Titans Game Review and Coach Masterclass with Adel Hage

West Tiger's Podcast episode number four hundred and twenty, joined by Gary Watson, coach of dal Haj, and Rob Bashara on a Sunday night after the West Tigers thrilling twenty one twenty victory over the Gold Coast Titans at the eighth Wonder of the World like Hardov, Gary, your one word two points.

It wasn't a great performance from outside. I thought they fought fairly well. But the most important thing is we walked away from the two points today.

Coach First, fort he said two words. By the way I.

Always says, I usually say forty seven, happiness purely about like Hardoval being at like Haardov means happiness.

Rob mine before I get yours. Mine's just sheer relief. Honestly, I think I've said that about five or six times this year after we've won. But just relief.

Long.

Glad you said that because that was one of my one words. So I'll go to my other one word, which is two words or three words. Club needed it absolutely boys.

This is not an official game review because Joel will be hosting podcast four hundred and nineteen, which will be our match review, which will be out on Monday night, but we are going to do a little bit of a masterclass again with the coach breaking down some of our attack, defends our structures and systems, and we also will do some buy seller hold. But let's touch on that Titans game today. Boys like hard oval Gary, sixteen

Look, I think once the stadium gets redeveloped that they have planned the plan is to be playing at least three four games there a year At sixteen thousand. I think our club's too big to be playing in a ground that holds sixteen thousand. It will get up to about twenty one twenty two around twenty sorry, and that's still.

Not quite big enough for our club.

So I love like hardover, love getting out there today, love getting out there anytime we can. But we need a ground that that fits a bit more than twenty thousand to be permanent home ground.

Coach, you were a bit less political last time. I think you said you were going to bulldoze Cameltown and all the other grounds and just move us permanently to like, how do you stand by that?

I just wherever we're going to win. But I think at the position of the club's in at the moment, I think winning is the priority. Should we only be relying on winning it like Crdoval? No, But at the moment that's what the results are saying, So it's got to have an impact. I think the biggest thing about Lighthardov and from what I understand about the corporate aspect of how the game works and money, it's about the corporate It's not so much about the numbers. Chuck Park

Rob. I really don't want to bag Campbelltown because I want success there as much as you do. But if they played there today and they're six down with ten minutes to go, do they win?

I'd like to say why not. I won't say yes or no, but why not? And to be fair, I'm from the Balmain Side, but my only membership this year is at Campbelltown. I love the experience out at Campbelltown. I love seeing all the people. I love the drive out there. I love going to the club next door and having to chat to everyone. But yeah, we could have won.

No, we don't get that win today at any other ground than like Art Oval.

Why do you say that.

I think the history shows that you have a look at what is it three wins from the last fifteen or so out at Campbelltown.

The ground makes a difference. That crowd out there makes a difference.

And it's not just the crowd, the configuration of the ground, the fact that every everyone is so close and so on top of the football that lifts the team.

And you could see it out there today. You hear the players speak about it.

That ground makes a difference, and I think it made a difference today and I don't think we win that game today anywhere else.

I think it's the confidence of the ground as well the fact that we have won quite a bit. It's like anything in all aspects of your football, Like if you're a good defensive team, you're always going to have the confidence in your defense. Winning and like had has almost become a habit for us at the moment. So we don't have that habit anywhere else. We don't beat any other team there today. Boys. I was being a little bit light on how podcasts are there, but.

I don't if we play Cannery there today or any other canber I don't think we win that game. I accept the point Gary's making, but it's the same length of grass. It's I get it is more intimate. I get that, and there's that romance about it. But it's not like Campbelltown is Combank Stadium. It's our home ground. We've got to get used to it.

I'm only going off the results, like Gary said, at the facts, Like that's the facts, and we've got to change the facts of Campbelltown. Though. We've got to change that.

Hey, there was a period for a few years we weren't winning many games alike art either. I mean, it's only been any.

Games at that stage. That's the year. That's the early years where we weren't winning any games, and if I think it was the first wooden surn but look, I think right now the numbers say paint a pitcher and yeah, we get one more game and like car this year and you know what you think ahead right, and it doesn't matter who we're playing it, but it's the Cowboys. You sort of say to yourself, well, there's a win coming up.

That's the confidence twenty year anniversary for the five Grand Final, So that'd be a massive day, Like I want, think it's Sunday with about three rounds to go. But Gary, does the result override the performance? Such a relief to win? But what did you make it a performance?

Look, the result definitely overrides the performance. The most important thing we needed today was that win. It gets us out of that wooden spoon race. I think that guarantees us not finishing last this year, and I think that's super important for our club. The performance wasn't great, a very patchy. I thought we struggled in attack. I don't

Coach, I'm not a weather man, but I live ten minutes from like ut Oval, and there was no wind at home. I'll get to like out Oval and it's always blowing a gale towards the pool. I was worried when we were fourteen to twelve down at halftime because we had the wind. What did you make it? A second half performance a lot better.

We completed nineteen from twenty one, which is really important. And that's the simple part of the game, right, If you can put yourself in that position, usually what that'll mean is you've at least got equal share of possession, and that's what we had in the second half. We dominated possession in the second half. So I'm not as big as believer as others in regards to the wind. Like I think the wind is can be of use of you, Sorry, it can be too use of you.

Ether side used the wind to their advantage.

No, I don't think it made too much of an impact on today's game as Well's just wind worth Do you think nothing points? It's not AFL. In AFL, it's worth money and watch AFL okay in AFL kicking like because that's where the terms come from. It's come from AFL because of the fact there's so much kicking in the AFL. It's a longer ground. It's worth points. I don't think it's worth anything in the rugby league.

I think in a game where we have a team that still struggles to get down the field, I think the fact that we are kicking out of our own end quite a bit. It does have an effect on your field position and I think that's important for a team like us at this point in our development. But I thought the boys did really well into that win today,

Is an incomplete set, so technically it's probably you want to talk about it. It's twenty from twenty one, which is Queensland origin. Like Benji said it was our worst performance of the year. I don't know if he meant our worst win of the year.

