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What Are The Real Problems Holding The Wests Tigers Back?
As I watched the Canberra Raiders absolutely thrash Wests Tigers on Saturday I started to things about the clubs recent history and how that would effect the decisions made about the future direction of the club. Having won just 2 of their 8 games so far this season, the Tigers at times have shown glimpses of a side that may be heading in the right direction, only for everything to fall apart and…
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The Wests Tigers Are Going To Sack Michael Potter
The Wests Tigers Are Going To Sack Michael Potter
News Limited is reporting that the Wests Tigers have have decided to sack Mick Potter. He will either be sacked this week or the club will wait until the end of the season.
As is always the case at the Wests Tigers, player power and a flakey board is once again said to be the catalyst for the demise of their coach.
That the club employed Brian Smith to review the clubs operations says a lot.…
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Mick Potter's Future Uncertain As Wests Tigers Face Missing The Finals
Mick Potter’s Future Uncertain As Wests Tigers Face Missing The Finals
News Limited is reporting that Wests Tigers coach Mick Potter has not yet signed a contract to remain as the Wests Tigers coach beyond 2014 and that his future remains uncertain.
With the Tigers at long odds to make the finals this year, and with turmoil at board level at the club, Potter could find himself without a coaching job next season.
It was only a matter of a few weeks ago that Potter…
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Dear Tigers board, don’t sack Potter this year.
Imagine rocking up to the church on your wedding day and you’ve had no say in it at all. You’ve never met the bride (albeit you may have noticed her from a distance), the groomsman are strangers and there’s a bloke poking a gun in your back to make sure you go through with it.
This is kind of like the situation that Wests coach Mick Potter walked into this year when he assumed the head coaching position at the club. After a horrible year, he was picked to replace a head coach who the club couldn’t even sack.
He walked into a club in pre-season (which is late by recruitment standards), got absolutely no say in the 2013 roster (the bride - which included a host of flop signings like Braith Anasta and Eddie Pettybourne) and didn’t even get to decide who would be his assistances (groomsman) in his first crack at coaching in the NRL.
The shotgun? Don’t underestimate how small his deal is to be in the role for the next two years. Ignoring the fact that sports people get good cash, Potter is on the smallest salary for a head coach in the whole league and the club knew he would have to take it, being desperate to prove his credentials in the NRL.
To make matters worst, that man Sheens was hanging around like a bad smell. With a contract too large to terminate, and a shadow of ten years of culture built into the organization, his imprint has perhaps the biggest unspoken disruption to the club in 2013.
Throw in injuries, player-contracting sagas, ageing superstars and Adam Blair and it’s easy to see why Potter has not had the best year as coach. It’s been a bad year for the club as a whole, but does he really deserve to lose his job next year?
I didn’t know a lot about Potter before he took the reigns, but believe that he isn’t to blame for the train wreck that has been 2013. Is he to blame for Benji’s ineptness? Is he to blame for the long-term injuries to the teams regular first-graders?
This week the Tigers announced that the contracts of three members of the coaching staff would not be renewed for 2014. This is widely believed to be defensive coach Royce Simmons (the Tigers have a defensive coach I hear you say?), Steve Georgallis and rehabilitation manager Andrew Leeds.
Some may see this announcement as the writing on the wall for a fresh coaching staff to be implemented in 2014, which would not include Potter, but I disagree. The right option is to instill faith in Potter and allow him to find his own staff to fill the vacancies.
The roster changes are coming. Already the Tigers have offloaded dead weight in Blake Ayshford, a player who has grown tired at Wests, and Benji Marshall. The signs for next year are that we’ll have a mix of youthful backs (Blake Austin, Luke Brooks, Nofoaluma, Simona, Korebeite) and experienced forwards (Galloway, Halatau, Fulton, Cory Paterson, Farah)which is really exciting for those around the club.
With a fresh roster, Potter will finally have the chance to make his impression on the squad, taking them in the direction that he believes will lead to success. With his own assistance, he can start to truly implement his own systems – systems that have been successful enough to see him named Super League coach of the year twice in the UK.
Tigers board; I implore you to keep the faith. We understand that the ultimate measure of success of wins, but you cannot blame this train wreck on Potter. You need to ride this out, and put trust in whatever it is that you saw in him in the first place to be convinced that he was your man.
And if you do sack him, just not Barrett or Walters please, or I’m out.
Benching Benji
As a passionate Wests Tigers member and fan of the game, I felt quite numb when the team list came out and Benji Marshall had been named on the bench. While I am a fan of Mick Potter and feel he is doing his best with the injuries dealt to the team, benching one of the greatest players in the game is not the solution. I’m sure Potter has his reasons, but from the perspective of the fans, it feels ridiculous.
Although the Wests Tigers are currently sitting at the bottom of the ladder, there is still potential as well as plenty of time left to perform and make the top 8. With one of the worst injury lists in years, it is only fair that the team is struggling to find form due to the constant change in positions and shifting of the team.
Tonight, the Wests Tigers take on the top of the table South Sydney Rabbitohs. If I can say one thing to the Wests Tigers team, it would be to go out and play hard. No one expects them to win. No one thinks they’ll be competitive. This is where the Tigers take the underdog approach and thrive.
To Benji Marshall. We all know you have the ability, talent, skill and vision to lead this team to another premiership, whether you are in the starting line up or off the bench. Back yourself, run with the ball. Stop worrying about what people are going to say and trust that your decisions are right! We all miss the razzle dazzle football and elements of Marshall Magic that would plague our televisions on Sunday afternoons. There is no doubt that you have grown as a footballer and matured into someone who has vision not many other players have. But its time to be selfish and play YOUR game.
IN BENJ, WE TRUST.
When Benji and Robbie play well, the team will follow.
To the Wests Tigers team. The fans still believe and are passionate. Play hard tonight and play for each other.
#itsmylife
