¶ Intro / Opening
West Tigers Podcast, episode number four hundred and eleven, Midwek edition, joined by Nick and Gary on a Wednesday night before the West Tigers Friday game at Brookville Obile at six pm. Gary, we were going to be joined by our new war correspondent Steve Stretton, but unfortunately the line has dropped off.
Yeah. I think he flew out of the country before it got blown up or something, so I think he's back in Australia.
There just a bit of background on that. I think Steve was in Qatar.
Goodbye you buy Bye?
Close enough Gary, Yeah, as was my Tigers supporting mate who's a race caller who was over there, and obviously some dramas over there. So Steve is safe. Hears home, but he is in no shape to do the podcast tonight. But Nick, another Friday six o'clock game. Are you looking forward to it or you're dreading it?
Like me?
A bit of both, Eddie.
I'm looking forward to getting it out of the way, but I'm also I'm very hopeful. I know Gary sort of said it the other night that we can beat Manly and it's kind of talking me around. I do think we can beat Manly. I think if there's a team that we can topple.
Manly is the one. So yeah, looking forward to two points.
Not Friday the thirteenth, Gary, But it's got a bit of a doomsday field to it this game for both clubs. Whoever loses this game is going to be copying at Big Type.
Yeah. I my prediction is that Mainly loses this week and Seabold gets sacked probably next week, but within two weeks I think he won't will no longer be at the Manly Club. So I think it is doomsday. I'm just I'm quietly positive that it won't be able to doomsday.
Yeah. A little bit of feedback from our last podcast, just before we get into our regular midweek stuff. We've got a bit of bysell Hold. We'll preview the game on Friday. We got Yondies quiz. We're going to chat talent the Silver. But just some feedback. First, Rusty sixty three, he said, painful progress is the word. Boys. You should have just done a five second podcast. He said, it didn't have to go any further than that, So sounds good to me. Rusty Strong, Gary or the strange she looked it.
Up Strong, I think it is. She didn't tell me once. I can't remember what it is.
He made an interesting post a number of observations. Doesn't agree with us with everything he said. He said in regards to Killer Instinct, basically all the things the Raiders did should have been penalties. So Nick, you would agree with.
That one spot on that's strong love your work.
He said, LA two to thirteen would have been due
¶ Game Preview and Predictions
to the hammy. Given six, you're far more likely to be doing short sprints thirteen. Most game is up and back, Gary, I think we'd both probably agree with that initially, although he is in the seven jump of this week.
Yeah, and isn't that great. I hope you talk about that a little bit later in the pott and go and do a bit more detail. But yeah, I do agree with what he had to say. Yeah, well he was on a minutes restriction and he's right about that explosive running at seven. That's more of a risk on your hamstring than probably the workload at thirteen.
Vicky b. Nick. He said, Saya's a nice guy, but not up to it. My same question again, how do we know he's a nice guy.
I did start to talk the other night that I had met Alex Fath at my local shops because he's a resident in the neighboring suburb and he's a nice fellow. Take that back then, Yeah, and he's been dropped to the bench, so anyway, look forward to seeing what he can bring impact wise.
Vicky be also said that he supports Jack Bird on the right edge. Gary, I think he's got his wish.
Yeah, that's a pretty good tip considering that's what we saw when the side was announced just the afternoon.
All right, boys did do the agenda talent. The Silver's been at the headlines the past few days, been free, apparently to negotiate with rival clubs. According to some of the news limited guys, he's already met with Todd Payton, Newcastle Seabold and I think it was James Hooper might have said that he reckons he'll be gone before June thirtieth. So, Nick, this has all happened very quickly over the past couple of weeks. What do you make of it?
Well, you mentioned he'd met with Todd Payton. Is that in regards to extending at West Tigers, because we'd kind of back Peyton into a contract.
The other night. Yeah, I don't know. Look, he's the type of kid.
What is twenty think he turned twenty in April, well not long ago anyway, but he's the type of kid you'd want to hold on to.
I didn't see L three sixty tonight, but I had a quick look at X before he jumped on.
Apparently there was some discussion on talent and Tiger's losing players, and I think someone made a comment that you know, this has happened before with Tesco and Moses, etcetera. But look, plenty of potential, but twenty years old. I know that
there was an example. I think it might have been Kelly. Actually, I next posted something tonight saying that you know, Harry Grant was happy to sit behind Karen Smith until he was twenty two and didn't complain about it, which is very true, although Melbourne is at the top of the ladder and we're generally not, so.
It's disappointing.
If he really wants to leave, you know, the rumors are that he wants to stay at the club, but you know, if you can get an opportunity else where, he will, so I don't know. I'm just at a point where you know, if he wants to go, if he's going to winger about it, Like you know, Galvin did then let him walk at the door.
Leading up the round one this year, there was a little bit of talk around that the club wasn't completely sold on him, but there were only fifty to fifty towards extending the contract that he currently had. So I
¶ Tallyn Da Silva's Future
think part of this is the club's made a decision that that's not the direction they want to go, and they're actually happy, well maybe not happy, but willing to let him go because he's not really in the future plans that they have. So I don't mind it if that's the decision they've made as long as we're at a spot where we've got a happy signed up. If we let him go and then APPY doesn't extend, then that leads us in a very vulnerable spot heading into
twenty twenty seven. So I'm hoping the fact that there is a little bit of talk around him moving on that means that Appy's probably extended.