Is that fair?

I think he meant our worst performance of the year. But but how could it be sixty four exactly? Look as Gary said, It's like I would have said a different answer to the fact that Gary said the win overrides of performance is probably right because it was a much needed win. But it was an awful performance from a what's the what's the term? It wasn't smooth. It

Drop ball, well, I think winning a game like that is all about how you react to it as players. If you react to it like oh, we won in your chest is out, you're not acknowledging the fact that the performance has improvement in it. That's a concern if you walk away from it. And that's where Benji's message

Talking about that reaction to the win. Historically this year we've actually reacted really poorly after wins. I think we're like Eddie went through it on our pod the other night, and our back up performances after a win this season have been really poor. So I think it's really critical that we get that message right. We get that. It's almost like, because we're struggled winning games over the last couple of years, we get that win and it's such a big relief, it's such a release.

Of pressure on the club. We then turn around and relax for the next game.

I think it's really important we've got to main start maintaining those levels of plays and maintaining our style of play. From one week to the next so we don't actually fall into that hole and next week turn into a game where we show up and Pane goes straight for us.

Taylor and May coach style my thunder. On the previous podcast, you Caught him World Class. I'll read through his stats today. One try, two try assists, three line break assists, one line break, seven tackle breaks, one hundred and twenty one meters, forty three post contact meters and one tackle miss. He also dropped a couple of blokes on his backside. I can't remember who it was, but that was a scary performance by Tailor May.

As impressive as those numbers are, what I encourage people to do is don't read the numbers, go watch it yourself. Because his physicality and his aggression both with the ball and without the ball, and the fear he started to put into that Titans team. We don't win today without Taylor.

May, I'd be scared, like standing opposite him with that neck tato.

And I mentioned that I mentioned it on now podcast. You know, after the the group try, he wanted to get into it with about four or five of the Titans boys. I loved it. We've never had that guy that actually just went f you because it was I think it was Brian Kelly was sledging into one of the other players and he just sort of stood up for him. So I thought, yeah, look, that was exciting, wasn't it.

I don't think we win today without him Rob, Like every time we went left, even if he didn't make a break, it looked like they were backing off and we're making easy meters out of ourn end.

Yeah.

He was incredible, I said to Adel on our podcast. I did not expect this sort of performance from him for another four or five weeks to come in running the way he did. And I think I think Terrell May lifted, not that he's needed to lift, but I thought Terrell was probably our second best player today. So yeah, anymore May brothers, we can get boys.

There's one somewhere.

But that left edge looked really good all game. The

It had. It had the sorry the Titans on the back football game. I also, I think early on Jerome actually tried to run the ball a little bit earlier in the game, which sort of indicated something. Do we think anything of him not playing in the head of you today.

My mate pointed that out. It took me twenty five minutes.

And I thought, I haven't thought of that. Coach.

Remember Jim Sheen's I don't think he let Liam Fulton play in headgear. That was years ago because Leam Fulton started his career in headgear and said, you're not playing for me.

Look, let's just say this right, playing and head gear not Jonathan to play for the head Gears. I don't care about wearing it, but I think from his perspective, I wonder if there was something about that today is like ending a message because he had what did I say, fourteen carries for one hundred and forty something meters, So his intent today was I'm going to run the ball, and he did it a lot earlier in the game where he just took some carries, you know, and he

So I agree with you the left and caught the ball facing the try line like his shoulders were square, running direct, you know, not facing the sideline, turning it inside, dropping it off to a forward.

He really had a clear intent to run the ball. I also think he won us the game. I said this on the podcast, but the trice over on AJ Brimson that may not have noticed. When we dropped the ball attacking their line, Sammy gets the ball to Brimston and if Jerome doesn't for some reason, I don't know why he does it. It comes from the other side of the field. We lose the game because Brimston's gone, so I think he want us the game in that moment as well.

He showed up ready to play today. The head game may have been a sign of that. But we're spoken about how he drives standards at our club. He was driving standards out on the field today. I don't know if you guys were watching him at all while he was out out on the field, but he ripped into Fristian Hope at one point for really poor service, and I thought, I thought Hope started the game really poorly and it was really slowing us down from it got

But yeah, it was interesting to see.

What did you make of the Harves games. Rob. Obviously we mentioned Jerome. I thought it was one of his better games, maybe helped by the fact, yeah Taylor may outside him and potentially ad at thirteen, but Lar too as well well.

Firstly, and Rome, I thought it was as straight as he'd run my criticism, and it was very minor criticism. Was I wanted him a little bit more involved, although those stats seemed to prove me wrong. I just thought he could have been a bit more involved us on the eye. But obviously he had a great game. I felt Lart two looked a bit lost, though Adele's comforted me a bit having spoken to him earlier tonight, but

We'll get to my rant in a minute, Gary, but I'm going to focus on the positive tonight because we won, so you.

Don't focus on positives now.

I don't like to I'm the last half ebty sort of guy, but any other individual performances that you thought

Look, the usual guys were great again today. I thought Thurell may through the middle. I thought he was really strong. Adam do I do want to point out I thought he had a great game today. I've always been quite critical of Adam in the.

Show is being recorded, isn't it?

Yeah?

It is okay, beautiful on tape. But I do did we resign him gay? I'm getting closer. What impressed me today was his effort. It's in defense. My biggest criticism always has been on effort plays in defense.

At times, the effort in past season.

Hasn't been there. That's picked up this year. I think that number thirteen could really be the.

Spot for him.

