WT’s Pathways

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

So are our results reflective of where we are at? Considering all the other clubs would have been in the same boat?
Understand they need time, but we are tanking everywhere atm, with no sense of improvement from any grade?

So, I guess I’m asking if you are happy we are tracking in the right direction?

100% i am happy.

I watched a bit of Junior Footy in Penrith this year, not a whole lot but they are on a whole different level. Look at 1st grade. Cleary a mill + a year but most of the others are taking unders to stay. Kikau earned his payday the Dogs are giving him. They will not pay Luai overs becos they have another 3-4 kids that play 5/8 a couple in their juniors that will go on to 1st grade.
Parra have really improved their Juniors with their Pathways ways systems. Dragons are in a bit of a rabble but Flanagon will sort that out and they will be ok in the next 24 months.

 

[Nutz]

100% i am happy.

I watched a bit of Junior Footy in Penrith this year, not a whole lot but they are on a whole different level. Look at 1st grade. Cleary a mill + a year but most of the others are taking unders to stay. Kikau earned his payday the Dogs are giving him. They will not pay Luai overs becos they have another 3-4 kids that play 5/8 a couple in their juniors that will go on to 1st grade.
Parra have really improved their Juniors with their Pathways ways systems. Dragons are in a bit of a rabble but Flanagon will sort that out and they will be ok in the next 24 months.

Did you get to watch any pathway games at the grounds RAS.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Did you get to watch any pathway games at the grounds RAS.

Yeah I did

I watched 13s 14s and 15s play Souths

I watched 13s 14s and 15s play Cronulla

I watched 15s play Combined Catholic Schools

I watched 16s play Cronulla

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

One thing i noticed though and i Believe Wests really need to improve in this area.

Is that every team of the visiting club had a minder. A former 1st grade player

Souths had Ben lowe.
Cronullas 13s 14s and 15s had Michael Ennis and Andrerw Fifita
Cronullas 16s had Paul Gallen.

Wests had no one. Shannon Gallant was there but he is head of Pathways. I would of thought they could of had someone like a John Skandalis or a Chris Lawrence.

I was watching how Fifita and Ennis interacted with the Boys, and they basically there just keeping an eye on them. Telling them to drink their water, go for a stretch, time to listen to music etc. I remember going to watch Balmain last year and they had Paul Sironan. He was great. Wests have no one. They need to address that

 

[Tigerm]

One thing i noticed though and i Believe Wests really need to improve in this area.

Is that every team of the visiting club had a minder. A former 1st grade player

Souths had Ben lowe.
Cronullas 13s 14s and 15s had Michael Ennis and Andrerw Fifita
Cronullas 16s had Paul Gallen.

Wests had no one. Shannon Gallant was there but he is head of Pathways. I would of thought they could of had someone like a John Skandalis or a Chris Lawrence.

I was watching how Fifita and Ennis interacted with the Boys, and they basically there just keeping an eye on them. Telling them to drink their water, go for a stretch, time to listen to music etc. I remember going to watch Balmain last year and they had Paul Sironan. He was great. Wests have no one. They need to address that

Agree, they seem to have ex-players for everything, so that is surprising.

 

[Nutz]

Yeah I did

I watched 13s 14s and 15s play Souths

I watched 13s 14s and 15s play Cronulla

I watched 15s play Combined Catholic Schools

I watched 16s play Cronulla

True supporter mate.
I wish I could do what you've done.
What's your opinion on DaSilva?
He looks like he could develop nicely if we look after him.

 

[TroyJax]

In 2020 our jersey flegg side was undefeated after 14 rounds when the comp stopped. The week before it did they belted the 2nd placed panthers by 40. Fast forward and next year not a single player in that side has an NRL contract for 2024.

Having a gun Flegg team doesnt mean as much as it used to. Now that its under 21s if youre a 21 year old still playing Flegg chances are you wont ever make it.

Clubs take different routes on their jnr rep squads. For instance the Dogs stacked their Flegg side late in the year to try and win the comp, Karl Oloapu is their halfback who played 12 games of first grade. Its actually laughable. Parramatta kept Ethan Sanders in Ball all year to win the comp, then chucked him straight into nsw cup when Ball finished.

7 of the guys in our NRL round 27 team were eligible for JF, 3 of them can still play SG Ball next year. The school boy player of the year is a wests junior and has signed a 3 year contract. The NSW u20s captain is on a 4 year deal.

It hasnt shown in first grade but the juniors are in the best shape theyve probably ever been.

Unless they convert to first grade talent, it’s all for nought.
Those 7 guys in the round 27 team contributed to our 2nd worst effort this year. I hope not to see them next year in the top grade.

 

[TroyJax]

You have to remember that the 2020 and 2021 rep seasons were either scraped or rushed due to Covid. 2021 footy season was cancelled after 7 rounds so Kids had 0 football for Months then went into the Reps under done. Most of those affected are now in Flegg.

I see the Pathways every year and the Kids are in the system. They just need time

Every club went through that yet here we are at the arse end of the table in nearly every comp.
When you compare our good young blokes with those from other clubs, they aren’t stacking up. Those who are getting a run in first grade are unimpressive.
They are years away from being useful…if they ever are.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

True supporter mate.
I wish I could do what you've done.
What's your opinion on DaSilva?
He looks like he could develop nicely if we look after him.

To be honest bro im not a Tigers supporter
I am a lifetime Warriors supporter. I am involved with the NSWRL in the Wests District in a minor role. So i see 1st hand these kids coming through. I will forever support these Kids and their families chasing their dream. I just write what I see.