Well, that's gary I was going to say that, that's clearly I reckon they're going to announce the happy side to the end of twenty twenty eight. Whether that's the right move or not, I have my doubts as much respect as I have for Appy, but again stealing in rumors at the moment an innuendo. There was some noise that potentially Shane Richardson what the back talent de silver but also said to the coach, it's your decision, Benji Marshall, and he's obviously gone with Happy, who's a senior guy
he can trust. But is that a little bit short sighted or does it point to the fact that he has to win games in the next two years if he's still going to be the head coach, Well.
He definitely needs to win games over the next two years, like we can't have another season next year like we're having this year. There needs to be upward progression constantly so I can The major issue that I've had from the outside looking in with Talent is the fact that the ultimatum that if Happy extends, I'm lee, I'm going
to the open market, that getting into the media. I don't mind him having that feeling and wanting to look elsewhere if Happy extends, but to publicly have that come out that he's saying that and coming out through his manager, I think is a is a poor look on him, and I don't think he's done enough in his career at this point in time to be making those sort of demands to a club. That about a player who has played state of origin football, has won multiple premierships
at multiple clubs. I think it's a bit soon in his career to be pushing that that hard. Fair enough decide to go elsewhere, but to put an ultimatum on the club, I think is a bit rich.
I'm tempted to go on a bit of a rant here, Nick, but I've got a bad head Colt, So apologies for my voice viewers because I'm sniffling and snuffling my way through. But like, how often can we blame players for having a poor attitude, like, you know, as much as I hate to admit it, And whether this is fair at the club or not, the reason Harry Grant is happy to stay at Melbourne until he's twenty two, or Sivala at the Roosters is happy to sit under Dalhi Tree
Everence is because they create a good environment. So how long can we keep blaming young players for wanting out and then they're going to have a great career at another club.
Yeah, You've got a very good point there, and you've only got to look at how happy Locke left when he left the club too, and not just how happy Locke left, but how supportive.
And I know they're all mates.
And when Galvin left, you know, in the first week he said, look, it was it was really hard decision to live the West Tigers because a lot of my best mates are there and are obviously very supportive of him. But Tallon was one that was extremely publicly, outwardly.
Supportive of Locke's move.
And I've got no doubt that you know, that had you know, quite a bit of impacts on him. I know he probably hasn't made a decision yet, but you know it's likely going to probably influence what he is going to do.
But yeah, I agree, Eddie. You know, we've been selling us for a while. We are on the up.
We all hope, hope to believe that we're on the up. We're starting to play a brand footy that looks like we're on the up, with some question marks and asterixes around that.
But yeah, look, if Talan came.
Out tomorrow and said I've signed with Newcastle or Manly or whoever it might be, then you know that's that I just I wouldn't be grudging for doing it, I'd be disappointed, but I wouldn't be grudging for doing it.
The culture is stunk at the West Tigers for close on a decade now. Now. I don't think anyone can deny that there is a genuine attempt to improve that culture and improve those sort of feelings towards the club amongst players. But you need buying from the players to
do that. And if you're not getting buying from the players, and you have guys who who still want to leave because they've been here for a while and it hasn't changed quicker enough for them, there's not a lot you can do about that except continuing going down that path of that improvement of culture. And I think everyone can see there's a genuine effort from the club to make those improvements. You can see it in the players that we've signed, you can see it in the leaders we're
brought into the club. And that's going to take time to improve. But you need buying from the players, and it's quite obvious we've had a few of our younger guys who haven't brought into that process or haven't believed that process.
And.
Well, I don't know it could be that it's taken too long to occur for them. It could be that they've been here for five years already and the change is only just starting to come through now, Or it could be they're resistant to that change as well. But they don't like that change that's happening. They don't like the new leaders that are coming in, they don't like the standards that are being placed at the club. I don't know what the reason is for them to say
no that. I hope the people inside the club know what that reason is. But you need buying from those players, and for the most part, you look across our squad, it looks like we have buying from the majority of the players. You listen to the majority of our players speak about the club, it sounds like there's buying in
¶ Cultural Challenges at West Tigers
that change of culture and the direction Benji Marshall's taking the club. But there are a few players who haven't bought into that. There are a few players who don't believe in the direction of Benji Marshall. One of those players that only came out and said he doesn't believe
he can develop under Benji Marshall. But if that's the direction we're going as the club, we need players that buy into that, and if Talento Silva's not buying into that, then I can understand why we're going in a different direction.
Would you say Appy's brought into Benji's philosophy, because I think he has.
He is driving Benji's philosophy. He's been trying to drive that philosophy for the last three years now, two of those years completely by himself, and I think there's been a bit of support brought into the club to assist him with that moving forward. But hopefully this is the last we see of this, and hopefully the juniors we've got coming through, we've had and we are losing a really good June. I think he's very good player. Telling to Silver, we've lost Lucky Gavin. I think he's a
great player. But there's other juniors who have extended. Heith Mason's extended, Macasine is extended, paul A extended last year. So it's not all the players we have that are walking out. There's players that are buying into the changes that are having in the club, and hopefully over time the percentage that are not buying in reduces.
Yes, But in fairness, Gary like it's like a draft if you you know, you might kill a draft, but if your top two players walk out, it's a disaster. And if they're your top two juniors Galvin and d Silver. Like I'm playing Devil's advocate here, But Shane Richardson he popped his chest eighteen months ago and said, you know, we were going to retain all our local juniors or try our best, and the top three would have been Galvin da Silver. Not that Stefano was a local junior,
but he was on that sort of track. Is this a bit of a It just feels like the club's constantly in a addition by subtraction mode. Something goes right and then it's another step back.
