Set Of Six: The Questions That Matter for the Tigers ..... By Steve Orme Updated approx 4pm 18/11/2014. The NRL pre-season is in full swing and every club will tell you theyve never been fitter/stronger/faster. Forget that crap - we want the big questions answered. Wests Tigers feature in todays Set of 6 series. Club: Wests Tigers Last year: 13th 1.Can skipper Robbie Farah and CEO Grant Mayer settle their differences and play nice? A: Neither covered themselves in glory over the Mick Potter coaching debacle at the end of last season and they fell out badly. If Farah and Mayer cant at least pretend to get along their rift has the potential to derail the Tigers season – again. 2. Is new coach Jason Taylor the right man for the job? A: His tenure as South Sydney head coach ended in tears in 2009 but after five years at the Roosters, first as Under 20s coach and then as assistant to Trent Robinson, Taylor deserves another crack as an NRL head coach. The former half-back should be able to get the best out of young prodigies Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses and he has seen first-hand what it takes to win a premiership as Robinsons right-hand man at the Roosters. Taylor was decked by David Faalogo at the Rabbitohs mad Monday celebrations in 2009 and was subsequently sacked by the Bunnies. 3. Can Taylor win the respect of the Tigers players and will the former Rabbitohs coach attend Mad Monday celebrations? A: Whatever Farah and co claim publicly, coach Potter clearly lost the respect of the playing group and that ultimately led to his sacking. Taylors first job is to get the influential and fiery Farah on board and the rest of the players should follow. 4. Can gun full-back James Tedesco stay on the park? A: Tedescos potential is unlimited but the 21-year-old has managed just 14 games in his first three NRL seasons. He tore his ACL on debut in 2012 and was restricted to eight appearances in 2014 after suffering an ankle injury early in the season and a fractured knee cap that ended his campaign in June. 5. Are this group of kids the Tigers have been talking up for the last two years as good as they have been hyped up to be? A: Brooks, Moses, Tedesco, Curtis Sironen and Aaron Woods have all been talked about as future superstars for some time now. Woods has played for NSW and Australia but its time for the other young guns to step up and deliver on their potential. 6. Can the joint-venture club finally get things right off the field? A: The Tigers have been a basket case off the field for several years now. The Wests Magpies and Balmain Tigers factions have been at war and there has even been speculation over the joint-venture clubs survival. But with a new board appointed late last season, Tigers fans will be hoping stability off the field can translate to some success on it in 2015. Major gains: Kevin Naiqama (Panthers), Josh Drinkwater (London Broncos). Major losses : Adam Blair (Broncos), Braith Anasta (retired), Cory Paterson (retired), Liam Fulton (retired), Blake Austin (Raiders), James Gavet (Broncos). Lurker Alert: Tigers CEO Grant Mayer and Robbie Farah have spent some much needed time apart after getting along like North and South Korea during the 2014 season. Mayer and Farah insist they can work together but this town may not be big enough for the two of them should there be further drama at Concord next year. Its a distraction Jason Taylor could well do without.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 07:17:19 +0000
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