There is a terrific piece by Andrew Webster this morning in the Herald based on the plight of the two joint venture clubs – the Wests Tigers and the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Andrew lines up their similarities, and it’s not comparing positives let me tell you.
The piece goes under the heading – Tigers and the Dragons need to stop treating their fans like fools.
He writes that clubs like these two have exhaustive reviews when they’ve run out of answers. It’s corporate smoke screen.
When he finishes, Andrew suggests perhaps it’s time for the people who run the Dragons and Tigers to review themselves. I’m sure plenty of fans would agree with that.
Now in the Telegraph, the focus is more on the Tigers. It speaks about the playing group at the Tigers having the biggest say perhaps.
The leaders and senior players will be consulted on the future of Michael Maguire.
Now if that’s the case I’m staggered, because it’s a topic I raised on the show with Matty Johns and Cameron Smith yesterday, and Matty was very strong on this subject – the Tigers don’t have leaders in their playing group. Certainly not with the experience of success elsewhere.
James Tamou who was signed by the club this year to captain the side – let’s be fair dinkum – he’d be the only one in the side who could talk about how other clubs run to be successful.
Every conversation I’ve had with James, I think he’d support Michael Maguire.
I make no apologies for making this observation, but how could senior players like Luke Brooks or David Nofoaluma offer insight into the ingredients of a successful club.
They’re terrific players but no two players at the club have played more games than this pair.
It’s the only club they have spoken to but surely Michael Maguire’s thoughts on what is required for success carries more weight than Brooks and Nofoaluma’s. Again, no apologies for saying that.
Adam Doueihi, very impressive, both as a player and an individual, but he’s yet to play 100 games in the NRL.
Their spine, fullback, Daine Laurie, great season but he’s still basically a rookie.
Their hooker, Jacob Liddle, to be fair he’s still establishing himself and the other number nine at the club Jake Simpkin has only played nine first-grade games.
Moses Mbye was a senior player, he’s played Origin, well he’s leaving.
Go to the 100 games or more players, Joe Ofahengaue, James Roberts and Ken Maumalo.
I don’t know where they get them from in terms of roster management for 2022, but the Tigers need players who can lead.
Be it Michael Maguire, Cameron Ciraldo, you could even get Craig Bellamy or Wayne Bennett.
With no leaders on the field or in the club, the ship may have a captain – that’s the coach – but it’s got no rudder when it goes to sail.