NRL 2018 season review: Tigers miss finals but reason to hope

WHILE narrowly missing a finals berth, the Tigers - for all intents and purposes - had a successful season that laid the foundations for a bright future... As long as they can lock in the future of their coach.

• Farah and Marshall to play on in 2019
• Tigers end season with big loss

WHILE narrowly missing a finals berth, the Tigers - for all intents and purposes - had a successful season that laid the foundations for a bright future.

Off the back of a stunningly resilient defensive unit, the Tigers defied expectations early on against heavyweight opposition to win five of their opening six matches, conceding just 65 points in the process.

The rigours of the lengthy season proved telling, with the men from Concord falling away mid-season, before surging in the back end of the competition to finish ninth.

The Tigers depth was as strong as any roster in the NRL, proving invaluable when injuries struck throughout the year.

The Tigers were the true definition of a mixed bag in 2018.

WHERE THEY FINISHED

9th

WHAT WENT WRONG?

Talent ran deep in the Tigers squad, meaning competition for spots was healthy. Despite the value the depth added, Ivan Cleary’s inability to settle on a regular 17 hampered on-field cohesion the entire season. Cleary altered between Corey Thompson, Tui Lolohea and Moses Mbye at fullback, while the hooking rotation changed endlessly between Matt McIlwrick, Jacob Liddle, Pita Godinet and Elijah Taylor prior to Robbie Farah’s arrival. Finding rhythm in a new spine is a difficult task for any team, meaning Luke Brooks wasn’t able to develop any fluency with the men around him. The Tigers began to develop balance late in the year with the formation of a stable spine in Mbye, Brooks, Farah and Benji Marshall, meaning the attacking unit should progress in 2019 following a full pre-season together.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

Luke Brooks was billed as the game’s next big thing even before he starred on debut for the Tigers against St George Illawarra at the SCG in 2013. Brooks has always had potential, but never reached the lofty heights expected of him. While he’s not there yet, the stocky halfback made major inroads with by far his best season in the NRL to date. Brooks developed into a more complete player in 2018, leading his side on a more consistent basis. The most significant area of improvement was his goal line defence, with his willingness to put his body on the line showing vast improvement to past years.

Luke Brooks was one of the Tigers’ most-improved players in 2018. Picture: AAP

STATS THAT SUM UP THE SEASON

377 points scored. Second worst in the competition ahead of only Parramatta (374).

KEY MAIN AREA THEY NEED TO IMPROVE

The Tigers’ inability to score points is well-documented. For the second straight season they’ve been the second lowest ranked point scorers in the competition. The aforementioned interchanging of key members in the spine played a major role in their clunky attacking unit, while they lacked a genuine injection of speed in the backline for much of the season. Promisingly, they’re appear to be headed in the right direction to resolve their woes with the ball in 2019. Moses Mbye adds a slickness to the back five, while the tail end of 2018 alongside an entire preseason together will do wonders for combinations within the spine.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON

The Tigers entered their opener against the star-studded Roosters as heavy outsiders. They went on to claim a courageous 10-8 win over their Sydney rivals. The draw intensified, travelling to Melbourne in week two to face the reigning premiers. They produced one of the most memorable wins in the club’s history, with Luke Brooks crossing the stripe in the 77th minute to claim a gruelling 10-8 victory. The Tigers struggled in attack the entire season, but they’ve never lacked heart, and the tone was set in the opening two rounds of the competition.

Beating the Storm was one of the highlights of the season. Picture: Getty

LOWLIGHT OF THE SEASON

A second coming from the Tigers after a mid-season slump placed them in contention to make an unlikely charge to the top eight. Leichhardt Oval hosted a Round 23 blockbuster match-up between the reinvigorated home side and the rapidly declining St George Illawarra Dragons. While certainly not their lowliest effort of the year, a disappointing 20-10 loss to the Red V made the task to reach finals football near impossible. The Tigers’ poorest performance of 2018 came in Round 16 at the hands of Gold Coast. In front of 17,000 loyal fans at Leichhardt Oval, the Tigers fell 30-12 to the Titans in a dreadful outing.

BIG NAME RECRUITS

Paul Momirovski (Roosters)

BIG NAME LOSSES

JJ Felise, Pita Godinet (released), Tim Grant (Penrith Panthers), Tuimoala Lolohea (Leeds Rhinos), Matt McIlwrick (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Kevin Naiqama (St Helens RLFC), Sauaso Sue (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Malakai Watene-Zelezniak (released)

Paul Momirovskiis headed to the Tigers. Picture: AAP

2019: BEST POSSIBLE SCENARIO

The maturing Luke Brooks continues his progression and benefits from stability with the men around him. The Tigers make a charge into the top eight for the first time since 2011.

2019: WORST POSSIBLE SCENARIO

Ivan Cleary jumps ship during the pre-season and the incoming coach continues to tinker with the roster that finally settled in the back end of 2018. Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall struggle having played one season too many and the Tigers go back to square one resulting in their 17th missed finals campaign since their NRL inception in 2000.

COACH SAFETY RATING – 8

Provided Ivan Cleary actually wants the job, it appears his to keep. Whether or not he’s actually there to begin 2018 is still relatively unknown, but if he commits to the remainder of his contract that’s runs until 2020, he should have no major issue remaining in the role.

Originally published as NRL 2018 season review: Tigers miss finals but reason to hope