Look, I really think it comes down to what we replace them with. I'm not going to say I'm disappointed to leave, because I think he's a fantastic football and I'll be very disappointed to seem leave. But I had heard before even the Lucky Gavin stuff blew up that talent of Silver was not high on the priority list for the club, and I don't know why that is. So I'm not necessarily thinking this is just a talent of Silver decision. I think part of this is a club decision as well.
Nick, I've got a couple of other points on this order to raise. I'm just reading through all my rants here, But do you think there's no doubt Appy's a fantastic player. He probably could play through to the end of twenty twenty eight. I just I'm struggling to get my head around, like, in general, if that was a decision, if it's a senior guy, I'm not going to say he's on the slide,
but he's at the tire. Who's a career against a guy who, for all you know, decent, for all we've seen, is going to be at least a ten year first grader, And if he turns out to be a rep player, that's a bad decision for me.
Yeah, I mean there's pluses and minuses that could swing both ways.
To be honest, the way I look at it.
Two and you're talking about, you know, struggles retaining junior tallent. We've got to become a winning club before any of these kids want to stick around. If we continue missing the eight, finishing in the bottom two, three, last, whatever it might be, these kids are going to be looking for the next place to move on to. So I asked myself, you know, what's our best chance of making what is the combination that we're best chance of making finals next year? And I see Appy in that nine jersey.
I don't see talent getting more footy than what Appy would be making, you know, next season. So look, we need to get into the eight. We need to be winning games consistently or at least more often than we're losing. Happy for me, at least over the next one to
two years. If we can recruit around him as well in strengthen some of those weaker positions, like we've talked about back Row and Locke, If we can get some quality in those positions to give a bit more starch to the attack, a little bit more, you know, locking up that defensive line, then I think that can go a long way to us being more successful on the field. And then hopefully the next kids like young Jared Haywold, who I haven't seen play. I've just heard a lot
of raps about him. Hopefully kids like that will say, you know what, I don't want to go anywhere else. And he's probably know it's been said, he's the logical one to step up out of talent shadow and maybe take over from Happy in you know, three or four years time. So maybe it's him, but we've got to start winning games.
Bottom line, Gary, my last rant of this situation, why should we just let him go straight away? Like Galvin?
Like?
Okay, Galvin was a big circus. This is not a big circus. So why do we just go? Are we going to roll with Appy? And who cares? We'll play Tristan Hope if haf he gets injured. Why not say, talent, you can go wherever you like in eighteen months, mate, but you're staying here because if we want to make the eight and if Appy goes down, we need a quality back up. Can't It's smarter people to be working the salary cap. But are we just rolling over again?
I can't disagree with that, Edie. If we had turned around and we've got Kyle Peers Paul for the rest of the season, even though it's only a short term benefit, I think I probably would have been okay with him leaving. If he leaves and there's kind of nothing in return.
That's what happens Gary, every year. Every year.
¶ Player Changes and Team Dynamics
Well, look, I guess we're going to find out in the next couple of days because June thirty is like five days away. So if he's leaving this year, then we're going to know about it this weekend. So let's see what happens over the weekend and see what comes out of it. And and I guess we can have a return to this conversation on Sunday night.
What are the odds talent doesn't play a minute on Friday night?
You wouldn't. Yeah, I mean that it was interesting Nick Benji's comments, like, obviously he's not being vidictive, not putting him on, but he didn't exactly go into depths. He just basically said no comment way. So looks maybe you'll get a farewell game of two minutes on the weekend. Gary, thanks for the memory of talent, and off you go and have a few premierships somewhere else.
Carry him off.
Not any good mood, Gary, as you can tell.
No, I like cranky. It makes me laugh.
I'm just just got to ask questions because I I just I don't want to go down the path of talking about history repeating. But Jesus Christ, if like if they end up three quarters of the players of Moses and Tedesco, it's going to be not only is it infuriating for the fans, but it's just gonna be a disaster for the club if that happens.
Gay, Look, it will be a disaster of the club if the club has a similar trajectory after they left. If these two guys go off and they have really good careers elsewhere, but the Tigers are playing consistent top eight football and challenging for the top four and challenging for premierships, that no one's really going to care. It really depends on what happens after they leave, like the replacements were got, Like bringing in a Josh Reynolds isn't going to cut it. So it really comes down to
what happens after they leave. And that's if talent does leave, it's what happens after is more important to me than what happens in their career.
But just the last one, Gary, Like I'm trying to find a positive or what would be the reasoning to let him go before June thirty if you're not getting a player swap, Like obviously I'm not inside competent.
They can't be roster spots, can it.
I'm not. Yeah, no, I'm not a coach. But like the only reason I can think of is that you know, he's attached to Galvin and he's spreading negativity around training, or he's not engaging in training or something like that. But I I just can't go through another one of these situations where we're just giving up one of our best juniors seemingly for nothing, halfway through a season that's meant to be still alive. According to a lot of people.
Yeah, look, if if you aren't getting anything in return and you're releasing this guy this weekend, the only reason that I can see that you could possibly do that would because he's bad for your culture, he's bad for your environment, he's bad for your team, and he's bad for morale. Now I don't know if any of those are true, but that's the only reason I could see why you would release a player like talent de Silver, especially in this rush, like it's kind of come out
of nowhere in the last week. And it's a strange one because Newcastle, from what I've heard, approach the West Tigers about getting for the rest of this year on a loan deal and then offered him a contract through the club and then kind of backed all away from it. So I don't really know what's going on. I don't
know if something's going to happen to me. Newcastle's recruitment policies over the last twelve months have been all over over the shop and I think this is another case of that, and they're kind of I don't not to say we've been caught in the crossfires, but we're kind of being wrapped up in that a little bit.
