Will EvansSeason Preview 2009 - Wests Tigers
March 12th 2009 04:36
Wests Tigers
Since their incredible surge to claim the 2005 premiership, the Tigers have failed in three successive final series bids. Last year ended in a disappointing tenth-place finish after the black-and-golds were unable to put together more than two wins in a row. Despite possessing two of the NRL's genuine matchwinners in new skipper Robbie Farah and Kiwi superstar Benji Marshall, Wests are being tipped by most to bring up the rear of the 2009 competition. On the whole, the Tigers appear to have one of the weaker rosters in the NRL, and were very quiet on the recruiting front in the off-season.
Strengths: The star quality of Farah and Marshall. The pair both re-signed with the club recently, but the Tigers need both of them firing consistently to be a force, which has been a problem for the injury-prone Marshall since spearheading the 2005 title triumph. Farah has virtually carried the Tigers over the past two seasons despite a back injury, and desperately needs support for them to be finals contenders. Highly-rated Englishman Gareth Ellis joins tyro Chris Heighington to form one of the most formidable second-row combinations in the NRL, while Chris Lawrence and Taniela Tuiaki are powerful tryscoring threats out wide. After winning the comp with one of the smallest and most mobile sides to ever take out the title, the Tigers have consistently been monstered by bigger outfits. But this year's squad has far more size about it.
Weaknesses: Coach Tim Sheens' inability to settle on a halves combination. The stability of the combination between Farah, Marshall and Scott Prince was the key to the 2005 success, as it was for Sheens when Daley, Stuart and Walters steered the great Canberra sides around in the 80's and 90's. Since Prince's departure, Sheens has rotated Marshall, Farah, John Morris and Mat Head at halfback, with inconsistent results. Marshall has been given the nod to start the year in the No. 7, but is bound to spend much of the year getting accustomed to the role. Marshall was brilliant with his freewheeling, off-the-cuff style in '05, with Prince pulling the strings. The responsibility of organising the side could stymie his creativity. Depth in the forwards and lack of options out wide could also be a problem.
Recruitment: Ellis is one of the marquee signings in the NRL and provides much-needed starch to the pack, but that is about the extent of the club's recruitment drive. Josh Lewis provides back-up at fullback and in the halves, but struggled to get a game with the Roosters or Titans. On the debit side, rep forwards Ben Te'o, Bronson Harrison and Ryan O'Hara have departed, while the Tigers will have to look within their own ranks to replace inspirational fullback Brett Hodgson.
Youth brigade: A source of optimism for Wests and a real key to their season is the young talent emerging at the club. Utility back Tim Moltzen was ultra-impressive in his 10 outings last year, and while he has been named at fullback for Round 1, can expect to spend plenty of time in the halves this year. Towering dreadlocked forward Dane Laurie is already a bonafide cult figure and represented the Aboriginal Dreamtime Team in the World Cup curtain-raiser, while Chris Lawrence is still only 20 despite having racked up almost 50 first grade appearances. The Tigers will be hoping giant Fijian winger Peni Tagive can overcome a succession of injuries to become a first grade regular.
Rep drain: The Tigers are used to being left virtually untouched by representative commitments, having produced just one Australian international and three Origin players in nine seasons. Marshall is a walk-up start for the Kiwis, while Farah and Heighington are front-runners to earn their NSW Origin debuts. Wests can ill-afford to be without the key trio for any period of time. Sheens' elevatioin to the Kanagaroo coaching post will disrupt preparation for at least one of the Tigers' matches.
X-factor: Gareth Ellis is potentially one of the signings of the year, but English imports have proved an unpredictable commodity over the past two decades. Since the English-invasion heyday of the 1970s and 80s, when Malcolm Reilly, Tommy Bishop, Ellery Hanley and Garry Schofield starred in the premiership, few Brits have made an impact - with the exception of Welsh wizard Jonathon Davies, Roosters hardman Adrian Morley and one-season Knights sensation Brian Carney. Chris Thorman, St. John Ellis and Dennis Betts spring to mind as notable dud buys from the northern hemisphere. But Gareth Ellis comes to the Tigers with a reputation as one of the Super League's tough guys and will be raring to let his football do the talking once the premiership commences.
Under pressure: Marshall has frequently left the Tigers a strike player short after a run of injuries in the past three years, and while on the paddock his performances have mixed the brilliant with the mediocre. His involvement in NZ's World Cup victory will have boosted his confidence, but his form was still patchy throughout the tournament. He desperately needs to rediscover the consistency that saw him lauded as the game's most exciting player in 2005. Talk of a Japanese Rugby Union deal has been put to bed after signing a new contract with the Tigers this week.
Ready to explode: One area the NSW Origin selectors are not short on options is young, in-form back-rowers, but non-stop Tigers forward Chris Heighington will be pushing Laffranchi, Watmough, Stewart and co. all the way for inclusion in this year's series. The Tigers meek finish to 2008 probably harmed his World Cup aspirations as he watched the aforementioned trio collect maiden Test jumpers, but Heighington is one of the NRL's most valuable forwards and keeps getting better by the season. An insatiable appetite for work in attack and defence.
Predictions: They have the potential and the individuals to be finals contenders, but it is difficult to see the Tigers featuring in September. Indecision around the halves will see Farah shoulder too much responsibility. A recurring theme throughout this preview has been the club's maiden title win, but Wests need to forget about 2005 and reinvent themselves. If any coach has the ability to do that it is the wily veteran Sheens, but despite providing nuisance value at times for the NRL's heavyweights, 2009 will be largely a rebuilding year for the Tigers.