I thought I thought last two's probably struggling a little bit today and was a little bit less involved today, just figuring out where Adam fits into how that spine works. But I don't have too much of a problem with that. It's a new combination once again, when we've had how many halves combinations this year, and it's the real first ball player we've had in that thirteen role this season. So that's going to take a little bit of time

Was a month ago. I think you're offering Adam a contract. I don't think there's a debate about whether you want him at the club or not. I think thinks it's about what sort of money we're going to pay for that. Correct.

Welly that press conference last week, he referred to the big Boss rich I think rich A lowballed him. Was that he inferring that rightfully?

So? I mean, at the end of the day, I think we've got to sorry, hang on, not rightfully so in the sense that we should lowball somebody. We've got to figure out what his value is to us. And until he proves where he's actually going to be for us long term, well then you can't actually figure out exactly what the number is. At the end of the day, if the West Tigers offer you three hundred thousand dollars and nobody else offers you more, you've got no choice.

Surely he's shown enough in the last three games, whether he's been in the halves or a lock, that he's going to be an asset to the club, So we shouldn't be low balling him at all. In fact, I think he's just Jackie's value up after today's I don't think it's load balling. I think it's just figuring out what he's number is ye.

At this point.

If if he doesn't make it in that role as at thirteen, then he's bench player at first, possibly back up in the halves, possibly back up in the centers, because all those other positions that he can kind of fill are taken up.

And he's a great backup player of one hundred percent.

No problem signing him for a bench spot or where as a backup because he's played just about every position in the back line this year. He's moved into the lockforward role and made a good goal of that today. So there's definitely a spot for him in our squad. It's whether it's a spot that he's going to be happy with.

But don't you think that versatility adds value to your contract? Though?

But it's not like I mean, I know he's basically a stopgap center or a stopgap winger or even a stop back fullback to be fair, but like just knowing

Tyran, what's Tyrone wish are worth? I don't think he's worth as much as Adam at the moment.

If Sir George went after tyroneishert, he's probably worth seven or eight thousand.

But that's my point, right, and that's how we've got to start thinking, is what would Tyron we sharn't be worth to the Melbourne Storm because that's exactly what Adam do is worth for us. But it depends on what position you're putting Tyrone we shout it. Adam Dowe is what Gary just said. He can fill in a whole heap of multiple roles, but he's never going to be that starting guy week in week out in a certain position.

I saw Tyrone we Shart playing the halves for Melbourne against the Georgie's here and he.

Was awful exactly. That's the point I thought, Wow, maybe not as worth it. The other thing about what you're offering Adam doing. Guess what, Adam, you're not getting anymore. I'll tell you why, because we need to save that money for Taylor May. Yeah.

And the big thing with Adam is there's been all the stories around him all throughout his careers. I want to play this position or or I see myself as a helf. He has to be willing to accept that. We're probably looking at him if he's not the third team,

I think that's a good compromise though, because he does want his hands on the ball, Eddie.

So no, no, I'm just every time we land on Adam Dewey. We gave for fifteen minutes, Gary all the time for that to blame here, but rob the last set of the game because it is difficult for us as hosts or everyone because we haven't seen a replay. What did you make? Alls? Well, that ends well, we got the field goal. I like the fact that we moved left in our own half because we got that yardage.

We didn't.

Well, thanks for mentioning that, because I got that role on our podcast. Okay, so it turns out we were kind of both right. So jeromeill I did make the break and go to the corner post, but it was on the second tackle, and then we get back to the fourth tackle on the left hand post as we're attacking, and we decided to go left again, back back into the corner and throw another shot at him, which I know Adele's a fan of, but I would have preferred to set up for a field goal.

Well, if you use a sledgehammer and you keep knocking that wall down, eventually it keeps breaking and once the holes there, you keep going there. I actually didn't mind the fact that we were and left there were just poor execution going back left. So for me, I love the fact that we were confident enough to attack it. What would I do?

I've always got a field goal set set up, Like you're always preparing for a field goal set Maybe it just doesn't suit us, maybe we don't like it. Maybe look to me on the sideline, it looked like Benji

The game plan today was obviously the shift the ball side to side and tire out the big Titans forwards. We were doing that, even spreading it from our own end, so I think the players just continued with that and they were looking for that opportunity of how they planned to play the game. And you have a look how well we took advantage of that left edge today. They were always going to go back there at some point. I would have liked to see them set up for the field goal as well.

Well, let's not be too harsh because Melbourn mucked it up last night when Grant through that long pass. Like when you're setting up for a field goal, you're not throwing ten meter torpedo passes forward.

It is and Louis, if we're just setting up for that field goal, Louis doesn't make the break he made earlier in the set yep because we went to the left and he took advantage of the defenders out on the right hand side for the Titans and went straight through. That means we're probably kicking that field goal from forty meters out instead of kicking it from where we end up kicking about twenty five to thirty.

Great point, coach, This one is for you. Okay, you're Benji Marshall. You're sitting on the sideline today. I know you love Appy korus Ow, but this is Eddie being negative for a minute twelve four up with about ten minutes ago in the first half. You've got a gale behind you. Why are you doing a short dropout?

What like?

Why aren't you kicking that fifty five meters and making the Titans work their way out from halfway? We lose the short dropout, they score off the next set. I think the momentum turns. Am I being too harsh? You're asking the wrong person, you're Benji Marshall.

Oh no, no, well, no, no, you're asking the wrong person because I always attack. So for me, if there's an opportunity to have a contested position, I'm taking it. It does not matter what it is. The only difficult part about where we're at right now. So it's the same thing when we kick out a yardage or sorry, when we're kicking good ball, we're trying to put the ball high. We don't have dream we don't have that guy with the elite leap, So I don't know where we've got

In criticis rob I craized before they scored on with you, and I was saying the same thing before they even did it. But the other thing too, I know it's a really strong win. Can Happy drop kick the ball fifty like it's.

Up? He's gone long at times this year and he's actually nailed it, especially with the win behind you. So

Yeah, absolutely, Like if he's much easier defending on that goldliner than it is coming further down the field anyway.

