a comp.
The game is f**ked and unfortunately even though we have one of the worlds best junior districts we will struggle once again ... Particularly after the most ridiculous draw a team could imagine. .
Im calling 0 from 5 and add injuries after that and we will never be in a position to go anywhere

 

[mepelthwack]

My thoughts on 2018 ..
Usually im pretty pumped up for every season, regardless of whether our team has a chance , its just the thought that Rugby League is back ! But this year i feel a big decline in my interest for the game itself in general
I see the game becoming predictable not only in the way its played but the way its coached , refereed and administrated.
The comp has become have and have nots , something they eliminated in the past but its back bigger and better but now its become corrupted to the point its pretty well a 5 team ball game.
We get excited now thinking of making the 8 !!!! Like thats something special , while at the same time knowing 100% we have absolutely zero chance of winning a comp.
The game is f**ked and unfortunately even though we have one of the worlds best junior districts we will struggle once again ... Particularly after the most ridiculous draw a team could imagine. .
Im calling 0 from 5 and add injuries after that and we will never be in a position to go anywhere

It’s not completely unreasonable to think this way but I do feel it’s a worst case possibility.

My best guess is we will be 2 from 5.

My reasoning fairly simple, using a few scenarios.

Usually we win round one, however if we don’t and lose in week 2 then I feel like we are real good things to beat the broncos who I don’t think are that great and let’s face it with our depth we will be due.

Then I’d expect we will probably go well in the Easter Monday game being a big occasion club round wise and all and if we don’t win that we always seem to go decent against the Storm it’s not beyond us to jag one win against them.

 

[macnaz]

But against the Storm at LO usually. .. not at a throw away round in another country.

 

[magpie_man]

I really don't want to be too pessimistic but we have the worst playing list in the comp.
The two things that we seemingly have in our favour is a bit of depth and a good coach. Hopefully these two things will be enough to get us avoiding the spoon.

 

[Tiger05]

I really don't want to be too pessimistic but we have the worst playing list in the comp.
The two things that we seemingly have in our favour is a bit of depth and a good coach. Hopefully these two things will be enough to get us avoiding the spoon.

I think we need to develop a team style over the course of the season. Are we going to be an aggressive team that hurts the opposition or a team that wins like the storm.

Then hopefully some players turn into stars. Ideally we need Brooks to come good but players like Aloiai and Tui are also options.

 

[Vozzy]

Even if the side on paper is average compared to most NRL teams but looking at our reserve team on paper it's opposite to most teams. The starting 13 in ISP could all push for spots in main team meaning the NRL side will need to play well to keep their spot. Visa versa the ISP squad know a good performance could get them a long term spot in 1st grade. Also if a team like roosters and dogs have injuries there back ups look weak compared to the main team. Where ours are not much better/worse.

We should have a good period around origin.

 

[Tiger Ted]

Even if the side on paper is average compared to most NRL teams but looking at our reserve team on paper it's opposite to most teams. The starting 13 in ISP could all push for spots in main team meaning the NRL side will need to play well to keep their spot. Visa versa the ISP squad know a good performance could get them a long term spot in 1st grade. Also if a team like roosters and dogs have injuries there back ups look weak compared to the main team. Where ours are not much better/worse.

We should have a good period around origin.

That’s exactly y I’m not overly concerned at the moment.We may not have a superstar on our roster but our depth is the best it’s been for yrs & we’ve got very good footballers jostling for spots in every position which is unprecedented.In recent yrs we’ve had nothing more than park footballers as backup for injuries to our NRL team.

Additionally I luv the fact that IC has the fortitude to drop our best attacking winger probably coz of his defensive issues.If IC enforces kpi’s as standards for getting chosen in the nrl team & ignores reputations then we r in good stead & hence we will b very competitive & a force to b reckoned with in the not to distant future.

 

[Tiger05]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/03/07/breaking-down-the-tigers-halves/

This is a pretty good interview.

 

[TheDefinitionOfMadness]

I want to be optimistic about this season but shit we've had some obstacles thrown in out path. How we can cop the first 5 rounds we've got and the roosters get one of the easiest draws for the entire season has got me buggered. Surely if the NRL were serious about evening out the comp they would use the draw as a part of that strategy. No one could keep a straight face and say the salary cap is an effective tool anymore. It won't be again until TPA's are a thing of the past. You would imagine that making the top teams from the previous year play each other more regularly might actually increase crowds and TV ratings.

I think we will get off to a poor start with 1 and 4 probably the best we will do against the better teams, while we find our combinations and who will be in first grade regularly. I expect our defence to be a lot stronger and our middle to be a lot more effective. I expect a lot of enthusiasm and ticker as we showed towards the back end of last year.

I expect a pretty strong end to the season but can't see us making the 8 under the best of circumstances. I hope I'm wrong. I think the biggest drawback from our roster is a lack of creativity and therefore points. There doesn't look to be much ball playing in the forwards. Both our halves are off the cuff players. Cleary has taken absolutely diabolical teams from the depths to the heights in the past though so I'm hopeful.

The end of last year was great. Most games we were in it with a chance of winning up until the end. If we can get that this year all year, I'll be pretty happy.

I think with our recruitment this year we should hang back and wait for the right players. If I have a criticism last year I think we recruited too quickly and missed some better players that came on the market after season and well after we'd spent our money.

Having said that, go the tigers!!!!!