Depths of Wests Tigers despair doing untold damage to rugby league

The depths of Wests Tigers’ problems is doing untold damage to the NRL and rugby league as a whole.

Wests Tigers hit a new low in Townsville. Ian Hitchcock/Getty

The depths of the Wests Tigers despair was laid bare with a record breaking 74-0 loss to the Cowboys.

Only twice in 115 years has a team conceded more points. Their long-suffering fans have had enough. They have watched on as the club has churned through coaches, dud recruits and broken promises. But at least their new state of the art facility at Concord has a barber shop.

It has been one calamity after another at the Tigers and who can forgive their fans from walking away. The NRL can’t afford the south-western Sydney to the inner-west catchments to be so disenfranchised with a club who have failed to play finals football since 2011. That is in a competition where before this year half the teams qualify for the top eight.

Change has to come. Chief executive Justin Pascoe has overseen it all. But all we hear is how the club is in a sound financial position and never been better off the field.

What good is that when the no.1 core function of the Wests Tigers is to win football games? Only the hapless Dragons can stop the Tigers from claiming successive wooden spoons.

Wests Tigers have gone backwards under Tim Sheens. Picture: NRL

To list all their bad decisions in recent years would take up more column inches then we have to offer. But the Tim Sheens coaching return has backfired. The free-flowing football which was promised in the off-season has failed to deliver. You could easily argue the side has got worse since Michael Maguire was axed last year.

Sheens spoke of his frustrations post-game.

“When you get beat like that, there is nothing you can say,” Sheens said. “It’s unacceptable. We’re not happy as a group.

“We have to shake it off and wear the embarrassment of it. It is embarrassing to get beat by that score. Next week is another game. We have to get through it and get on with it.”

Their best hopes rest with the new head of recruitment Scott Fulton who was ushered into the role without consulting Sheens nor incoming coach Benji Marshall. Even when the Tigers board thought they were doing something right they still created friction.

Fulton needs to strike a blow in the player market and needs to do it soon. They are without starting halves to start next season. Just think about that. The Tigers actually do not have any players in their top 30 capable of starting round one next year given Adam Doueihi will still be sidelined.

Their inept showing against the Cowboys should not be a wake-up call. That alarm should have sounded years ago.

But instead we will hear the same rhetoric about taking full responsibility. What does that even mean when there has been a decade of despair?

Sheens shot back when a reporter asked if the players had given up on him.

“That’s a stupid question, sorry mate.”

Not so silly if you are a Tigers fan.

EVERY RECORD FROM TOWNSVILLE MASSACRE

- Patrick Woods

The North Queensland Cowboys shook off any thought of their round 12 nightmare at Leichhardt Oval, reversing the ledger on West Tigers with a record-breaking 74-0 win in front of a sold-out crowd.

It was the biggest win in Cowboys history, the most points the club have ever scored in a match, their greatest first-half lead and their greatest individual points haul by one player.

The Cowboys put in their best ever first-half performance, racing in seven converted tries between the 15th minute and halftime to put the Tigers to bed before they had entered the contest.

Tom Dearden and Scott Drinkwater were untouchable, having a hand in 10 of the tries and both putting in their case for State of Origin selection. The Cowboys fullback scored two and set up three while Dearden scored one and set up four.

Drinkwater ran for 158 metres and was a constant threat as a support player, finishing with a linebreak and two tackle busts.

North Queensland were ruthless after the break, continuing their incredible attacking onslaught with six more tries to seal their historic victory.

Wests Tigers hit a new low in Townsville. Ian Hitchcock/Getty

COWBOYS AT A CANTER

The Cowboys showed early signs that they were in a mood, but it took them 15 to burst into life when Coen Hess took a barnstorming run up the middle of the field.

Hess found Reuben Cotter with an offload, who drew the fullback and passed to Townsend showing North Queensland’s clear intent to move the ball around.

Tom Dearden attacked the line on the next tackle and dummied before slicing through the defence to open the scoring.

From there it was one-way traffic for the Cowboys, scoring seven converted tries before the break.

It would fill the whole page to describe each of North Queensland’s four-pointers, but it’s worth everyone’s time to sit back and enjoy some try of the year contenders on the highlights.

TOOTHLESS TIGERS

Wests Tigers started the match with great intent, shifting the ball on their first possession and almost catching the Cowboys defence early.

David Nofoaluma crossed the halfway before being tackled into touch by Holmes, and it remained one of the brightest Tigers attacks all afternoon.

The embattled club has had all three of their bye rounds and now faces a tough task to avoid the wooden spoon.

NSW Blues prop Stefano Utoikamanu did himself no disservice to Origin selection, running for 69 metres and made 21 tackles in with one tackle bust.

Murray Taulagi can only shrug. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty

BACKLINE BONANZA

Cowboys’ back five combined for nine tries, tearing Wests apart on both edges.

Murray Taulagi bagged his second career hat-trick while Holmes, Drinkwater and Valemei all scored braces.

Holmes’ 30 points was the most ever contributed by a Cowboy in the NRL, eclipsing Thurston’s effort in 2006 (24) and Josh Hannay’s in 2003 (24).

The Cowboys attack has been elevated to a new level since beating Melbourne in round 14, averaging over 44 points in their past four games compared to 18.5 points per game in their opening 13.

North Queensland have won five straight at QCB Stadium and 16 of the past 21 at the venue.

Originally published as Depths of Wests Tigers despair doing untold damage to rugby league