I think it's he's been I read that he'd also been linked with.
Many paramat.
And cowboys like it's a good plane nick like. It's not like he's being offered to English Super League. There's half the NRL want him, which is my concern not around this situation.
And in fairness to the guy, he would be a starter at a number of clubs around the NRL, so to be felt like I gave him a bit of a whack over the demands that he won't extend if Happy stays. But having a look at it, he would be a genuine starter and a number of teams already around the NRL.
So just a theoretical, if manly, if we said okay, we'll give you talent to many, would you take Jack Simpkin back?
Ah, Well, you need someone better than Tristan Hope. But I don't think take Simpkin for talent. The Silver's not a swap that's really exciting me, to be honest. But it's not like I don't want to make it sound like Gary it's an easy situation for the club because
it's a tricky one. Like you guys are saying, like, you've got an elite rep standard hooker who probably thinks he's got three good years left in him, and the ideal situation for me not be possible, which is, you know, you loan him out for the rest of this year or even for the full year next year, and then you say to Happy you're done at the end of twenty six, or maybe you resign after for one year and Talon starts in twenty twenty seven. Appy comes off
the bench. But it looks like that's that's an ideal world that's maybe not realistic.
Yeah, the player has to want that too, so and as I said earlier, I'm still not convinced that the club actually had him in the plans moving forward.
Really. Yeah, but that's like Revision's history for me, like the club doesn't because they've lost the battle again.
¶ Game Strategy and Key Matchups
Mate, I heard that back before the season started, back before the Galvin staff kicked off, that the club was only fifty to fifty on offering him an extension.
Okay, I mean the player does have to want it, Gary. I know I'm parping on about this, but my only point is the players tend to be happy to sit back at other clubs, and obviously our club. It's frustration because I thought with Jerome's arrival this sort of stuff would stop happening, but it's not.
Yeah, look, I think it has with a lot of players. I think it's that buying that I was speaking about earlier. I think for the majority of our squad we have really good buy in. I think there's a couple who have been in our squad that we haven't got that from. And I think there's another one who's on the verge of reducing his buy in at the moment in Royce Hunt.
Okay, I feel like Ray Martin or Tracy Grimshaw. Nick, I'm ask you all the hard questions and I don't know I really on top of you. You are.
You don't look like Tracy Grimshaw, maybe a little bit like Ray Martin.
But let's do something else. Buy cell hold Gary, I will start with an interesting one. It's actually not actually a by Cell hold, but I'm going to call it by So it's if you could bring in one current player at the peak of their powers from the West Tiger's history that's no longer here, could be retired or could be still playing to the current side, who would you bring in? Uh?
Probably Benji Marshall. Even yeah, even though there's a there's a fair make there's so many because as soon as.
I say, that's not because I didn't give I didn't give the boys a head up on this question, but my answer, but I thought of Scott Prince or Gareth Ellis. I didn't think Benjie Marshall, not because he's not the best in the West Tiger's history, but just how do you play him? And what's your answer game?
I'm going garrethellas Nick.
I was going to say Gareth before Gary spanned it out. But hundred percent someone hard on the out on the edge there, which we don't have. Garafused to hit hit lines with speed and you had a bit of agility too, real tough nut.
What he win players? Player? Was it threes in a row or twos in ao?
Whatever.
It was so freak of a player, great player.
Because interesting, Gary, I was listening to my friend Rob's podcast.
Your best Mate now, aren't you?
Yeah, You're mate as well now apparently, and I thought he was being a little bit sneaky with you know, I listened to Adele and I loved listening to his rap of the game. But he dragged a dell into our debate about the.
Best I lost more respect for a doll.
No, I didn't lose any respect for Adele, but I thought I thought Rob was being a little bit sneaky because my impression of that debate was the teams were picked according to what those players did in West Tiger's colors, Whereas I.
Think I think you and I made that very clear the rod before we started that debate.
I thought Josh made that clear in the Yes he did, but it seems at the moment it's you know, who was the better overall player. So like Gary, we may have well have picked Mitchell Moses or Josh Adakarr. We could have had an even better team.
Yeah. Look, it's that revisionist history coming up again, Eddie. I think Rob's just trying to sneak one under the radar and try and convince anyone anywhere that his team was better than ours. And we know we can't do that.
We've got to get back to hating each other. That's what I'm trying to do here. Throw a few barbs. Rob can throw a few back.
Yeah, I don't know if Rob has any decent barbs, though.
There you go. Let's do another by cell Hold. It's not by cell Hold tonight. Really, it's just questions. He said he regretted becoming the chairman of the West Tigers. I mean that makes two of us because I regretted him becoming chairman as well.
I'm assuming he's got a lot of negative publicity. He doesn't, I can see.
Yeah, to be honest, like Gary, I didn't read the article, but story short, it's about you know, Hollwood Bards and the ownership and we're hoping we through the worst of that. But I suppose he had a point, despite the fact we don't want to hear from him again.
Well, it's very fad the point, Harry.
My favorite part of the article was when he said that he had very little controllers chairman and other people were making all the decisions. But boy did he gloat about anything that we kind of did as in the club and kind of passed it off as his own and went on radio programs talking about what we're doing as a club. So I think again it's a little bit of revisionist history from chairman Lee and or ex
chairman Lee. And I think he's trying to dump a little bit of rubbish on the club now that he's what eighteen months since he's kind of been moved on from the club.
Is he still up at Newcastle Soccer with Pasco or is that still happening they Does anyone.
