Wests Tigers Podcast

The Wests Tigers Podcast is giving you a very rare opportunity - a chance to have your say on the future of the club. This bonus edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast features Joel Helmes and Steve Stretton discussing a new petition we've just launched. The online petition is calling for a thorough, exhaustive review of the Wests Tigers organization by an external consultancy or expert(s). We want the board and senior management to be put under the microscope to see what might be going wrong, and if there are improvements that can be made. Why are we doing this? Well, we, like almost all Wests Tigers fans, have simply had enough.  Year after year we experience a management that chops and changes strategies, and rarely consistently backs even their own decisions.  The management of the Wests Tigers appears to be struggling to properly implement its own strategies when it does create them. And the end result is a football team that consistently struggles, and looks set to struggle again in 2024 (at least). Please, if you feel frustrated at what's going on at the club, take a minute to please sign our petition (and maybe share it on your socials). If/when we get a significant number of signatures we will be taking this directly to Wests Tigers management and asking questions. But, we 100% need your support in this!   You can find the Wests Tigers Review Petition by following this link. Thank you, from Joel, Eddie, Steve, Declan, and Garry (Wests Tigers Podcast). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Wests Tigers organization, especially the administration, is now (again) under the rugby league microscope. But this time it feels different, it feels more like the fans have flat-out had enough.  After another performance that can only be described as appalling, we get to have our say on what the issues are with this club.  And what we have to say might not go down too well in Concord.  Joel Helmes, Garry Watson, Steve Stretton, and Eddie Otto share their thoughts and frustrations with the ongoing dysfunction within Wests Tigers.  We call on Justin Pascoe and Lee Hagipantelis to either quit or be removed from their positions. We want a thorough review of the whole organization to be conducted. And we take a look at other aspects of the club that need serious attention, including whether in fact Wests Ashfield actually cares about the Wests Tigers franchise. There’s also opinion from our loyal members of the Wests Tigers Podcast Forum.  And we discuss the latest reports from an unnamed source in the SMH saying Benji Marshall will take over as coach next year - but Tim Sheens will still be called the Head Coach (no, weren’t not making this up!).  Join us for an emotional and from-the-heart edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Wests Tigers are back in action this weekend with a tough road trip to face the Cowboys. On this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast, Eddie Otto is joined by Steve Stretton and Garry Watson for a look at our chances in that match. The Tigers are struggling again, and are missing key personnel including Api Korisau and Luke Brooks. So, is there a chance? The guys give their opinions on the Round 18 match. Speaking of Luke Brooks, the outgoing Wests Tigers five-eight/halfback has broken his silence on his departure from the club. Eddie, Garry and Steve have their say on some of the interesting revelations  Brooks has made about his impending 2024 switch to Manly. On the same topic, what is going on with our recruitment? At this stage it appears to have completely stalled.  So, with no 2024 signings locked in (as far as we are aware), should we be starting to hit the panic button? Is the retired Michael Morgan a realistic option? Is the reported dysfunction within the admin of the club costing us recruits? And has Scott Fulton's recruitment into the club been a failure? The boys have their say on all that. There's details too on tomorrow's Ambush event at Wests Ashfield, and Yioti's Quiz! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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After a week of reports and rumours, finally we know what is happening with Wests Tigers veteran, Luke Brooks. It was announced yesterday that the long-serving halfback/five-eight was making the shift across the Spit Bridge to Manly. Brooks has signed a four-year deal with the Sea Eagles and is taking Wests Tigers teammate Tommy Talau with him. On this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast, Joel Helmes, Eddie Otto, Declan McCutcheon, and Garry Watson all get to have their say on the move by Luke Brooks. Is it a good day for the Tigers? Is the chance now to move on with someone new better than sticking with a guy that probably just hasn't consistently met his potential at our club? Is it a good move for the player? And, of course, what does this mean for Wests Tigers halves in 2024 and beyond? We give our one-word assessment of the Luke Brooks decade at the club and invited members of the Wests Tigers Podcast Forum to also contribute to that as well. We also discuss the rumoured signing of a young Manly star in return - Latu Fainu, as well as his brother, backrower Samuela Fainu. There's also a look at whether the Brooks signing might mean Josh Schuster also becomes a free agent, and whether he is someone we should be chasing. And we touch on the rumours that Benji Marshall is unhappy and apparently isn't too keen on taking over as Wests Tigers coach in 2025. Fingers crossed the next edition of the pod actually has some signing news that features a player coming our way, in the meantime, please enjoy this big edition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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On another special addition of the Wests Tigers Podcast Garry is joined by Kris Gale, a Wests Tigers Tragic and host of the popular Rugby League Podcast “Fire Up!”. Kris Gale has been a Wests Tigers player sponsor since 2004 and has recently become a Wests Tigers Foundation 13 member. Like his Fire Up! co-host Stephen Ferris, he has a background in music including running an independent label, Risky Records, and establishing Hey Now!, a successful Sydney electro DJ crew, whose most well-known alumni is multiple ARIA nominee, Hayden James. Kris is a commentator for Australia's best-known pro wrestling promotion, Pro Wrestling Australia. In addition to Fire Up!, Kris co-hosted a rugby league show, The Back Row, on Triple M in 2017 and a sports variety show, Weekend Legends, on Triple M in 2018/19. The boys use the bye week to take a deep dive into season 2023 thus far. Topics include:

• The offseason player changes
• Has the new coaching regime been a success?
• The emergence of young players Jahream Bula and Tallyn Da Silva
• The controversial moments such as the release of Joe Ofahengaue and Luke Brooks rejection of the Wests Tigers
• What the future may hold for the Wests Tigers

Join us as Kris Gale brings his irreverent take on Rugby League to the Wests Tigers Podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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A special edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast - today we bring you an interview with a key member of Wests Tiger admin, Matthew Betsey. Matthew is the Head of Pathways at Wests Tigers, a role that sees the former Cricket Australia Coaching and Development Manager overseeing our club's pathways and junior development - taking youngsters and helping them achieve their NRL dreams. Appointed to the role a little over a year ago, Matthew has been implementing a number of changes in the way the club nurtures and develops young talent. Interviewed by our own Garry Watson at the Ambush event preceding the match against the Storm on Saturday evening, some of the topics covered in this interview include:

• What does it mean to be a 'Development Club'?
• What are some of the main challenges facing the club in this space?
• How do we compare to other NRL clubs in terms of junior development and pathways?
• What will the Player Academy/Centre of Excellence in Campbelltown bring?

