The Tigers are hellbent on ending the longest finals drought in the NRL

It’s the finals record that makes Tigers players weep and Michael Maguire’s men own the top five places on the list. Emotional players are ‘over it’.

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Reaching the NRL finals series for the first time in his career is enough to bring Wests Tigers winger David Nofoaluma to tears.

But Nofoaluma isn’t the only player at Concord desperate to break a finals drought.

Michael Maguire’s Tigers own the top five spots on the list of the longest NRL finals drought in the competition.

Ben Matulino (162), Elijah Taylor (152), Chris Lawrence (139), Robbie Farah (133) and Luke Brooks (129) lead the way for most games without a finals appearance.

Nofoaluma, who debuted in 2013, is ninth on the list with 117 games.

Brooks has played the most matches of any current NRL player who has never featured in a final.

It’s a record not lost on Nofoaluma and the reason he was almost brought to tears last weekend against Newcastle — when he scored a career-first hat trick.

“It’s seven years now that I haven’t played finals footy and this time of the year I tend to get a bit emotional because how badly I want to be in the finals,” he said.

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David Nofoaluma just wants to play in a finals series. Picture. Phil Hillyard

“When I knew we had a chance to be there and what was at stake with the ladder, I got emotional.”

Nofoaluma told The Daily Telegraph he’s less likely to contain his emotions if the Tigers, currently ninth on the ladder, are still alive come September.

“I think I’d get even more emotional if we were actually in the finals,” he said.

“I like to play with a lot of heart in these games leading into the finals... if we made the finals there would definitely be tears.”

The Campbelltown junior also admitted he is becoming increasingly impatient with having to watch other sides compete on the biggest stage from the sideline.

“I’m over it. I’m at the stage in my career where I want to be a part of the finals,” he said.

“I see the emotion that other players and teams, like when the Sharks won for the first time in 2016, get from achieving something that’s very hard to do like winning a tile.”

It’s a similar story for Balmain local junior Brooks, whose career started with a debut match in 2013 where he was likened to Immortal Andrew Johns.

But despite his potential Brooks hasn’t made a finals appearance in 129 games - the longest drought of any current player.

Luke Brooks hasn’t played a finals match in 129 games.

“I am pretty desperate but not just me, there are few guys that haven’t played finals footy before and that’s what we want to do, we want to win grand finals and the only way to do that is to play finals footy. We’re pretty desperate to make it this year,” Brooks said.

“You just want to be out there and you see how good the games are and you see the elation when teams win, you want to feel that.”

Utility forward Elijah Taylor was unaware of Brooks’ finals drought but said the playmaker’s form was deserving of a chance to be part of the action in September.

“I didn’t realise that about Brooksy. But he’s in great form and his kicking game has been really good this year. He deserves it for sure. It’s a motivation for all of us,” he said.

While the Tigers still have St George Illawarra to overcome this Sunday at the SCG, round 25’s clash against Cronulla at Leichhardt Oval could be the difference between Mad Monday celebrations and a finals berth.

Tigers players celebrate one of David Nofoaluma’s tries against the Knights.

It’s a similar prospect to 2016 when a win against Canberra in round 26 would have secured eighth spot on the ladder. Instead the Tigers were humiliated 52-10.

“They put us to shame in that game,” Taylor said.

“That Canberra game, we had been playing a good attacking brand of football all season. But we came up against a Raiders team that was on fire with a big pack … but we’ve learned from that.”

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Longest finals droughts

Ben Matulino (Tigers) 162 games - last final in 2011

Elijah Taylor (Tigers) 152 games - last final in 2011

Chris Lawrence (Tigers) 139 games - last final in 2011

Robbie Farah (Tigers) 133 games - last final in 2011

Luke Brooks (Tigers) 129 games - never played finals

Sauaso Sue (Bulldogs) 127 games - never played finals

Anthony Don (Titans) 127 games - never played finals

William Hopoate (Bulldogs) 123 games - last final in 2011

David Nofoaluma (Tigers) 117 games - never played finals

Sione Mata’utia (Knights) 110 games - never played finals

Courtesy of Fox Sports Labs.

Originally published as The Tigers are hellbent on ending the longest finals drought in the NRL