Follow the Newcastle Jets?
So who cares austraight in soccer? Yeah, it's probably not. It doesn't even make the paper anymore. Nick, it's sort of a league. It was meant to be a revived now it's back to yeah, back to the days we
¶ Final Thoughts and Predictions
I wouldn't even know if the season's going on, if it's finished, To be honest.
I think Brighton's killed them off.
Probably could be. Hopefully that's true. Let's talk about the Manley game, Gary, fifteen wins we've had from many so there was literally no boy, it was okay, you've bought it up. There was by cell hold, but it was round to do with the people who've had the We did a pod last week about the best West Tigers
personalities and players. I was going to bring up some of the worst, but I've already buyed all my bullets tonight, so I'm going to save that one for another episode, perhaps if we do in another four games in a row.
That sounds like a cracker.
There's a ranking system where there's a lot of hot candidates for who's had the worst impact on West Tiger's in the last twenty five years.
Are you going to include a coach, because I.
Know Jason Taylor was right up the top of my list.
Did you include a chairman and CEO as well?
I did? I had a names. I also had Aaron Woods Garry in the mix.
Oh boy, he's calls and lots of dramas all over the place.
Now is all right, Marley game boys, It's Friday, six o'clock, Brookvail Oval Nick. I last went out to Brookvale Oval two thousand and two. I think I was sixteen or something like that, and I vowed never to go again. And I've been consistent.
I remember been there since two thousand and eight.
It would have been.
That was only because I was there for any.
Sofl's Cup game with the Maggies and the Tigers are actually playing after that, but that's the last time I've been there too, So yeah, not easy to get to unless you live out that way, I suppose.
But yeah, six o'clock on a Friday.
Like I said before, we get out of the way nice and early, so we can move on after from about eight pm and get on with the weekends, hopefully.
On a happy note.
But it's some interesting changes from both sides. Not sure where we start, but the one that not so much the fullback one from outside, but the fullback one from Manley Tom Trebovitch into the centers and he's being marked up against by Adam Douayhe, so that's going to be a very interesting pair up. Hopefully Adam can produce some of the defensive work that he's shown at times during this season to shut him down.
Gary the big talkie point I suppose in the team we'll get to Buller's injury, but Leui to six Lar two to seven. This is surely a sign of the future.
Yeah, Well, hopefully this is the first time they're partnering in the halves for what's going to be one hundred and fifty two hundred games moving into the future. I'm really excited to see this. It's probably it's the most excited I've been about a game for quite a while this season. And to see Latu finally move into that halfback role and partner with Lui, I think's going to be some to Sea and to me, the combination looks
to be building quite well already. I loved last week how Latu was able to push Drome a bit wider because that's where he plays his best football, and I'm really excited to see how they combined this weekend, and I think it's going to make a massive difference to our side. It's just a shame that Buller's injury kind of coincides with we finally get our halves that we're looking at moving forward with together and the full back is now out.
Garry the only comment I make there on Latsu, and I'm excited as well to see him playing the halves. I think everyone's been wanting to see that since Lockie left, or if not before, But I know you were banging on and I've heard a few others say that Latsu is most likely held back because of minute restrictions coming back from his ham injuries. Was fifty five minutes last week that he played.
I actually haven't checked the stats, but yeah, it.
Was somewhere around there.
The only thing I've got a question mark on is going from fifty five minutes to potentially eighty of first grade seems a lot. And I know Joel was making a point that you know, putting him in lockforward, you know, the workload's a bit different, but he was making a lot of hard runs from the thirteen jersey, so I don't know how much that impact is going to be different. And an extra potential twenty five minutes on the field, it is quite a lot.
Well, we don't know yet whether it'll actually say out their complete game, so there is a possibility that he gets a break at some point. There's a possibility that talent comes on and plays a little bit of hooker and apping moves out into halves. That wouldn't surprise me to see if they're still trying to get him slightly reduced minutes. But I think this is a move that
we need to need it to make. It's really important to get these guys playing together, not just the start to build the combination, but we need to know if that's the halves partnering we're moving forward with next season, and if we wait much longer, then it's going to be really hard to make that decision about what to do in that position next year if it doesn't work.
I think Gary as well, like we just need to start games way better, like every we're twelve neel down like last two. You're right, he might only play sixty minutes, but at least if he comes off and we're six points in front or level, we're not out of the game when he's coming on.
Yeah, and the best football we've played over the last two weeks has been when he's on the field, And I think it was very telling in that Penriff game that the difference he made, because as soon as he went off, that's where we kind of lost our way again. So I think it's really important we get as much time out of him as possible, and I'm really pleased to see him starting in that role and starting in the halves, So really excited about that combination.
This weekend, I saw a few comments I think they inter reviewed Jerome today at Concord. I didn't see it, Nick, but the guy's attitude, he's a real pro, impresses me because deep down, like I think he really likes playing with Latu and much so more than he did with Galvin. But he did come here to be the number seven, and it seems like it's probably been big shelved after just more than half a season, but he's put his big boy pants on. I think he's all the right
¶ Quiz and Wrap-UpSee
things you want to hear.
Yeah, I don't know how much of a difference there is between six and seven. I know that's always been debated, especially over recent years, whether it's what side of the field you're on, blah blah blah. But has Jermane He played the one game wearing the six jersey prior to this coming Friday with Adam deuy Yeah, so it is interesting because I wondered whether lats who would wear the six. I guess it doesn't matter, like I said, and who's going to dominate you know what, I wouldn't be surprised
if Latsu. I don't think he's going to dominate us in more touches, but I think the way that he plays is probably going to come across I think is dominating just the way that he straightens up the attack a bit more. They're both very different in that respects the way that they played, Jerome and Lartuo, but I think it could compliment each other really well. So really looking forward to seeing how they combined.
