5 things the Wests Tigers would love for Christmas

With Christmas nearly upon us now, TigerNation turns it's attention to what our Wests Tigers would love from the football Santa....if he does indeed exist??? 

1. An injury free repellant seems a good place to start. A wretched run in recent seasons seems to have limited on field success to underwhelming levels. If football Santa does exist, this is surely top of the list.

2. The football Gods have already shined on the Tigers for 2014. Now football Santa just needs to deliver perfect whether for Leichhardt Oval home games. Weather in 2013 wasnt kind for either home ground but Leichhardt seemed to cop the brunt of it.

3. Negative press repellant. So much negative press in 2013. From Benji, Adam Blair and Mick Potter. They all got slated and in my books not all of it was justified. I get the feeling with the youthful presence at the club now, positivity may become the norm now.

4. As mentioned above, Mick Potter was slated in 2013. Not a lot of criticism was fair in my opinion, but as head coach, he has to wear it all. 12 months down the track I think Potter will do better. He's changed plenty in the coaching structure and I think we'll see him move forward.

5. Last but not least, I think the boardroom will get its act together. They've shown a willingness to work with the NRL and correct the flaws that plague the club. I know a lot of fans will hope the football Santas deliver some goodies on this matter.

So what does the loss of Tim Moltzen mean for Wests Tigers?

When news of Tim Moltzen's latest injury setback broke i'm sure there were more than a few who didn't seem too concerned with the news. Well, at least not in the kind of way that could have been calamitous for the oncoming season. I think most people were genuinely upset for Tim on a personal level. Having another serious injury to a list that seems to grow year by year is a serious concern for any footballer who's yet to really reach the ability he possesses.

However it seems the significance of the latest injury was perhaps a little bigger than most of us had realized. Reading various articles over the days proceeding the injury seemed to indicate one strong factor. It appears Tim Moltzen was the man Wests Tigers were expecting to fill the vacancy created by long term five eighth Benji Marshall. Or at the very least he was the man set to be given first crack at the number 6 jersey. This decision has merit. Moltzen's junior football saw him play a lot of five eighth, and running the football is a definite strength of his. He also has the experience as a footballer to take on the role of senior player in the halves, most likely alongside rookie Luke Brooks.

Moltzen's return date is yet unknown. However he is targeting a mid year return and has stated that his return will not be rushed.  He's currently 2 weeks post op according to Wests Tigers physio Peter Moussa .

WESTS TIGERS INJURY REPORT - as of 17/12/13
http://t.co/Y91GTk8PK3

It essentially means that Wests Tigers have to move on to plan B at the five eighth position. Leading the candidates set to fill the role is the experienced Braith Anasta. Anasta who has hinted 2014 may be his last, has a wealth of experience in the position and would be a good sidekick for Luke Brooks from that point of view. He may not be the dynamic ball running virtuoso that Marshall once was for the Tigers but he will offer a steady and smart influence on Brooks. He appears the most likely candidate.

Next on that list is new recruit, former Panther Blake Austin. Austin lacks the experience of Anasta but does have the skills worthy of being given a shot. For him, a good pre-season is essential. He'll need to show coach Mick Potter that he's up for this challenge. Trial form will be the essential too. I've not seen a lot of him on the field in recent times but off the field I like what I see. He appears to have really matured as a person and given that he's still young. This could lead to good things on the field. He appears switched on and focused.

If for whatever reason Coach Potter opts to overlook Anasta or Austin, Curtis Sironen would be next in line. I think this is the last realistic option available. Sironen's future is undoubtedly in the second row and it appears more than likely that this will happen in 2014. He has the size, the skill and his confidence in that role is growing and growing. As a short term fix though, he could do the job in the halves until Moltzen returned. However i'd prefer to see Anasta or Austin ahead of him purely so Curtis could focus on the second row.

Last but not least comes Mitchell Moses. There's little doubt Mitch will make it one day but the odds appear well against him for early 2014. The talk is Moses will spend most of 2014 between the NYC and hopefully the NSW Cup. Much like Luke Brooks did in 2013. The two biggest issues for Mitch right now are firstly to get his body right He's come off a serious leg injury which hampered him throughout 2013. The other issue is his size. Right now Mitch's frame just isn't ready for the rigours of NRL. Once he gets a bit more muscle on him we should see his development improve rapidly. Mitch is the man the Tigers will rely on in the long term. Just not at this point.