Wooden-spooners
Since their incredible surge to claim the 2005 premiership, the Tigers have failed in three successive final series bids. Last year ended in a disappointing tenth-place finish after the black-and-golds were unable to put together more than two wins in a row. Despite possessing two of the NRL's genuine matchwinners in new skipper Robbie Farah and Kiwi superstar Benji Marshall, Wests are being tipped by most to bring up the rear of the 2009 competition. On the whole, the Tigers appear to have one of the weaker rosters in the NRL, and were very quiet on the recruiting front in the off-season.
Strengths: The star quality of Farah and Marshall. The pair both re-signed with the club recently, but the Tigers need both of them firing consistently to be a force, which has been a problem for the injury-prone Marshall since spearheading the 2005 title triumph. Farah has virtually carried the Tigers over the past two seasons despite a back injury, and desperately needs support for them to be finals contenders. Highly-rated Englishman Gareth Ellis joins tyro Chris Heighington to form one of the most formidable second-row combinations in the NRL, while Chris Lawrence and Taniela Tuiaki are powerful tryscoring threats out wide. After winning the comp with one of the smallest and most mobile sides to ever take out the title, the Tigers have consistently been monstered by bigger outfits. But this year's squad has far more size about it.
Weaknesses: Coach Tim Sheens' inability to settle on a halves combination. The stability of the combination between Farah, Marshall and Scott Prince was the key to the 2005 success, as it was for Sheens when Daley, Stuart and Walters steered the great Canberra sides around in the 80's and 90's. Since Prince's departure, Sheens has rotated Marshall, Farah, John Morris and Mat Head at halfback, with inconsistent results. Marshall has been given the nod to start the year in the No. 7, but is bound to spend much of the year getting accustomed to the role. Marshall was brilliant with his freewheeling, off-the-cuff style in '05, with Prince pulling the strings. The responsibility of organising the side could stymie his creativity. Depth in the forwards and lack of options out wide could also be a problem.
Recruitment: Ellis is one of the marquee signings in the NRL and provides much-needed starch to the pack, but that is about the extent of the club's recruitment drive. Josh Lewis provides back-up at fullback and in the halves, but struggled to get a game with the Roosters or Titans. On the debit side, rep forwards Ben Te'o, Bronson Harrison and Ryan O'Hara have departed, while the Tigers will have to look within their own ranks to replace inspirational fullback Brett Hodgson.
Youth brigade: A source of optimism for Wests and a real key to their season is the young talent emerging at the club. Utility back Tim Moltzen was ultra-impressive in his 10 outings last year, and while he has been named at fullback for Round 1, can expect to spend plenty of time in the halves this year. Towering dreadlocked forward Dane Laurie is already a bonafide cult figure and represented the Aboriginal Dreamtime Team in the World Cup curtain-raiser, while Chris Lawrence is still only 20 despite having racked up almost 50 first grade appearances. The Tigers will be hoping giant Fijian winger Peni Tagive can overcome a succession of injuries to become a first grade regular.
Rep drain: The Tigers are used to being left virtually untouched by representative commitments, having produced just one Australian international and three Origin players in nine seasons. Marshall is a walk-up start for the Kiwis, while Farah and Heighington are front-runners to earn their NSW Origin debuts. Wests can ill-afford to be without the key trio for any period of time. Sheens' elevatioin to the Kanagaroo coaching post will disrupt preparation for at least one of the Tigers' matches.
X-factor: Gareth Ellis is potentially one of the signings of the year, but English imports have proved an unpredictable commodity over the past two decades. Since the English-invasion heyday of the 1970s and 80s, when Malcolm Reilly, Tommy Bishop, Ellery Hanley and Garry Schofield starred in the premiership, few Brits have made an impact - with the exception of Welsh wizard Jonathon Davies, Roosters hardman Adrian Morley and one-season Knights sensation Brian Carney. Chris Thorman, St. John Ellis and Dennis Betts spring to mind as notable dud buys from the northern hemisphere. But Gareth Ellis comes to the Tigers with a reputation as one of the Super League's tough guys and will be raring to let his football do the talking once the premiership commences.
Under pressure: Marshall has frequently left the Tigers a strike player short after a run of injuries in the past three years, and while on the paddock his performances have mixed the brilliant with the mediocre. His involvement in NZ's World Cup victory will have boosted his confidence, but his form was still patchy throughout the tournament. He desperately needs to rediscover the consistency that saw him lauded as the game's most exciting player in 2005. Talk of a Japanese Rugby Union deal has been put to bed after signing a new contract with the Tigers this week.
Ready to explode: One area the NSW Origin selectors are not short on options is young, in-form back-rowers, but non-stop Tigers forward Chris Heighington will be pushing Laffranchi, Watmough, Stewart and co. all the way for inclusion in this year's series. The Tigers meek finish to 2008 probably harmed his World Cup aspirations as he watched the aforementioned trio collect maiden Test jumpers, but Heighington is one of the NRL's most valuable forwards and keeps getting better by the season. An insatiable appetite for work in attack and defence.
Predictions: They have the potential and the individuals to be finals contenders, but it is difficult to see the Tigers featuring in September. Indecision around the halves will see Farah shoulder too much responsibility. A recurring theme throughout this preview has been the club's maiden title win, but Wests need to forget about 2005 and reinvent themselves. If any coach has the ability to do that it is the wily veteran Sheens, but despite providing nuisance value at times for the NRL's heavyweights, 2009 will be largely a rebuilding year for the Tigers.
Wooden-spooners
| 56 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