Yeah, I don't think there's any doubt they'll compliment each other really well. I still think Jerome's going to be the chief playmaker, but what Lartwo is going to do, He's going to create that space for him. He's going to create that extra room. He's going to slow up the defenses from sliding off and onto Jerome because Lartwo is a real threat of running the ball. He's acceleration
and power through the line. He's very dangerous when he decides to go with the ball, so defenses can't kind of hang off him and slide early out onto Jerome. And I think we already saw the benefits that had last weekend. I thought last weekend playing outside Latu, once Lartwo came into that lock roll, which he played pretty much the same as you would a traditional half back role, was Jerome had a lot more space. He put in those couple of really nice kicks. We started to see
Sam get some decent ball and hit some holes. We saw Adam Dewey hit a really good hole running off him, and I think that's what we're going to see. I think Jerome's still going to be the chief playmaker, but he's going to have a little bit more time and a little bit more space, and I think it's really crucial. And I just think the more space you can kind of give Jerome, the better he will be. And I'm really excited not just to see Latu play, but to
see what he does for Jerome Loui. Of the course of a game.
They did say, Gary, I think close with the stats that Loui was averaging around fifty touches a game when he was playing with Galvin, that's gone closer to seventy the last few weeks. Do you expect that balance to go down or be similar with Lato there you reckon.
Look, I think he will still get a lot a lot of touches with Galvian, even especially early in the season. Even then, a lot of his touches were feeding the ball to Galvin. And I do think there was a genuine effort from Jerome Lui to keep Galvin kind of happy and get him all the ball that he wanted. I don't think we're going to have that issue if you have a look at the relationship. Even the photos
coming out. There were some sponsorship photos coming out today and there's pictures of Latu and Lui together and they look at the beginning on great. The news I've heard is that they have a really strong relationship, that Leui feels that there's a really good chemistry between them out on the field as well. So I'm just really excited that we finally get to see this halves pairing this weekend.
Alrighty, let's talk Jack burd Nikki gets an opportunity on the right edge. Alex safe Af debated to the bench. We sort of we're hoping some of us were hoping that might happen.
Happy with that, Yes, and no, I'm not sure if he's a back rower. I just don't think he has the impacts that a back rower should have. He's got a very good passing game, obviously being a former half and sena as well. And I know Gary you've said that center's out and back rows these days is not a great deal of difference. So look, he's going to
do a decent job. I think a lot of people have probably said that they've seen enough to say Fath in the back row for a while, So I don't mind say Fath going back to the bench.
Actually hope save Fath.
If he's going to be involved, it's going to be in that proper rotation rather than playing out wide a bit. But we'll see what happens there. But yeah, look, I don't mind seeing Jack Bird. I don't know what the other options are, so at the moment we're a bit thin out on that edge, so you know, I hope he has a cracker.
Yeah, I'm very happy with Jack Bird going into that role. I'd probably myself would have put Solka there. I think that would have been my option. But he's on the bench anyway, and I expect him to go into that right edge position at some point with Bird probably moving to the lock roll. So I think Bird can do a job there. I don't think he is a long term solution there. Which is pretty much the same as
the club season. Because it brought in Kay Pispoor for next year, it was time for Safe after to kind of move back to the bench. His first contact contact and his control of the tackle just isn't strong enough to be playing out on that edge in both attack and defense. He gets pushed back too easily in defense
and gets gets dominated with the ball in offense. So I think it's a decision that had been made by being Benji and I was very pleased to see a change in that position when the side was announced.
Yesterday because I was actually, this is not my point. Actually was listening to Adela. I thought this was really interesting. He said, most teams defensive right end has to be their strongest garry because those human teams the easiest way to pass the ball. And like when you think all year we've had Safarth and Galvit together, I think on
that left edge she really struggled. I'm not saying Bird's going to be one thousand percent better, but do you think that's something that long term the club has.
To look at one hundred percent? You have look at that combination between Heath Mason, Alex Safarth and Stafford Towell last weekend. That's where Camber ripped us apart. That's where the mistakes came. That's where the errors came. That's where the defensive misreads and over commitments came and really for me. I think I said it on the pod we did on Sunday night, that right edge cost us the game
on Sunday and it was really disappointing to see. But we've made quite big changes there and I think defensively that right edge will be a lot stronger. Latu Feinu is an excellent defender. He has really good contact, he makes really good reads, and he actually hits fairly hard for a half. So that's a great improvement over Heath Mason on that edge, and Jack Bird is a massive
improvement over say Farf. Defensively, I still think he doesn't have that impact with the ball that we need on that right edge, so that's still going to be a little bit of an issue. But I think defensively that right edge will be much stronger on the weekend, and it's yeah, and it's one of the reasons I think we can get away with a win against Manly.
To read bullet nick massive blow for probably about a month, I mean typical Tigers apparently happened on the last player of the game. But yeah, just reading the forums like I like to do, get some sort of reaction where the fans are leaning there's pretty mixed reaction to Heath Mason going back to fullback.
Yeah, I was a bit fifty fifty.
I didn't actually mind Heath going back, but on the or on the same sort of thing there, I didn't mind who came in. Like I know, Gary, you were talking about possibility of Taruva coming in playing fullback. I saw on exit people. I know you guys probably should have done. Whether Charlie Stains comes in. I'm not saying he would have been the answer, but I don't mind it. He's been in and around the team now for quite
a while. He's he would have some combinations. I don't think he's, you know, the complete fullback, and he's obviously not the complete half, which is why he's being moved around a little bit and probably a bit of a backup play.
