Statistics reveal Wests Tigers going backwards under Jason Taylor

PRESSURE is again building on Jason Taylor with the Wests Tigers in a worse position now then they were two years ago under former coach Mick Potter.

Robbie Farah and coach Jason Taylor during the Wests Tigers media session at Concord Oval,Concord .Picture Gregg Porteous

PRESSURE is again building on Jason Taylor with the Wests Tigers in a worse position now than they were two years ago under former coach Mick Potter.

Fox Sports Stats show that this year the Tigers have continued to go backwards with just two wins from their opening six matches.

To put that into perspective, this time last year they had managed three wins during the same period – while under ­Potter in 2014 the Tigers won four of their first six games.

Jason Taylor at training with Robbie Farah. Picture Gregg Porteous

While the Tigers started the season on fire with back-to-back wins over the Warriors and Manly, they have since lost four straight heading into Sunday’s crucial Leichhardt Oval clash against Melbourne.

When Taylor was handed the Tigers job after Potter was mercilessly punted, one of the first promises he made was that he would give his young halves Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses greater support defensively.

Taylor said last February: “The biggest thing from our perspective is the defensive structure itself. First and foremost, anyone who’s going to run onto an NRL field needs to be able to put their hand up and make their tackles.’’

Taylor’s comments were seen as a slap in the face to ­Potter. But Fox Sports Stats show Brooks and Moses are missing more tackles on average than they were at this stage last season, and the team’s overall missed-tackle count has also gone up.

Adding to the club’s woes, skipper Aaron Woods has now been ruled out for between four and six weeks with an ankle injury suffered in last Sunday’s 18-16 defeat in Newcastle.

That match ended with Taylor driving another wedge between him and his players when he accused them of “trying to play a style of footy that can’t be sustained in the NRL”.

Luke Brooks in action against Newcastle.

Understandably, some people close to the Tigers players were miffed by Taylor’s assessment, given the players had publicly credited Taylor for giving them a licence to thrill this year.

Following the round two win over Manly, centre Kevin Naiqama told Triple M: “Credit to JT, he’s sort of swallowed his pride a bit and is letting the guys play a bit of footy and it is definitely showing.”

Taylor can’t have it both ways, take credit for the changes when they were working, but then distance himself when it backfires.

The Tigers defence is letting them down. Picture Gregg Porteous

Former Tigers premiership winning captain Scott Prince also said this week on NITV’s League Nation program the signs at the club didn’t look good.

“They just need to play tough defensively but the one thing is there is a big question over Jason Taylor,” Prince said.

“I mean, the pressure is starting to build now. They have lost four on the trot and I don’t think they were ever in this game against Newcastle.”

Wests Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe stated last month after the win over Manly that Taylor’s job was safe and he had the board’s full support.

But since then the Tigers haven’t won a game.

Originally published as Statistics reveal Wests Tigers going backwards under Jason Taylor