Wests Tigers top 8 chances.....

[Swampdonkey]

I know it is early days, but 2 teams that 90% of people would have suggested would make the top 8 this year both seem to be in a bit of bother....

New Zealand for some reason unknown to most of us, with the exception of Phil Gould fearless prediction at the start of the year of them not making the 8, don't appear to have turned up this year + Newcastle are without Johns for the season and have several players who will be lost to representative duty, no longer seemed to be the top 8 certainties they were a month ago.....

In terms of the Tigers making the 8 this year, so far most would agree that their development into a consistently competitive unit is well on the way, 2 wins and 2 near misses from 4 games with a heavy injury toll is a great start.

I think they have had the bar lowered for them slightly, with their chance of making the 8 greatly increased by 1 or 2 of these sides missing out, especially as many people at the start of the year were calling the Tigers a fringe top 8 team......

What do you all think?

 

[11Straight]

I think this is the best chance the tigers have had to get into the 8 since the merger but they need to be consistent in the second half of the year that has been your greatest problem.

 

[White Tiger]

I think this is the best chance the tigers have had to get into the 8 since the merger but they need to be consistent in the second half of the year that has been your greatest problem.

Well said, let's hope we start our consistent performances with a win over Saints tomorrow.

 

[innsaneink]

I think this is the best chance the tigers have had to get into the 8 since the merger but they need to be consistent in the second half of the year that has been your greatest problem.

Well said, let's hope we start our consistent performances with a win over Saints tomorrow.

Yep exactly right.
Top 8 teams dont have W,L,L,W,L,L,L,L,L,W,L.......they have
something like W,W,W,L,W,L,W,W,L,L,W,W.

Buuurrrrp.

 

[Raider_69]

tigers will sneak into the 8 off the back of another poor dragons season, a shocker season by the warriors and the joeyless knights
tigers to come 7th with the knights and warriors fighting to make up the numbers

 

[Tigerpete]

Raider60, i'd take your prediction any day. Personally though i think our boys have a lot of improving to do yet, rounds 1-3 we saw improvement but last week despite the win was dissapointing. We can play better than this for sure, gelling players along with injuries will see our side find its best form towards seasons end.

 

[Mad Tiger]

Personally i don't care how we make it, but i do know if we do make it, definatley look out in 2005. The guys would gain massive experience from just being in a finals atmosphere...

 

[you know who???????????]

we have no hope of makin the semis this year, the best we can do is finish about 12 or 13th this year, anyone thinking otherwise is playin with _ _

we have had to many injuries and lack alot of penetration, honestly i thought we played much better at the back end of last year when we had terry hill playin lock, gray vianne and willie manu in the team, i dont think that ive seen west tigers play so bad, they played nearly as good when terry lamb had them and they got flogged by melbourne, they are absolutely rubbish at the moment

 

[tigpie]

Gaaawwwd!!! I'm a pessimist when it comes to footy but I can't believe the gloom and doom after Sunday's loss. Sure ... they played poorly and were completely outclassed in the second half ... BUT:

***they did have some crucial decisions go against them in the first half (the timing of these decisions could have made a big difference to their psyche in the second half);
***they do have a huge injury toll, keeping major players out for long periods (even strong clubs like the Roosters and the Knights are affected by a loss of players);
***this was ONE game (and even in this one, I believe they were the better team for the first 20 minutes or so);
***prior to this, they had had either wins or VERY close losses.

Surely, we need to be patient and give them a chance. The whole season hasn't gone down the tube on the back of one loss! :roll:

 

[Suzie]

At least there's the bye (which we should win ;-) ) to give the players a bit of time to get over injuries, get a couple back from injuries ... I hope it's a turning point for us.

Pete, Mad Tiger and tigpie, you make good sense there

 

[simon says]

I think the reason why people are so upset is the WAY we lost.Very reminiscant of last year how we competed for 20 minutes and then got overpowered.

Getting bashed up the middle(like previous years)has left scars.You see it happen again and you fear the worst.

My biggest fear for the year has been well and truely exposed.Lack of firepower up front.The only thing stopping me from jumping of a tall building is that we have some muscle coming back.Hopefully Boof and Payten can provide that.

Just as big a worry is the lack of form of our SUPPOSED gun halves,who have both failed to live up to expectations.....

Anyone know where the panic buttin is?????? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[innsaneink]

I think the reason why people are so upset is the WAY we lost.Very reminiscant of last year how we competed for 20 minutes and then got overpowered.

Getting bashed up the middle(like previous years)has left scars.You see it happen again and you fear the worst.

My biggest fear for the year has been well and truely exposed.Lack of firepower up front.The only thing stopping me from jumping of a tall building is that we have some muscle coming back.Hopefully Boof and Payten can provide that.

Just as big a worry is the lack of form of our SUPPOSED gun halves,who have both failed to live up to expectations.....