But I think you'll do a job.
I think what we'll really miss with Dream a lot of our tack late that he's been with Dream chasing through those high kicks and trying to catch the one that's coming over his shoulder, and he's had.
A little bit of success there.
Heath will give that a crack, but he doesn't have the hype or the athletic ability that Dream has, and he doesn't have the ball passing game that Dream has either, So there's some definite differences there in their styles of play. But you know he's going to have a go, so I'd like to see he's play a bit of a Brett Hodgson style game, you know, just sniffing around the ruck, following La two and Jerome around the halves and looking
for an opportunity to run through. So yeah, I hope he has a good game too.
Well, we lose a lot by not having a Dream Buller there. If you remember back to round one, we played with absolutely no shape, and as soon as Buller came back, we at least had a little bit of
shape of him sliding around the back. So we're going to miss that, and I'm a little bit worried that, despite it being fairly one dimensional at times last weekend, I think our attack has a risk of being a little bit one dimensional without us being able to run those block shapes that we've kind of seen with Dream at the back. My hope is that Lar two going into the halves kind of counters that loss of Buller at the back and we have better shape because we're
pushing Drome a little bit wider. I'm not a huge fan of Mason at fullback. A number of times in that game earlier in the season, he didn't attack the ball, he didn't attack the high ball, he let it bounce. These are things that we can't afford to have this weekend. Personally, I did think about earlier in the week that I'd
like to see Taruver in that role. But luk Li Lily's been playing fullback in State Cup and been doing a really good job of it, making a lot of meters, scoring a fair few tries and been quite dangerous, so I think that could have been an option. But I do agree with Nick Heath. Mason's been in and around the side for the last three weeks now, so it's probably the least disruptive move is to moving back to fullback.
But I am concerned about it. He is very one dimensional in attack, and I'm worried that that will make our attack very one dimensional as well.
Did you see the game player, Gary, because like, I don't know if there's one dimensional bit hah harsh with east Mathan because he's quick, like he's more of the guy who's going back up through the middle, and I'm looking at this manly pack which is rubbish. I think it's absolutely rubbish, like compared to most teams at Lodge Tavanda, Takiyahu, Waddell, Jake Ta voiviitch who I doubt run over forty meters these days, and ben VOI bitch.
Like.
If we can't get over the top of that pack, I think maybe we have to center our attack a little bit this week. Not saying we've got the best forward back in the world, but surely guys like Torell May happy and if we get some offloads, I reckon Mason could be good in this game.
Look, and really I think paul A Andconi has been great. And Terrell earlier in the season was offloading a lot. There was a game where he had close to ten offloads, so it is definitely something that he could do. Sniff around and follow Torell May through the middle because he does have a good offload. Terrell seems to have put that away a little bit the last couple of weeks, but maybe that's I think that can come out again
this weekend. Yeah. More the one dimensional aspect of it is there's no real passing game there, even playing five to eight last week. He does not have the passing game that Dream Buller does. He doesn't have the ease of breaking through the line himself that Buller has. What you do have is if you give him a little bit of space, he will take that space. He is quick, he has a decent step, and I think it comes
down to us creating that space. And I just don't think we're going to see the clear up ball movement that we've been able to see from Dream Buller with Heath Mason in that role. So I think our outside backs may have a tougher game, which kind of plays into your theory, Eddie, of playing them through the middle.
Well, Nick, before the fans hate me even more than they do at the moment, I am going to clarify I don't prefer Heath Mason to Dream Buller at fullback. I've never once said that, even though.
You might have thought it a couple of times though a.
Baller critic in the past. But I think he's been excellent this year, So I will be interested to see how that goes, because it's sort of like the things you don't appreciate with Bully, you probably don't notice them until he's not out there, which is what Gary Potter that which if he's going to be put under pressure a Mason in this game with particularly the high ball.
Yeah, agreed. I'm going to say saying something that no doubt the two of you and a lot of people will destroy me for. And we can't do it now because unless Benji's listening to this and he here's my suggestion and makes a late change. But just thinking about
Nixtines on the podcast. Yeah Nick Sheens is here. But just thinking about, you know, missing that shape or lacking that shape with Dream at the back, Gary not being available on Friday, what if you move someone like Adam do we to fallback who has some who has some playmaking skills, and he's played fullback in the past. He'd probably be a bit better than Heath Mason under the
high ball. I know he doesn't have that explosive speed or much speed at all, but he might actually have that capability to.
Very brave asking.
Well, I can see it. I can see it. Gary, can you see it?
No? I never want to see Adam do you play fullback ever again? Even back when he did play a bit of fullback for US. I didn't want him playing fullback then he doesn't have the pace for it. The one thing I would give him, and the concern I do have is Mason. He's quite short for a fullback, which isn't necessarily an issue. Taruver is quite short, and Skelton, while a bit taller, isn't the tallest swinger in the world either. So we're lacking a little bit of height
in our back three. And I'm sure, especially when you've got Tom Travoyevitch playing in the centers, he's going to be a target for for the crossfield bombs. So it's something that the side needs to be aware of and we need to do something to kind of help those guys out a little bit because I can see mainly attacking us through the air well.