So strategically, strategically and numbers wise, it is much easier to defend inside your ten then it is defending. But I'll say this the Titan, sorry, rober the Titans actually different to when we would defend a goal one dropout. They actually had everybody set for the long dropout, so it was interesting that their defensive setup on the dropout was not sure it was everybody was back, whereas when we had ours, we had our two front rollers back.

I was just going to say, you can excuse it if you've been defending multiple sets on your line and then you're trying to get the ball back with a short one. But the fact that they hadn't been on our line for too long. You think you're going along.

There, you know what defended, and this isn't a topic of conversation at all. So it's really the defensive era that came after that that's the problem, not the strategy of the short.

Sitting with the guys today was like when Charlie dropped the ball after half time and we defended I think we had two or three sets. We defended it and put the ball on the touch and I said, the Charlie stains area doesn't matter anymore, right because we defended it, and that's all you've got to do. Well.

I think we're two verse two there, boys.

I'm glad where they you guys on the right side. It's good.

Anything else you want to mention from the game today, Gary, positive or negative? Before we move on? O bench? Bench used anyone off the bench? Impress.

Look.

I found the substitution five minutes after halftime a little bit of an odd one.

It's probably not the time I would have made that change.

I think we took Adam Adam Dowey off at that point and put to the only on. I found that a little bit of an odd decision at the time.

All right, let's move on, boys, because otherwise we'll be arguing all night about the game. Twenty one twenty victure of the Titans. Joel will talk about the game more in depth to morrow night, hopefully out on Monday night. But Coach Jerene Boller, he obviously didn't play today. I know you rate him very highly. I'm still not convinced he's in the top eight fullbacks in the game, but you can probably take me to task on that.

Have you had him sacked last year?

But I can go through an individually if you want later. But coach, stay with me. Why is he so important to outside?

I think there's not what watching him play this year, there's not one facet of his game that he hasn't improved on. And he's almost not a leader, and we've shown he's shown this year his ability to develop. The only thing I love about him is the absolute competitor. And he's got to a stage in his career now where he's found a little bit of a voice. He's found a bit more confident. I've seen him find a little bit of a mongol in his game, which is

In amount of Gary first Buller, because I know Gary loves Buller.

I think attacking wise, he's our most important player at this point in time and probably our most dangerous, probably the best chance of breaking a line right open with his footwork at the line. He is a huge out at the moment. His ability, as Adel just said, to actually play on that right hand side. I really like the plays where we get both our halves under the left and then we come back to the right and give all of that space and that time to operate

Today and it just broke down.

So his ability to go to that right hand side and control that right hand side of the field for us is absolutely crucial in what we do.

I know what coach is doing now. He's going to throw all the fullbacks to think all are my in trouble? Are you?

Is there eight better? It's funny, Eddie.

I got thrown the same thing at me a few weeks ago. So someone said, Bull is not even in the top ten fullbacks. Okay, I went through it, and I'm going to be really objective here. I went through the fullbacks and I thought, you know what, there's about nine or ten that have probably got more runs on the board. But let me explain it this way. I'm not going to say he's the most important player, Gary. I think Terrill may is because he does the work

Our attack loses all the shape when he's not there. No, No, don't you go there? Who do you?

I'm not I'm not swapping. I'm not swopping in for Dylan Edwards. I'm not swopping for him. I don't even want ko Weeks. I don't want anyone. I've counted it. There's seven better than him.

I think there's about three or four where they're on par, including ko Weeks, like I think they're all on part. There's about three or four that about equal. But I think there's seven better than.

I will just say stop. I mentioned one that's that Buller's better than Ryan Papenhausen, Kaylen Ponger, Dylan Edwards, Dave Tedesco, the Hammer, Tom Dravoivich.

Tom's bastard, Tom's bustard, Tom Tom's bustard. He's he's not a fool's playing center.

Reese Walsh out the names here, got the young fallback from Paramatta. I only Will Kennedy, So you stopped.

He's better than them.

The others I wrote down, we're just Worri's fullback Corey Harran and Ara No that's names uh and Will Kennedy. I think Ball is better than Kennedy, so I'd probably go about ninth or tenth coach. But with Rob's point, the upside is he's probably got ten good years.

In front of Latrell's the other one better than him.

Sorry, I didn't run him down.

There's seven that are definitely better than him. Runs on the board, just everything they've done, Rob, I'll disagree with you.

Think that's the best way of trying to make my point, Like because there's what part of the game doesn't Dream have. He's got everything, But I hear, I mean, I think Latrell at his best is the best. Like when he's on, he is the absolute X factor of the NRL.

All right, let's tape his net back next week. Boys in the number one Jersey, Let's move on to wingplay Gary. Obviously, we had Charlie out there today with Durell Skelton. What did you make of their games? Before we talk generally about our wingers.

H Charlie Stains had a very forgettable game today, one he will want out of his mind fairly quickly.

A number of errors.

He didn't make the meters he had been making the last couple of weeks.

I thought he struggled to get up the field.

Drell had a Drell game, did real Yeah, did some really good things. Gets caught out with some poor decisions in defense quite regularly. But I think it was one hundred and seventy meters or something in attack coming out of our own end, and that's crucial for our team at the moment. So I don't don't know how you can replace him when you've got a guy who can who makes so many yards out of her back end.

What about the combination of the wingers, coach, if say you're starting new franchise, do you need one that's sort of powerful it can do that yard of Jady running and one that's fast or one that's tall, like a bit of a difference between the two, or.

It's your own flavor as a coach and as a team. What you want for me it's pretty clear what the future looking like. I think Tito will be when we are and I think in the short term I mus see Makassini will be the other one this season. I'd say at some stage of this season he will play. All things being equal, and as long as staff for Towers doesn't go sort of backwards, I think that's what will look like. And like I said to Rob earlier, I've been watching the new South Welst cover very carefully,

As Skelton done enough Rob to sort of solidify his place, or do you think he's going to come under pressure in the coming weeks.

