The trial match tackle that told Ivan Cleary the Wests Tigers are now united

AFTER six years of backstabbing and constant turmoil, Ivan Cleary has pinpointed one trial match tackle that highlights why Wests Tigers fans should be excited heading into 2018.

cleary tigers hopeful season winning

THEY always tell us, don’t get carried away with NRL trial match performances.

But on stage at the Wests Tigers season launch this week, Ivan Cleary spoke of one particular pre-season tackle.

After six years of back-stabbing and constant turmoil at the club, this was Cleary’s highlight heading into the 2018 season.

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A moment that displayed camaraderie and commitment among the players.

In his understated way, Cleary mentioned a tackle that occurred midway through the second half in last week’s loss to Cronulla.

At that point the Tigers were trailing 20-6 when Ben Matulino zoned in on Matt Prior and forced the turnover.

Cleary made out he didn’t recall who made the tackle.

Matulino is one of the Tigers most important purchases.

Don’t worry, the coach would have known exactly that it was Matulino who made the hit.

Just as it was Matulino who came up with a first tackle error after the Tigers’ previous try that led to his team defending three straight sets on their tryline.

To everyone else looking on, this moment would not have rated a mention post-match.

But Cleary said what stuck in his mind was how players came rushing from everywhere to congratulate the defence.

Little moments like these are what he has been working towards since he took charge at the club.

You can see the embarrassment on Cleary’s face every time someone mentions that “on the bus” remark he made last year.

But as much as the reference makes him cringe, Matulino’s hit, and just as importantly the subsequent reaction from players, was in every essence exactly what being “on the bus” is all about.

“To be successful, especially in this competition, everyone needs talented players,” Cleary explained.

“But it is amazing what you can get going with a team that all works together.”

From the moment Cleary walked through the door last year that has been his prime motivation, to bring this playing group back together.

And it hasn’t been easy.

There was the decision last year from James Tedesco and Aaron Woods to walk away, while Mitchell Moses had a contract pulled.

At the time Cleary made no apologises but plenty, including me, questioned why he wouldn’t fight harder to keep a player with Moses’s talent at the club.

The Tigers have been emboirled in turmoil for some time.

Cleary obviously had his reasons.

He saw what was going on behind closed doors.

For six straight seasons the joint was an ongoing joke, overrun by constant bitching among the playing group that ultimately led to the sacking of Tim Sheens, Mick Potter and Jason Taylor.

Cleary could see what needed to change, and he had the experience to put in place a system that had worked for him at the Warriors and Penrith.

It included making tough decisions.

Afer losing Woods, Cleary brought in Matulino and Russell Packer who he coached previously at the Warriors in almost a two-for-one deal, along with Josh Reynolds and Chris McQueen who have their own point to prove.

But when the squad was standing on stage at the season launch what stood out most was not any one player, but the entire group as one.

“This is my 12th year in coaching and I have only ever had this type of situation, trying to build a team I guess from the bottom,” Cleary said.

“So I have experience and I have seen what works and what doesn’t.

“And I know one thing, if you can get a team to bond together you are going to get results.”

Cleary won’t make any bold predictions about where the Tigers will finish in 2018.

And while the Tigers don’t want to use it as an excuse, they have by everyone’s estimation the toughest start of any team.

Kicking off against premiership favourites the Sydney Roosters next Saturday night, they meet reigning premiers Melbourne in round two followed by Brisbane, Parramatta and Melbourne again in round five.

Have things finally changed at Wests Tigers?

That’s the entire top four teams from last year, including the premiers twice.

It could break their season before it gets started.

But will it break the group is the real question.

“We are very new as a team,” Cleary said.

“We are starting a different style of culture.

“It is going to take a bit of time and it will get really tested in games.

“I guess there are more questions than answers at the moment.

“We all know where we want to end up.

“You get up every day, you know where you want to end up.

“The thing for us right now is because we are so new we just have to focus on picking off some small milestone, build some momentum and the whole thing comes together.”

Moments like Matulino’s tackle is just the starting point.

Originally published as The trial match tackle that told Ivan Cleary the Wests Tigers are now united