Anyone know where the panic buttin is?????? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Yeah ur spot on simon.....I walked out of the SFS after the Souths game proud of the boys....disappointed in the loss but I was pleased with the
87 minute effort............................Sunday, we left with still 10 to go, I was embarrassed to be a WestsTigers supporter and felt like turning my shirt inside out.

With the halves theres the forwards excuse....you know blah blah blah need forwards goin forward etc etc but its only round 5 and im sick of excuses already.

 

[Suzie]

I just watched the game - they didn't play like they did in the first 3 rounds ... let's just hope that they come back with guns blazing after the bye *crosses fingers* please!!!

 

[you know who???????????]

24 games round six - 18 games till the end of the season

and i think four more games are at leichhardt

how many at cambo?????

 

[brook]

What actually concerns me most about the weekend is that several players who have looked very good up until now had VERY average games

the most obvious example being Dene who really struggled (Bronson looked bloody ordinary too but I'm willing to make some allowances for the fact that he came on late in the game when the entire side was playing like crap and its hard for a rookie to do much in those circumstances), Wilson also looked terrible and imo hasn't looked even close to last years form all year - I'd give him some time back in PL and move fitzy back to the centres letting robbie to hooker (I think fitzy has been doing a great job at hooker but Robbie is the better option and Fitzy's strongest position is still centre)

I just worry that, rather than being just one off day, this is an example of the true gap between our players and the better teams - and they have mostly been looking good cause we have faced a lot of sub-standard teams so far this year

 

[Kid]

What actually concerns me most about the weekend is that several players who have looked very good up until now had VERY average games

the most obvious example being Dene who really struggled (Bronson looked bloody ordinary too but I'm willing to make some allowances for the fact that he came on late in the game when the entire side was playing like crap and its hard for a rookie to do much in those circumstances), Wilson also looked terrible and imo hasn't looked even close to last years form all year - I'd give him some time back in PL and move fitzy back to the centres letting robbie to hooker (I think fitzy has been doing a great job at hooker but Robbie is the better option and Fitzy's strongest position is still centre)

I just worry that, rather than being just one off day, this is an example of the true gap between our players and the better teams - and they have mostly been looking good cause we have faced a lot of sub-standard teams so far this year

Yeah your pretty right, but i feel Dene has been the best this year so far. He was caught out badly on the weekend in defence, but he was playing a position he probably isn't real familiar with anymore.
Wilson, well apart from the fact the ball hit his foot (which he played at apparently) you wouldn't have known he was on the field. I wonder whether it might be a better proposition to start Robbie, and have Fitzy on the bench to come on when teams are getting tired around the ruck., plus he also has the advantage of playing any backline position really.

 

[Tigerpete]

I think I can forgive Dene for one dissapointing game but as you've all said, he wasnt the only one, every player was down a lil bit and that all added up, add that to the fact every dragon couldnt put a foot wrong , we were always on a hiding.

The only thing that alarmed me really was the ease at which they made metres and defended against us......it was quite simply embaressing at times. Hopefully though this is just down to the fact we have Laffranchi and Payton missing. We get these 2 back and we start making more ground , this then takes a little bit of pressure off everyone else.

Oh and it would help to play a game with 17 men and not 16 for a change too.

 

[brook]

Dene has been one of my favourite players for a couple of years now - I don't really doubt he'll come good but it was just the first example that came to mind about how it was our players who have previously shined who looked very ordinary on the weekend.

I'm desperately hoping that we simply had a bad day rather than it being a true indication of where our players stand next to a top team.

 

[innsaneink]

What actually concerns me most about the weekend is that several players who have looked very good up until now had VERY average games

the most obvious example being Dene who really struggled (Bronson looked bloody ordinary too but I'm willing to make some allowances for the fact that he came on late in the game when the entire side was playing like crap and its hard for a rookie to do much in those circumstances), Wilson also looked terrible and imo hasn't looked even close to last years form all year - I'd give him some time back in PL and move fitzy back to the centres letting robbie to hooker (I think fitzy has been doing a great job at hooker but Robbie is the better option and Fitzy's strongest position is still centre)

I just worry that, rather than being just one off day, this is an example of the true gap between our players and the better teams - and they have mostly been looking good cause we have faced a lot of sub-standard teams so far this year

I agree with everything you said there Brook....I just look at the Broncos
game when I worry like you that the gap really is that big between us and them.
They are a bloody good team no matter how much any of us dislike em...we were in that game with 20 to go...thats the fingernail im hanging onto the edge of the cliff with...havent given up on em totally........







.....yet.

 

[you know who???????????]

i just feel sorry for the cherubs, say if u r a cherub about 14-15 year old, you would never have seen a half decent wests tigers, balmain or wests side, thats got 2 be a problem for us 2 contend with, do we deserve 2 have our licence renewed???? maybe, who knows?????