When Mick Potter accepted the job offer at Wests Tigers back in November 2012, i'm sure a lot of things went through his head. One of those thoughts would've been that "this is my big break". The chance to finally make it in his own field of dreams. The field of dreams that is the National Rugby League. One of many reasons for this being such a highly regarded field for league coaches is the bright lights that come with the job. It is where any league coach aspires to be. It is the top of the game. It is a job filled with pressure. The watching eyes of the league world wait, stalking, questioning, and analysing every move an NRL coach makes. The buck ultimately stops with coach.
In 2013 Mick Potter knew he was walking into a tough job at Wests Tigers. This club has always had its baggage. On top of that his predecessor Tim Sheens had spent ten years in Tigertown, moulding and shaping the club to his liking. Potter not only had assumed the squad of Sheens, but also had no chance to tailor the squad to his liking. That had already been taken care of. On top of that, Potter also assumed the assistants of Tim Sheens. Due to his late appointment, Potter opted to keep on the likes of Andrew Leeds, Steve Georgallis, Royce Simmons and John Skandalis amongst others.
The pre season began to reports that the Wests Tigers squad was training harder than ever before. Call that cliché, call it whatever you like. That statement never holds much weight. They all say it! Potter though mentioned that there were aspects of the club's on field performance that he would like to rectify. The defence was one of them. In fact it was the main concern. He wanted it tighter. He also wanted things tighter offensively. Not so much the opportunity to reign in an at times free spirited offense, but to be more selective on when to be more expansive. Potter noted that the attack certainly didn't need fine tuning. However defence was the priority.
Fast forward now to late August, Round 24 in fact, and it's fair to suggest that no one could've predicted the 2013 season would go the way it has. Where to start? It has been a train wreck! A plethora of injuries has stagnated Mick Potter's attempts at building a cohesive first grade side. Potter's also had to deal with a serious lack of experience in the depth at the club. 8 rookies have debuted this season, several others came into this season with under 10 games experience. Potter's also had to deal with experienced players being out of form. Benji Marshall, Blake Ayshford, Chris Lawrence and Braith Anasta topping that list. Then there is the Benji Marshal soap opera. Lesson 101 in how to derail a football season.
So those above are the distractions. But what about the things that Potter has done? The good and the bad. Firstly to the good. In my opinion I don't think Potter has done half as bad as some are suggesting. Yes the Tigers are second last on the table with just 6 wins and just Parramatta below them but there's reason behind the struggles as mentioned above. Potter's had little choice but to give youth a chance. It's all that was there. Especially when the injuries hit. Inevitably though when youth is given a go it takes time before the best is seen. Potter's demeanour and approach though has been calm, firm and fair. You can see the likes of James Tedesco, David Nofoaluma, Tim Simona, Curtis Sironen, Jack Buchanan and Sauaso Sue are finding their feet and making strong contributions when the opportunity beckons. Potter's kept faith in these kids, he hasn't shot them down, any criticism has been constructive.
I often look for parallels between the Tigers and the Eels. I think their squads are somewhat similar. There's a smattering of decent talent. Some experience and a wealth of youth and inexperience. Both clubs even has coaches in their first seasons at the club. Both sides sit next to each other on the bottom of the ladder, however this is where the similarities end. In my mind Potter has done a far better job that Stuart. Firstly, Potter's had to deal with more distractions thanks to injuries to senior players, boardroom squabbles and Benji Marshall's lack of form. The Eels have injuries too, not to the same extent though. They've also had issues with Chris Sandow. A closer look at the two teams though suggests Potter's been able to get more out of his young players than Stuart has at the Eels. I think his approach has been considerably better with the younger players too. Stuart appears impatient and in a hurry, Potter patient and measured.
Not all of Potter's work though has been great. Potter himself has admitted he's had issues in his communication with some of the younger players in the squad. His decision to bench Robbie Farah v Manly in the opening rounds was and still is a blip on his radar. There's been criticism regarding the Wests Tigers defence and attack. Both categories have us well down the list. The stats don't lie, its not been good enough. The jury though is out on Potter here due to the injuries suffered this season and the poor form of a key player in Marshall and the lack of effectiveness of the Tim Sheens recruit Braith Anasta.
Ultimately, looking forward to 2014 and the preying eyes of the league world will be expecting better of Potter. Assuming of course the season is not blighted by the same injury toll and player form, an improvement will be the minimum expectation. A more stabilized team sheet means an improvement in defence and attack is a must. Potter admitted that defence was high on the agenda when he arrived. He will get a chance to properly install a system to his liking this time. Potter and CEO Grant Mayer also desperately want to improve the training facilities, admitting the standards sit well below the bench mark in the NRL. This though may be more of a long term project. You also have to believe that the young guys will be better for this season's experience and it's an absolute must that Potter continues to aid their development, whether that be with the addition of some specialist coaching (the Tigers are believed to be sounding out Brad Fittler as a halves coach).
The rest will fall on Potter and his 2014 squad. I want to see improvement in the some of the little aspects of the game. The 1%'s of the game are just so critical. All the little extra efforts in defence and attack make up for a lot over the period of 80 mins. Without attention to detail one cannot simply expect his side to be near their best. The Melbourne's, Souths and Manly do it so well. Even the Roosters who last season struggled massively have turned it around this season. That must surely give the Wests Tigers some hope.
The challenge is now there for Potter and the Tigers. The potential is massive, but so are the obstacles in getting there
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