Tigers set for toughest draw in 2014 competition?

NRL.com yesterday published an article below which ranks all 16 clubs draws for the upcoming 2014 season.

CLICK LINK FOR ARTICLE -  http://www.nrl.com/how-tough-is-your-teams-draw/tabid/10874/newsid/75666/default.aspx


It determines the toughness of a side's draw by ranking the sides they play over the course of a season. Essentially it comes down to which team's a side may play twice in that season. The more top 8 sides you play twice in a season, the higher your ranking. Below are the 2014 numbers.


2014 draw difficulty (hardest to easiest)
1 – Wests Tigers (difficulty score of 225, six repeat games against top-eight teams)
2 – Eels (223, six)
3 – Broncos (220, six)
4 – Dragons (218, four)
5 – Sea Eagles (208, six)
=6 – Bulldogs (204, four)
=6 – Raiders (204, four)
8 – Roosters (201, six)
9 – Knights (200, four)
10 – Storm (199, four)
11 – Panthers (198, four)
12 – Cowboys (197, four)
13 – Titans (193, three)
14 – Rabbitohs (192, four)
=15 – Sharks (191, four)
=15 – Warriors (191, three)


2013 draw difficulty1 - Warriors (224, five)
2 - Raiders (222, six)
3 - Tigers (213, five)
=4 - Eels (212, four)
=4 - Rabbitohs (212, six)
6 - Bulldogs (211, six)
7 - Titans (208, five)
=8 - Dragons (201, four)
=8 - Cowboys (201, four)
10 - Sea Eagles (200, four)
11 - Knights (199, four)
12 - Storm (196, four)
13 - Broncos (195, four)
14 - Roosters (192, four)
15 - Sharks (190, four)
16 - Panthers (188, three)

For Wests Tigers the news is daunting. We are ranked the highest in the league with 6 repeat fixtures against top 8 sides from 2014, Amongst them Souths, Manly and the Roosters. As mentioned yesterday, the month of August appears the worst for the club, just before the finals hit.

2014 shapes as a tough season for Wests Tigers. The draw alone has its challenges. A lot will rest on how some of our younger players respond in their second full season. The likes of Robbie Farah, Aaron Woods, Keith Galloway, Liam Fulton, Braith Anasta and Adam Blair will need a supporting cast if we're to succeed in 2014. The hope has to be that the likes of David Nofoaluma, James Tedesco, Tim Simona and Sauaso Sue can continue to develop at the rate of last season. I don't believe we can rely on the more structured halves set up we will inherit with Luke Brooks and Anasta. Sure, there will be benefits in having a more structured and predictable halves pairing (minus Benji). That Dynamic edge though that Marshall provided will hurt.

It would be fair to suggest though that Tigers, along with the Eels and Dragons face massive challenges in 2014 in order to succeed. It's not impossible though.

Some further thoughts on today's NRL Draw

The 2014 NRL draw released today made for decent reading for Wests Tigers fans. Three scheduled Sunday afternoon fixtures at Leichhardt Oval was clearly the highlight. Not one fixture last season was scheduled for the timeslot, bewildering many fans and players alike. Outside of this, the other potential advantage appears to be match ups with Souths, Brisbane and Penrith where origin players will be missing. The Tigers will also play a Manly side two days after an Origin fixture.

Thankfully, so far the Tigers have avoided the usual raft of Monday Night Football fixtures. Only one has been scheduled. April 24 v Eels. This is a win for the fans. Most cannot stand the grind of waiting till Monday night.

Now for the negatives. The big one appears to be the month of August. At a crucial point of the season the Tigers will have face up to a horror stretch which sees them at home to both Melboune and the Roosters, whilst travelling to face the Cowboys, Bulldogs and Raiders. This month looms as a black cloud over their season. This could in all reality be where the season slips away. The good news to this is that the horror stretch may allow our young squad to further develop in the rounds before. I'd rather face this stretch in August than in March.

All in all though, I think the draw has played out pretty well for the club. We should have every chance of heading in the right direction this season. Can we make the 8? Let's just see how it goes..........

Wests Tigers 2014 NRL Draw; Early predictions

The 2014 NRL schedule was released in close to precision time this morning by the NRL. The 2014 schedule is now live and fans will no doubt begin playing out in their heads how the season will unfold. Some of the key points to come from Wests Tigers schedule include:

- 3 Sunday afternoon games at spiritual home Leichhardt Oval; v Manly, Gold Coast, Penrith.