Da Silva is class.
The speed of the ruck is determined by how he wants to control it.
Even though he is still eligible for SG next season I doubt we will ever play that grade again.
Interesting to see that the Reserve Grade hooker Rua has moved on. Tallyn will start their before being a regular in 1st grade along side Api

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Unless they convert to first grade talent, it’s all for nought.
Those 7 guys in the round 27 team contributed to our 2nd worst effort this year. I hope not to see them next year in the top grade.

They need time mate

 

[Tigerm]

They need time mate

They do, not blaming the kids, but f**k, we have been waiting for over a decade and it's understandable that supporters are getting antsy about the lack of success in this club?

 

[TroyJax]

They need time mate

I agree. That’s why we have to stop elevating them too early and need to go to market for one more contract period.
Look at Matamua. Lots of noise about his debut and most of us looked at the screen and said “he ain’t ready”. Same with Tallyn this year.
My concern is we have a good pack right now. Possibly our best pack ever. We need shithot backs right now or we waste the pack like we did this year.
Forget about the kids for the time being and get some hired help in.

 

[Nutz]

To be honest bro im not a Tigers supporter
I am a lifetime Warriors supporter. I am involved with the NSWRL in the Wests District in a minor role. So i see 1st hand these kids coming through. I will forever support these Kids and their families chasing their dream. I just write what I see.

Da Silva is class.
The speed of the ruck is determined by how he wants to control it.
Even though he is still eligible for SG next season I doubt we will ever play that grade again.
Interesting to see that the Reserve Grade hooker Rua has moved on. Tallyn will start their before being a regular in 1st grade along side Api

Sorry I'm relatively new here and don't know you.
Well since we've bombed out "go the Warriors" then.
I think a lot of supporters whose club is finished for the year will be going for the Warriors.
Yes I agree with DaSilva.
He's got the great Robbie in his corner that should help him mature.
Also being Api's understudy will help.
I believe he was a half in pathways which is good because he needs to have that dash out of dummy half now and then.
Rua had the opportunity but didn't make it. Maybe to slow?
Jake is interesting too... what's going to happen with him.
There were rumours of him being looked at by other clubs, is that true?

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Sorry I'm relatively new here and don't know you.
Well since we've bombed out "go the Warriors" then.
I think a lot of supporters whose club is finished for the year will be going for the Warriors.
Yes I agree with DaSilva.
He's got the great Robbie in his corner that should help him mature.
Also being Api's understudy will help.
I believe he was a half in pathways which is good because he needs to have that dash out of dummy half now and then.
Rua had the opportunity but didn't make it. Maybe to slow?
Jake is interesting too... what's going to happen with him.
There were rumours of him being looked at by other clubs, is that true?

Always a hooker bro

 

[Nutz]

Oh ok, I did read it I though, I must have been drunk.
I even checked his days at Westfield Sports High School and he was a hooker then as he was thru Matts, Flegg and NRL.
I read that he played ten minutes with the same team as his dad so it could have been then ha ha

 

[Tigerm]

Pathways players on the rise

As season 2023 draws to a close, we take a glance at some Wests Tigers young guns to look out for in 2024 and beyond.

www.weststigers.com.au

A good read

 

[Perth Tiger]

We are going to have one hell of a young squad. I hope the kids are as talented as they are talked up to be and can convert that into quality first graders fast.

 

[Vic Mackey]

We are putting way too much faith in these kids. A guy like Miller shouldn’t be anywhere near a Top 30 spot next year, I wouldn’t even have him on a development contract for 24. He looks good but he’s also 6’4 and 115kgs at 17, it’s not hard to dominate those grades. For instance Andrew Fifita completely dominated under 20s for a whole year yet didn’t debut until a few months before his 21st bday, Miller turned 18 this year.

It really feels like we’ve been bullied/pressures/scared into signing all these kids longterm. Next year 11 of our top 30 squad have played less than 5 NRL games! There’s guys with spots who haven’t played a minute of Flegg yet, it’s absolutely crazy.

 

[Tigerm]

We are putting way too much faith in these kids. A guy like Miller shouldn’t be anywhere near a Top 30 spot next year, I wouldn’t even have him on a development contract for 24. He looks good but he’s also 6’4 and 115kgs at 17, it’s not hard to dominate those grades. For instance Andrew Fifita completely dominated under 20s for a whole year yet didn’t debut until a few months before his 21st bday, Miller turned 18 this year.

It really feels like we’ve been bullied/pressures/scared into signing all these kids longterm. Next year 11 of our top 30 squad have played less than 5 NRL games! There’s guys with spots who haven’t played a minute of Flegg yet, it’s absolutely crazy.

Are we damned if we do and damned if we don’t?

I guess if the player starts regressing you can always cut him, not sure what $value they would be on, but other clubs who don’t do what we are doing circle clubs like us and pick up promising kids, while doing nothing to develop them in the beginning.

I don’t follow what the panthers do, but my limited view, is we are following that type of path and hopefully we will get some future stars out of it?

It sound like that 17yo monster will be dynamite if continues to develop, but understanding there are no guarantees.

 

[TroyJax]

We are putting way too much faith in these kids. A guy like Miller shouldn’t be anywhere near a Top 30 spot next year, I wouldn’t even have him on a development contract for 24. He looks good but he’s also 6’4 and 115kgs at 17, it’s not hard to dominate those grades. For instance Andrew Fifita completely dominated under 20s for a whole year yet didn’t debut until a few months before his 21st bday, Miller turned 18 this year.

It really feels like we’ve been bullied/pressures/scared into signing all these kids longterm. Next year 11 of our top 30 squad have played less than 5 NRL games! There’s guys with spots who haven’t played a minute of Flegg yet, it’s absolutely crazy.

Yep, we get a number of injuries next year, which we will, and these guys will see a fair bit of top grade where they’ll cop some thorough hidings. Is this good for development?
I think not.