He'll come under pressure if he keeps conceding tries and making poor decisions with his defensive breades. But for now, he's doing a really good job with his yardage and he's certainly intent on hitting people. As I said to Adele earlier, like he's just smashing guys out of the park at least once a game, and it was a big one today. It was a big one today. It was a big one against the Warriors, against tow a peaky I think it was. And I think he might

Do we need to recruit any one of the outside backs going now? Taylor Mays there and Macatini coming through not a priority.

I'm fairly happy with outside backs.

I think there's still a few issues we've got to fix up in the middle, especially, but yeah, I think our outside backs are pretty good for next year.

To sign Taylor today as beautiful as today was bad as well, you know what that's doing. You know what that's doing. There's about ten clubs at the moment right now sitting there and going, well, okay, what do we They've taken the hit for us, The stigma and the negativity has gone because he's back. We can now genuinely go in and say, okay, well, you know he's an offer.

Don't be scaring where Tigers fans. He's got his brother there. He ain't going anywhere. We'll make him right.

It's not this is where the pressure comes on the club, Like you've got to get this right. You've got to figure it out and you've got to know it. You've got to do it fast, do it quick, and it's got to get done. And we've got the money. Geez, we've got a massive war chance.

That's a huge one outstanding today like elite, elite. Yeah, every time he touched the balls he looked like he was a chance of going for He's a grown man. It's for once we've got an outside back who's a grown man. Is intimidating. He wins on both sides of the football.

First, we've had a long time just to quickly touch back on SkELL when Taylor May made that break about the fifty second or fifty third minutes today and like Skelton was back at the ranch, like you've got a Macasini there backing up.

You're often gone coach edgeback row. Respectfully, I don't think Tony Suko and Alex Safits are going to scare many teams going forward. But with Kypeers Paul coming in next year and samuela finer didn't play today, do we need to recruit in that area.

No, No, because we've made the decision with Kype's Paul. Samuel is going to get better and better every year, and the more he plays for us, the better he's going to become. He's shown his toughness the last couple of weeks. Like one of the things I always talk about with people, when people say people are playing with injuries, I say, they're playing. If you're playing, you're not injured. He's been injured and he's been playing and he has

Newcastle's a very left hand side of suicide, So I think you'll get a lot more chances with the ball playing for US. I think so you'll at least have the opportunity of the show more than he's getting to show at the moment. And Sam fayin who that combination with Laway is really starting to develop. The last couple of weeks, he's been hitting some holes where he's just about to bust through them. That's going to come really good,

Would Jerone be a difficult guy to play with coach first up as like as an edgeback role just because if he you know, off the left foot, off the left foot, not so bad difficult.

I think it's adjusting to it absolutely. But you know, like a lot of what we do comes off the back of how we square up with first receiver, and we've shown on numerous occasions, especially when Adam did it really well back into last week, so it shows it doesn't necessarily mean it matters who the person is as long as that first receiver is squaring the line. Up really well and giving Jerome the ball with good shape off the back of it and the service of the

That that ball playing was probably the difficulty Adam had today. There was a number of times where it was in that inside shoulder with the ball, so it's probably something you need to work and I think it got better as the game went on, but early in that first half, a couple of times you put it behind the player.

Bench in it changed everything to do with that, rob How do you think Benji is used it this year? Is there an ideal mix for our bench? And has he got that right at the moment?

I think you got it right today.

You must be listening to Adele a little bit because we started with that beyond the bench, which he's sort of touted.

We started with.

Jack Bird in the back row, which I prefer jack Bird on the bench. But it was a pretty solid bench. I mean, you've got a lot of impact with Sioni and Venua coming off there.

It was interesting. A lot of people today asked me why did Sione not come on at halftime? So you never want to make more than three changes in the first half, and the difference this week is he wanted to make the hooka change. So because of how you did your system, one of the middle forwards gets sacrificed. And obviously Benji decided that Suker was going to come off as well, so that looked like it was planned with the Suker change, so that just looked like pre

Off Jack Bird and Alex Safa Gary, I know you're not the biggest Safer fan. You're a Bird defender from what I've heard the last couple of weeks. A last coach. First, who would you rather have in your seven eight if they're on the bench, sa Fath or Bird? If it came down to one.

Spot Bird Jack Bird? Absolutely, I think I experience. Like I said, I think the hard part. I feel so sorry for Jack Bird, Like he competes on every single play, and yes he does some things where sometimes he's there, you got himself? What are you doing? And I heard one guy today is absolutely ripping into him every time he caught the book. Because Jack Bird, when he catches the ball, he jumps in the end that he runs.

The what's his best position if he is starting in the.

Now back row? Oh sorry for us, right now back row. He's signed a two year deal. Rob, I can't remember. I tak it's a two year deal, right, so then the day next year, all things being equal, he's going to be on the bench. He's probably not gonna play big minutes, and he's gonna fill whatever role we need him to play. And I think he's happy with that. Like it looks to me like jack Bird is one of those guys when he's on the bench and we score a try, he's cheering.

I saw him no that game against Gronalla at like over after the golden point, he had the jacket on and he ran onto the field and celebrated. And I thought, for a guy who's played Origin and he's played twenty two minutes for the game, man, that's good team play mate.

It's so important, and that's why someone like Tita Daruva. You know, I did Tito a long time ago because I remember him sitting in eighteenth man for Penrith for like fifteen games in a row. There was no bigger supporter on the sideline.

He nearly did a lap of honor. When do he kick that field goal or Tito, there's twelve seconds ago. Man just relaxed any ways, right to the sideline. He was all halfway.