-  A Rd 11 match up with Brisbane at Campbelltown Stadium which will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the inaugural fixture back in 2000.

- Wests Tigers will play 6 Sydney clubs twice in 2014, St George Illawarra, Canterbury, Manly, Sydney Roosters, Souths and Cronulla.

- Wests Tigers have byes in Rd 12 and Rd 15.


CICK HERE FOR FULL SCHEDULE - http://www.weststigers.com.au/news-display/2014-NRL-draw-released/88262

Month by Month break down;

MARCH -  v Dragons (A), Titans (A),  Souths (H), Warriors (A)

March starts us off with a very winnable fixture away to the rebuilding Dragons, followed by a tricky and likely warm fixture on the Gold Coast. Round 3 gives us our first home game against fellow ANZ tenants Souths before rounding off the month in Wellington, NZ and a meeting with the Warriors.

Early Predictions: Tigers 1-3: Tigers win the opener before a tight loss to the Titans. Tigers then prove no match for Souths before struggling to go with the Warriors.

APRIL - v Manly (H), Nth Qld (H), Parramatta (A),  Titans (H)

April starts with our first Leichhardt fixture v Manly on a Sunday arvo. It will be tough! Following that the Tigers venture to their other home, Campbelltown Stadium, to play the Cowboys. Following that a meeting with battling Parramatta before rounding out the month at Leichhardt once more and a second meeting with the Titans in 7 weeks.

Early Prediction: Tigers 4-4 (3-1 for April) : April proves happier for the Tigers with a tight loss to the Eagles before again out smarting the Cowboys for a much needed win. Further wins versus the struggling Eels and a Titans side unable to finish the Tigers off on the road improve fortunes for the season.

MAY - Roosters (A),  Cronulla (A), Brisbane (H), BYE

May starts in daunting fashion away to  the rising premiers the Roosters. Following that the first of two grudge matches versus the Sharks, this one at Remondis Stadium. Round 11 sees us host a likely Origin affected Broncos side at Campbelltown stadium before ending the month with a BYE.

Early Prediction: Tigers 5-6 (1-2 for May): May sees the Tigers slip back under .500 on the win/loss ratio. The Roosters prove too powerful and the experience of the Sharks sees them grab the home win. The Tigers do score a May win against a rudderless Broncos outfit hurt by Origin,

JUNE -  Newcastle (A), Souths (A), BYE,  Canberra (H)

June starts with a tough away trip to the Hunter and the Knights on a Sunday afternoon. Following that Origin 2 is likely to rob Souths of some Stars when we visit on a Friday night prior to Origin 2. After that Wests Tigers get their second bye before ending the month at home to the Raiders.

Early Prediction: 7-7 (2-1 for June): The Tigers go 2-1 for June, starting with a surprise victory in the Hunter. Souths though remind the Tigers of their place with a comfortable win. Following the BYE though the Tigers get back to winning ways with a tight win out at Campbelltown versus the Raiders.

JULY -  Penrith (H), Manly (A), Canterbury (H), Dragons (H)

July appears a crucial month for the Tigers. 3 winnable games at home and a tough road trip to Brookie. We play the Panthers leading into Origin and any Origin reps will have little time for recovery when we travel to Manly just 2 days later. Home clashes with the Bulldogs and Dragons follow.

Early Prediction: 9-9 (2-2 for July) I'm going safe here, 2-2. We knock off the Panthers at home before struggling to wear down the Eagles at fortress Brookie. We fair little better a week later versus the Bulldogs but restore order with a tight win versus the Dragons.

AUGUST -  Melbourne (H),  Nth Qld (A), Roosters (H), Bulldogs (A), Canberra (A),

August shapes as REAL difficult. Could make or break our season. Our home games v Storm, Roosters are tough. Our away games not much easier. We'll need to be at our best if we're to win any of these games.

Early Prediction: 10-13 (1-4 for August); August all but ends our finals hopes. It's a horror month. We push the Storm  at home before being outdone by a JT masterclass in Townsville. The Roosters a week later only adds to the bad month before keeping our slim hopes alive with a win versus the Bulldogs. Canberra though make it almost impossible for the Tigers when they snag the home win.

SEPTEMBER - Cronulla (H)

The Tigers finish the season strongly with a home win versus the Sharks. This improves their record to 11-13 for the season. However, 26 pts will not make the 8.