Wests Tigers fan Richard Baini predicted three years’ ago his team will win the 2016 premiership

They’ve had troubles off the pitch, and dropped a should-win game against the Gold Coast, but Wests Tigers fans believe 2016 is the year of the Tiger.

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Wests Tigers fans haven’t had a whole heap to cheer about since winning the premiership in 2005, something lifetime fan Richard Baini knows all too well.

They’ve had 11 years of watching a talented team play well in patches, and then fall just a little short.

In 2015, the side narrowly missed out on the wooden spoon and fans started to grow weary of hearing coach Jason Taylor talk about his side needing to be more consistent.

But with two wins, from three starts, under their belt, Wests Tigers fans are suddenly remembering what it is to love watching football, and starting to look all the way to October.

Fans have had more to cheer about in 2016 than in recent years. Photo: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

They’re starting to talk about premierships. They’re quietly hoping the boardroom chatter does not affect another season.

“Success off the field is pretty linked to success on the field,” Mr Baini said.

“The off-field stuff is annoying, and I envy the prominent teams who have these cashflows and backers.

“We’ve got some big name supporters like Dawn Fraser and Harry Triguboff who are huge supporters of the club, but it’d be good to see them contributing financially

“Us battlers are asked to buy memberships each year, but that’s small potatoes compared to the sort of money Balmain need.

“The positive is that this is the happiest I’ve seen the Tigers in years, on the field, so as long as they don’t let that off-field stuff get to them we should be OK.”

Fans, like Strathfield realtor Mr Baini, are confident that the Wests Tigers will actually be more than OK in 2016, and plenty are saying that this year will be the year of the tiger.

Mr Baini will tell anyone who cares to listen that the Tigers have what it takes to make it in 2016, and it seems like he may have also been the first one to call it.

A tweet by Mr Baini in 2013 about Wests Tigers form has the hashtag #2016premiers.

Mr Baini says he is as confident now as he was three years ago about the Tiges picking up silverware in October.

Before the season kicked off, Sportsbet had the Wests Tigers at $101 to win the premiership.

This has since narrowed to around the $26 mark.

THE MAKING OF A TIGERS’ FAN

Richard Baini’s mum’s family were Balmain supporters and his dad followed Wests, and when the teams merged and then won the premiership in 2005 it was one of the best day’s of his life.

“I was born into being a Tiger,” Mr Baini said.

“Dad was from Melbourne originally but mum was a Sydney girl, and her whole family followed Balmain, so it’s in my blood.

“Some of her family even worked at the Balmain Leagues club in the ‘60s and 70s, so it was never going to be any other way.”

Mr Baini grew up around Strathfield, went to St Pats, and the 41-year-old says he’s been a Tigers supporter all his life.

Richard Baini took to Twitter in 2013 to call 2016 as the year his team would win.

“My dad ended up following Wests Magpies, so when the two sides merged that was perfect,” he said.

“I’m such a Tigers supporter that on the day I got married, in 2006, we had the photographer take photos of us at Leichhardt Oval.

“My wife’s not hugely keen on footy, but she had the bridesmaids in a sort of rusty tiger colour, so kept in with the theme.”

Since the premiership in 2005, Mr Baini says it’s been a few hard years of watching his beloved team, with not much to cheer about.

“I’ve been nervous for years watching, he said.

“But this year we’re different, this year we could win it.”

“The thing about the Tigers is we’ve always had the best juniors, but then with the salary cap and so forth, we lose them.

“But at the moment, we’ve got Woodsy, Siro, Teddy, Mitch Moses, and we’re looking fantastic.

“If we hold onto that base, we’ve got a great team for the next eight to 10 years.

“We can probably pick up a couple of premierships in that time.”

Mr Baini said that while in the past the side has had a solid 17 players, once injuries or suspensions occur the team would fall apart.

“Now, we have a best 21 or 22, and they are all up to the same standard.”

● Wests Tigers will take on the Eels on Easter Monday at ANZ Stadium, from 4pm

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