If I ever want to, if you ever want to judge players. And this is to all our fans. Watch when good things happen and watch the bench because who reacts how It tells a big picture and tells a big story on who they are and what they are, what the club means to them.

Garyuld you like to go to captain's runs? Apparently I said yes, I said there a day early. But apparently you know, I don't know if Benji likes you watching his training session.

He was looking for advicement.

Yeah, but what's the game with Roy Sarton? Have you got some inside mail or why he's not playing first grade?

From what I've heard from the club yesterday, it's all about increasing his minutes on the field. So he's got some benchmarks he needs to hit fitness wise till I am to play more minutes on the field, and if he hits those, he will be back in first grade.

Should he be on the bench?

Rob when the club thinks he's fitting ready to be on the benches and when Benji can trust him, That's what it comes down to.

It's about trust.

He couldn't trust him to put him back on the field for the cow against the Cowboys when we needed him in those last ten minutes, he was puffing and puffing after what eleven minutes, came off, had sixty minutes threst and he still didn' trust.

To put him back on. I think it's a good test of his ego, right, I think it's I think it's brave from Benji. And at the end of the day, that's the one thing someone criticized that that's a Benji signing. Benji wanted Royce Hunt, So Royce Hunt cannot be spitting chips at this, can he? No?

And look, I've been watching the New South fal Was coup the last couple of weeks. He's increasing his minutes. He seems to be putting in two or three weeks ago. He didn't go to New Zealand last weekend, but the weekend before I thought he had a really strong game played played close to the thirty thirty five minutes, and I think yesterday was around the forty minute mark. So he seems to be putting in the effort. He needs

That mission Russell, let's move on, boys. We won't do the last one because we're going to run out of time, going to go straight into buy Sell and hold. We'll try and do twelve. We might not get through all of them, Rob, I'm going to throw the first one to you. Tim Sheen's returning in twenty twenty two. I know he was sort of director of coaching or whatever at the Start.

Club back halfways at the Start.

Yeah, yeah, he was like where is he now? Back to teaching at Westfield or I'm not sure what is doing? But did that set the club back five years? By or Sell?

Now I'm buying that. I hate to say it.

It's not a nice thing to say about someone that bought your only premiership success to the club, But I think it's a fact.

I bought a premiership in Harvey Dormant.

Yeah, you got Peyton and Tim Sheen's yeah.

Gary.

Do you agree with that or not?

I don't know whether i'd say it it set us back five years.

I think we're already on that down with Spiral and he didn't think us out of it, but I think we're already heading in that direction when he got here.

Well he got here four years ago, so one more year of it and it's five years more positive.

One on Tim Coach, his first belt from two thousand and three to twenty twelve was underbreciated by Tigers fans by or Sell.

I'm selling that. I think we over I think we underappreciated. No, I think we actually looked too far into it. I actually don't think. I think our premierships, beautiful as it was back then, has almost affected us. I think we reflect back on it way too much. And the end of the day, the truth be told, I think it was a fluke and did it come too quickly? Like, No, I don't think it comes I think the next year, well, the next couple of years after it are the problems

Like do you know the four and against in that final series we smashed every time we played.

No, we went on for the four game one and I did this the other day. Actually, our average was ten. It was like I think in the last twenty years we were like the tenth best best against in that period. The point being is we went on a really good run. We were high on confidence and I admitted.

We made one final series in ten years and we won the Compyeah, like.

That really felt initiation. That really told you the story.

If you can say we flopped it, if we've belt at everyone around us, like who should have won it that year?

I was George and Paramatta well leaps and drawing everybody. We want to get flogged in the Harryminary Final, Paramount Paramat.

But you know why it's underappreciated because we got the success too quickly, which is what you were saying, Gary. I think the success did come too quickly, and given we had so much young talent there with the Fulton's and the Hinington's and the you know who else was there, Gibson.

But Robert's very similar. Penrith did the same thing in that two thousand and three year where they were poor, they won a premiership. They went to a couple of finals after it, they didn't have much success for a long time, but it was very similar to Penrith. I just think for us the years after it, at least Penrith made a prelium after that, they made the finals the year after that. They showed that obviously they didn't win a premiership, but they showed that there was something

Yeah, imagine the narrative if he won too. We're one point away from winning two, you know, because we should have.

We should have put a two thousand. We were the best team. I'll never forgive the referee for the Jeremy Smith knees in the back on Lottie. Yeah, never forgive it. Ten and eleven we should have won one of those.

Question number three, I'll throw it to you, Gary Terrell may should have played Origin this season by yourself.

Oh, I'm buying that every day of the week.

I think he's had a line put through his name and and there was decisions made around other people in the team that they decided they didn't want Torell in there. And he would have given at least as much as Stefano gave in in that series.

So I would have had him from a tactical sort of point of view coach. Like they talk about, he gets a sort of slow play the ball and some props. But I watched the starting front. I can't even remember his name for your South Well, is he King? King? And Stefano did?

Did?

Terrell may clearly deserve a spot over those two in a different sort of arena origin.

No doubt about he deserved the spot. I mean, at the end of the day, you're a coach, you living noble decision. So that's that's them, that's a Lorie Daily.

Do you think he got red penned because of his personality orfield stuff or because of his style of play?

You're meaning to tell you the truth. Yeah, Lorie Daily has never liked West Tiger's players, never liked the West Tiger's style. He's never been a fan of it. Even when remember in the days he used to call for.

Fox was very they were dark days though.

It was a bad caller, not to start because he've been coach of News.

Yeah, it was the reference.

He was the core that always to say this is a game of two.

Hot Yeah, clich the cliche.

But on the football side of it too, I know he does a job for us having to play often seventy and eighty minutes. There's nothing to say that he couldn't have had a reduced roll at forty minutes or thirty.

Well for the Roosters. The whole narrative around that was ridiculous.