Prediction, Nicko, I don't like giving predictions. My honest thought is, you know, we probably lose this in Golden Point. That's just how I know you're laughing, but I'm dead serious, Like I'm thinking about putting a bet on Marley to win Golden Point, because that's the way this this is how it's going our luck at the moment. But I will make one prediction, and it's a bit of a
cop out, Gary because it's not really a prediction. But I think either the Titans game, Cowboys game, or this game we play mainly twice on the Titans twice, so I'm spreading my wings across five games here. We're going to have a win that's by thirty or more. I think when we do win, it'll be a big win. I just don't offer to me this week.
I expect to win this weekend. I'm not going to say it's going to be thirty, but I think we'll get a comfortable win this weekend. I'm not going to give a score for protection prediction, but I can say it's winning thirteen plus this weekend. I think Manly is really poor. I think they've given up on their coach, and I think we're going to see what usually happens with it to a side that gives up on their coach over the next couple of weeks with Manley.
Also, Tigers win by a point and it would be golden point and Terrell May's going to kick the field goal.
We don't have anyone else.
I'll be under the couch that's happening.
Yeah, just just pointless.
Nick, golden point, please, know whuiz boys before we wrap this up. I haven't read it, so this could be a disaster. But I'm just going to scroll down and find a gay. I don't thing to talk about it for a minute while I scroll down the quiz.
Yeah, I had a really good weekend, went to basketball and well, Nick, who do you think? So you're ready now so I can.
Stop the host, then you can ask your question if you want.
No, it's too late.
Multiple choice? What was the second half score when the West Tigers beat Manly nineteen eighteen at the Old SFS in two thousand and nine? Was it a thirteen six West Tigers B eighteen one Manly? I think that might be it's not a best print given as a field goal. It's fair C twelve or second half? Or was it d Manly eighteen nil ABC or d D.
I didn't really listen. I'm going to go I think it was thirteen six. Was that was that a?
The answer is B. We led eighteen nil at halftime, so I think that was just a little misprint there. He's got eighteen one here, eighteen nil at half time.
I would have got that right if it had a said eighteen meal.
The Baroughfield goal being our only second half score. Question two, True or false? I don't know if I want to read this question At twenty sixteen, Jason Taylor signing lead the one word out to use before that surname is shared with the past West Tigers player's first name, albeit spelt differently. Anyone have any idea what that means? I'll read it out one more time At twenty sixteen Jason Taylor signing signing surname.
He was all clue and we're not naming the player though, isn't it We're just saying true or false?
Nope, it is Yeah, it is true or false? Actually, but there will be people are true interested in this.
I'll say false.
It is true. So the player he signed was Matt Ballan, and that was the first name of a player who played in two thousand and two. Three Rememberck Gary ball Ballan couples three played four games. Question three? Name the five West Tigers players who we signed from an overseas club prior to our infamous two thousand and five season.
Marco'hellerin.
Nope, one was a redhead Gary. None of them went on to any great heights at West Tigers.
I don't think I'm going to get any of these.
These are between two thousand and two thousand and four guys that came from from a club. One was a blondheaded hooker. One was a redheaded back roller slash lock. One was a winger.
We didn't get Nick Grain from over there, did.
We apparently Wigan Warriors.
And what was the first one, you said.
Blonde blondeheaded hooker played around Darren Santa's era, Robert Robert Mes. Yep, we got a wigger played a bit for Penrith. Robbie Beckett.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
A half who who played played for a few clubs. A bit of a funny one here because he's doing silly business, silly buggers, because we signed him from the Auckland Warriors, so he's playing in the NRL but an overseas club. It was John Simon, Yeah, I was about John Simon. And the other one was the great Glen Air who played one game for the West Tigers.
Quite like John Simon.
Nearest to the pin out of seventeen, how many of our two thousand and five premiership winning squad have tasted victory at Brookvale during their entire West Tiger's career, Gary, you go first?
What do I have to go first all the time? Maybe I'm going to say five.
Four?
The answer is six. Two thousand and three winners were Fittenry Scandales, the Frankie O'Neal and Galia in round six twenty eighteen and round seventeen twenty twenty the great Benji Marshall victorious at Brookvale finished with Who am I? I was born in Brisbane in nineteen eighty one. Played one hundred and ten games, scoring one try in six years for a fellow Western Sydney club. I joined West Tigers in the year we were premiership favorites I think that
was twenty twelve from memory. Featured in twenty three of twenty four games, played nine games. The following year what was my final season? Returned back to where I was born and played for the Burly Bears. I was a forward. My surname is shared with a train station on the Blue Mountains Line.
The surname was it?
Yeah, I remember the name, but I would I wouldn't never have got it. He played for Penrith between two thousand and six and twenty eleven, played for West Tigers in twenty twelve and twenty thirteen, thirty two games, scoring no tries. The station is Bell, which is between Mount Victoria and Lithgo. It's out your way, Garyan.
Yeah, about an hour away.
But yes, his name is Matthew Bell.
I don't even remember him.
Yes, thank you, Addie. Another very tricky quiz for the listeners out there to taco. Yeah, exactly, boys, that's it. Hopefully I won't be required Sunday because it seems I've required every couple of days at the moment. Garryots it's the depths of winter and Poole's character come out in the depth of winter. I'm fronting up every show. But other people they're now war correspondence, or they've got excuses or you.
Know, we're about a huge couple of leagues, are.
He We had what happens when you're popular, Gary and Eddie just suck it up and get on with.
It, well, said nick uh Tom Shines he's on the West Tigers for um, he said, I was. He was scared by my acceptance. So hopefully Tom, you're a bit happy with my performance, and I tried to show that I'm actually they're not rosy with everything that's going on.
Yeah, positive very say boys, Thanks for guys,