Coach Ivan Cleary’s roster management is the reason for Tigers form surge

BULLDOGS coach Des Hasler should pick up the phone and give Wests Tigers counterpart Ivan Cleary a quick call for a chat about turning teams around.

Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary looks on during a training session.

BULLDOGS coach Des Hasler should pick up the phone and give Wests Tigers counterpart Ivan Cleary a quick call.

Cleary and the Tigers are proving what life can be like at an NRL club once players’ futures and overall rosters are sorted after months of uncertainty.

Canterbury and Hasler have been bogged down by speculation and whispers all season, and things will only get worse as they try to become salary cap compliant for 2018.

As painful as it was to lose Tigers skipper Aaron Woods to the Dogs and superstar No. 1 James Tedesco to the Roosters — as well as Mitchell Moses who “downed tools and bailed” mid-season to join Parramatta — Cleary said the on-field efforts of late had reflected a club that was finally settled.

After coming from behind to upstage Manly at Fortress Leichhardt last Sunday, the Tigers are not without hope of claiming another premiership scalp on Saturday evening against the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium.

PEATS: We love King Henry

HUNTER: Rebuilding Newcastle’s kingdom

Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary looks on during a training session.

They will do so without Chris Lawrence who has suffered a pec injury.

“There was a period there where there was a lot of uncertainty for a lot of people, and that’s hard,’’ Cleary said.

“In terms of recruitment, apart from Benji (Marshall), we haven’t done a lot of late.

“When I first got here, I was doing something in recruitment every day, just being out there looking and talking to players, and working out who we would keep.

“Some of the biggest names on our roster decided to move on, and another one decided to put the tools down and bailed.

“We’re a bit more settled on the field now.’’

The Tigers have won three of their last eight games, but it was only a late try that denied them against Cronulla and a late field goal against Parramatta. A couple of dud calls at crucial times also cruelled chances of victory against the Gold Coast at Campbelltown and Manly at Brookvale.

“We’ve definitely been competitive each week, we’re still trying to get a good 80 minutes out to win those close games, and we’ve just been overrun a couple of times by teams who do it better,’’ Cleary said.

LISTEN! Buzz Rothfield and David Riccio join Fiona Bollen to comb through all the biggest NRL stories, plus Buzz declares this weekend boasts the game of the year.

Tedesco will be pumped for a big game against his future employer, with Cleary knowing it will be ‘’almost impossible’’ to replace him next year.

In light of Canterbury’s cap problems, Cleary was also not holding out hope for Woods being cut loose and getting the chance to remain at his childhood club.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Aaron, but that subject has never been broached, and I’d imagine Aaron would be one of the last blokes they’ll try to let go,’’ Cleary said.