It is And the thing is he can provide impact when he plays eighty minutes. He doesn't hit the line as hard as he does when you play shorter minutes. Then there's been games, especially in the back end of games this year, where he has started hit the line quite hard. So I think there is a little bit of pacing himself throughout an eighty minute game. And I think he came out himself and said last week sometime, but he actually won the Impact Player of the Year coming off the bench for the roof.

To use Eddie's expertise in cricket, you don't bat the same intest cricket as you do in t twenty unless you're England.

Maybe I thought you were going to start talking about the Indians like Adellasa. Thank you for not doing that it instead question number four, I throw it to you, Rob Adam Dewey will be at the West Tigers in twenty twenty six by ourself neither. I'm going to hold on that he allowed one, hold can use one.

I'm going to use this as a whole because if you ask me this question two weeks ago, one hundred percent, I would have said he's gone.

He's not staying, given what he's done.

And if he proves how important he is, like he has the last few weeks and he keeps that going, especially a good performance against Penrith and the Ilkut, like that sort of team, I think you've got to buy him.

But it's got to be at the right price.

You think he should be. But will he like his market might be growing by the week if he can play lock at other clubs.

I would normally say he's not going to be there. But I saw his reaction again today after the game. He loves the West Tigers. He is a Tiger. That's his that's who he supports. Okay, jump in all two things. He needs to be careful the way he speaks in press conferences. That's the first thing. That was a pretty yeah, okay, that's the first thing.

And and I'll ask you this question, rong sure does he love the West Tigers or does he love Adam? Do he? Because if someone else kicks the field gold today, does he have the same reaction He's let the knees he loves both. No, No, I'm not saying he does or doesn't. I'm just that's for me. I love the West Tigers and I love me you love the West Time. No, I'm not. I'm not saying I was crying at full time. I was crying. I'm not surprised, but that's what I

We've all heard about the stout between Adam and Benji. Okay, and that was real, that happened to whatever degree. If that was the case, he wouldn't be playing first grade. Like I think. What I'm trying to say to you is what matters is what he does on the field and what he gives our team. And some egos have been put aside because if he if like for that to go public, that's come from that's come from Adam's camp.

I know we don't all believe in the whole social media thing. I love Jerome's Instagram today after the game was referring to Dewey.

I saw the one where he put up one of Latu being like the chosen one. I thought he's been holding that in the back pocket for eight weeks, just waiting at a shot at Galvin.

Jerome knows, and Pei've always had this thing that they they send messages out there and in support message is just as much as sometimes subtle digs. But even today, like Jerome, I did do it and he said in the press conference he's the man with ice in his veins. That's a compliment coming from Jerome LOUI yeah, nice, the full time premiership winner. So I think it's all about as long as Dewey's interacting with everybody and he's a part of the squad, I think there's no problem.

All right, I'm not doing number five boys. I must have been in a bad mood when I wrote that, so on going that one away at number six, there will never be another player like Benji Marshall, Gary By or Sell.

No, there will never be a guy who who brought the excitement to our club that he did. I can't see that happening for us again. I can't really see it happening across the league again. And his style of play, it was incredibly unique and I don't think we see that again either, Coach.

Do you think Benji Marshall under Tim Sheen's the way he was allowed to play brought out the best in him? Or he could have been even better at his time if he was, say under a Craig Bellamy or whoever.

He may not have been Benji Marshall under a different caation. Look, I'll give you my modern day comparison. I think it's Rees.

Walsh rockstar or just the way he plays.

Like every limb, everything, the things that he can do and almost like you remember back then, Benji used be criticized, like people used to call often all the time, other clubs and all that, like it's very similar to what Rechewalsh cops at the moment. But Reese Walsh can do things very similar to Benji that you just sit there and go how That's that's my comparison.

Benji would have been a better player if he had a proper halfback in that whole time he had Scott Prince and then he only succeeded again.

We had Robert Louis, they.

Had our Cooper cronk John Morris.

Well, she's tried to turn him into a game and he took away that exactly. What was a terrible call.

That was you have a look at his three best seasons were five when you had Scot Princes playing next to him, and then twenty ten and twenty eleven when he had it wasn't.

It was a terrible call. But you can see why she's did it. We needed someone that had the IQ that would be able to game manage, but it didn't. I mean, you took away all that individual attacking brilliance.

Do a philosophical one coach general sort of one. Rugby league is a better product now than ever by ourself, by absolutely rubbish.

That's the old man.

Actually, I know the athletes and the players are better than ever. That's not an argument. But all the rules, the six again, the bunker, it's better product than it was in the late nineties, early two thousands.

Absolutely it is.

Robbie, are disagree, absolutely totally disagree with that. And you know what the problem is. They're all better athletes, they're all better at everything. That what the old players used to be able to do. The problem now is the game is too professional. It is like back we came out of an ear him here, we came out of an ear that was semi professional. Okay, well, when we're going to see chips over the top on the first or second tackle.

You'd be shot dead if you do that.

Now it's because now we know what works that the style of game, managing, the playing, the percentages there was we played it.

We had ears that were more exciting to watch. I'm sure the athletes are better. They can put the ball down in amazing ways.

We've taken away that corner post rule that makes some of the tried put downs incredible. And some of the wingers today would would have been the most elite prop forwards thirty or forty years ago. Like the size of I get all that. I get their better athletes. I get they're better at what they do individually. You're saying the product to watch, mate, I get so frustrated seeing five six agains on a try line, like, how the freak are you supposed to stop that?

Man?

Do you know what's the only thing that's changed in the modern day rob What is the television it's what we get access to has changed it. To me, that's what's changed the game. Like things like the referees Mike, for example, I think that's changed everything in the game. I think all the camera angles that the but the fundamentally the game has played exactly the teame. You go watch a you go watch a cup game, it's like playing.

I reckon the TV should only be able to show the replay once, and we wouldn't.