Don't miss this chat with one of the key people charged with trying to help us improve as a club and as an NRL team! To get involved in the Ambush, follow the group on Facebook. And don't forget to have your say on the club's pathways and player development on the Wests Tigers Podcast Forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wests-tigers-podcast--6660380/support.

Another round of NRL has passed by and again the Wests Tigers are on the wrong side of the win/loss sheet. This time the Tigers ran into a State of Origin-weakened Melbourne team, and despite playing with effort (mostly) the Storm wasn't really ever pushed to the limit by our guys. On this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast, Joel Helmes and Garry Watson take a look back at the positives and negatives of that game. Some of the key talking points:

• Our continued inability to score points
• The Alex Twal try (at last!)
• The debut of young hooker, Tallyn Da Silva
• The season-best game from Isaiah Papalli
• The continued development of Jahream Bula

Garry also talks about the Ambush event that was held just before Saturday night's game at Campbelltown Stadium. That event featured a special guest, Wests Tigers Head of Pathways, Matthew Betsey. Stay tuned for the audio recording of Garry's interview with this very important player in the development of our next-generation stars. And Garry also has details on another special edition episode of the podcast that will drop later this week. More heartache, frustration, and just good-old disappointment for Wests Tigers fans, however, we hope this post-match edition of the podcast is enjoyed by you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Wests Tigers can put last week's frustration and disappointment to the side with a win over the Storm this weekend. Melbourne, weakened by State of Origin, could be ripe for a loss, that's despite the Storm cleaning up the Sharks last round. On this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast, Eddie Otto and Garry Watson preview that clash with the Storm. Luke Brooks is again on the agenda, this time with a chat about the Cowboys knocking back any prospect of the Tigers junior heading north. Is this just a manager trying to up his client's price? Is there a chance Brooks will stay with the Tigers, despite already rejecting our contract offer? Garry gets to have his say on the appointment of Scott Fulton and the possible dysfunction occurring in the club's senior management. Listener feedback features too with lots of comments and questions from the Wests Tigers Podcast Forum. There's also a discussion around a story that broke yesterday afternoon about the potential upgrade of Leichhardt Oval. Digital images showing a rebuilt main stand, a new Northern stand, and updated terraces have been released by the Inner West Council. The only thing needed now is funding commitments, about $100 million dollars worth! The boys look at the proposal and discuss whether this is the right thing for the ground and the club. Eddie and Garry also discuss the potential debut of young hooker, Tallyn Da Silva and the selection of Stefano Utoikamanu in State of Origin. There's also a preview of the next Ambush event on this weekend ahead of the Melbourne Storm clash at Campbelltown. And don't miss Yioti's Quiz!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The hope Wests Tigers fans started to feel a month back is quickly turning into more frustration and angst. Last Thursday night on the Gold Coast was a bleak outing for our club, a meek performance and injuries to key spine players made it an experience most of us would be glad to forget. Then, on that tale end of all that, it appears our administration is again up to their regular hijinks with reports even Tim Sheens might have had enough. One person that looks set to find the exit is Luke Brooks. On this edition of the podcast, Eddie Otto is joined by Joel Helmes and Declan McCutcheon to discuss all the latest out of Concord. Some of the key discussion points on this pod:

• What went wrong against the Titans?
• Has that performance changed our opinion of several players?
• Are we happy that Luke Brooks might be getting out?
• Would Chad Townsend be a good fit for Wests Tigers?

While we also take a deep dive into the stories around Tim Sheens, Scott Fulton, and the Wests Tigers administration that just looks, again, like anything but a well-oiled machine. It's a tough time to be a Tiger (again), but we hope you enjoy this edition of the pod. Don't forget you can also have your say right now on the Wests Tigers Podcast Forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Wests Tigers haven't had to wait too long to make up for last Friday's loss to the Raiders. It's now just two more sleeps until the side is back in action, this time taking on another team that has had the wood on us in recent years - the Gold Coast Titans.  On this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast, Eddie Otto remains in the mid-week hosts chair and is joined by Joel Helmes and Garry Watson. On the agenda is a final look back at the adjudicating that we were exposed to in last Friday's match. Joel gets to have his say around the controversial decisions made by the Bunker and on-field referee. While Garry comes up with a very clever system that could curtail some future Bunker clangers, and make the game a more enjoyable experience for fans. There's a discussion around the report that Luke Brooks is set to re-sign with the Wests Tigers for another two seasons. Eddie, Garry, and Joel look at whether this is a good deal for the club. There are also reports that the roster clean-out will continue with Shawn Blore, David Nofoaluma, and Jake Simpkin all told they are free to look elsewhere. The boys try to answer the question - are we better placed heading into 2024 than we were at this stage last year? There's a preview of the Titans game and a look at the possible debut of young gun, Tallyn Da Silva. Hit play or download this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast for some feedback from the Wests Tigers Podcast Forum. And find out who triumphs in the latest edition of Yioti's Quiz!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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