I hate the whole narrative of you know, we've no I hate them old because you know what you watch other professional sports around the world, they're all evolving, like this is the world. It's evolving, and we get left behind. We get left behind, We will get left behind if we don't catch up. I just think the biggest thing I'd want to take out of the game right now. I think it has an impact, and you know, I'm happy to be wrong, is the MIC's on the referees.

How does that affect that what the game looks like? Though, like their referees.

I don't get that because we don't need to know what's going on and you can hear everything. I think you take the referees that the MIC's off the referees. It stops becoming a part of the game where we actually hear him.

You know, the ko Weeks try we saw the other week where he chipped over the top in the wet weather and score the winning try. We used to see that three times a weekend, and we get to see that like once every blue moon now, because the game is the game is about percentages, it's about it's about winning. It's about winning. You're right, But I'm saying the product, the product was more exciting.

We're just getting old.

Rob the Woodwean guys in the in the nineties were saying the game was better in the seventies because that's what they grew up with.

That's what they saw a week to week.

Now, if you go back further, like you don't want the unlimited tackle r although we're doing dummy half runs, that's just stupid.

What's better? Wow?

How was the game in the seventies?

Right, I'll send it now.

The game in the in the in the sixties, Oh, Sorry, it's always going to join.

Hear me out him out. The game in the seventies was boring.

It was only when Canterbury came along and they were the entertainers of rugby league and they scored these tries with the three hues and the three mortimers and with the field and stuff like that.

And then Phil Blake.

Came along and you know for Mammy in nineteen whatever it was eighty two and he started doing chips over the top every week.

Sorry, we watched the Bulldogs Penrith game the other week.

That was entertaining, low scoring games off and best.

That was the great. That was a great game of footy. It's very rare. Adyll that to me, that's very rare. And that was low scoring sena football. You know, they were like that was like a heavyweight fight. That was throwing punches at each other. Yeah, it comes down to the quality of the teams and the like the Penrith Broncos Grand Final, what a game like. There's the Broncos Cowboys twenty fifteen. There's grand finals. You know, they were

Anyway, we're only going to do two more boys because we're running on about an hour. Gary, I'll rephrase this one a little bit. Royce Hunt's contract was a bad contract by or self.

Well, at this point, while he's playing reserve great, I have to say that's a bad contract. I'm going to buy it with the proviso that it could change if he does get those fitness issues fixed up, But at this point in time, it seems like a bad contract.

I'm not going to do number ten because that could just set me off at this time and I don't need that victory. Do you want to do number ten?

Leaving get your best topic?

I reckon, all right, let's do it then, Rob, Rob Rob though Rob number ten? I reckon Jason Taylor. If we're doing a draft like we did before, this is a reverse draft. So in terrible order. Had the was the biggest factor in the West Tiger's demise over the past decade by.

Or Sell, You're going to hate this answer. I'm going to sell it. I'm going to sell it. Of course he's going to sell it.

You're going to give me a name or you're just gonna Why am I going.

To sell it?

Don want to see if you're heading because he's got his two mates, he's going to rip into No, not at all, No, no, no, no. I think Jason Taylor was arguably probably the worst thing that ever happened to our club.

But what was what was the reason he was there? It was Grant Mayor.

Grant Mayor is the one that got a commission Brian Smith to do the full inquiry and and make sure they got Robbie Farry out of the club and all that sort of thing.

So to me, like, if you're doing a.

Draft order, that's Grant Mayor and Jason Taylor is very close after that.

Do you think those two above Lee and Justin Well it started the rot if we'd have had if we wouldn't have had saying Lean Justin, I'm just I thought, from your perspective, was going to be directly straight to that. No, Lee was.

Look, I'm just trying to be objective about it. What started it? And we have we set him off? No, No, there's I'm not going to get anything out of bagging Lee and Justin anymore. They anyone that's anyone that's objective knows how diabolical their whole situation and their performance was the whole time so I'll let that go.

But where did the start? Where did the draft order start?

Big shout out to Jason Taylor. If you listen to.

Brand May wouldn't even do an interview. You couldn't even contacted him. He was working on the Penske file like he just never had anything to do. Robbie Farrell was always a spokesman of the club, like facing the media because our CEO wasn't there.

No grant, we've done pretty well tonight. We haven't talked about referees all stuff like that. A big shout out to Ballita Sharp. It was bad for both teams today. So I had a good game. Let's finish with the last one, Adele, I'm going to change. It's not on the list, so no point looking at a bit of paper. West Tigers will finish outside the bottom four. By ourself, we're currently outside the bottom four.

So bye. I thought for some reason, I've thought it was top four. No, we'll finish inside the top four. Is well? I thought you said, no, I think we'll finish outside the bottom four.

Who are the bottom for?

Do you reckon what it is right now? Yeah? Newcastle? I think Newcastle's lost tonight, probably has absolutely destroyed their season. Yeah, Newcastle, Paramatta, South Latroll's gone for you, so as Cody Walker, They're gone. Yeah.

So I know, is twelfth a successful season? I think it is.

It's not a failure. There's an improvement, isn't it. It's not a failure. It's not a success, not a failure though it's in the right direction.

Boys, it's been an absolute pleasure. Rob Can you just give a shout out because we are in a very shiny studio. I know we're only trying it tonight, but thank you for one for letting West Tiger's podcast come in and do a collaboration tonight. But do you want to give the guys a shout out?

Yeah? Sure.

So we're here at miked Up at Parramatta, So miked up podcast Studios. Anyone out there looking to do a podcast? Yeah, please give Daniel Hannah a call And obviously I don't have the phone number on the top of my head, but just look them up on the website.

This has just been amazing. I'm ready to move in. Boys. I don't know about you, but absolutely love it.

Here outstanding boys. This podcast will be out hopefully Wednesday morning and Joel will do the full game wrap up hopefully Monday night.

Thank you boys, Thanks you guys. To