Wests Tigers left in the dark over Tim Mannah’s Concord arrival

After three losses on the hop, Wests Tigers could do with some good news. And the battle-hardened experience of one of the NRL’s nicest blokes could be just the thing.

Tim Mannah has signed on with the Tigers for the remainder of the season. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

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Wests Tigers players have welcomed the signing of Tim Mannah as boom forward Ryan Matterson backs coach Michael Maguire to navigate the club through a roster rebuild.

Backrower Matterson said the news about Mannah’s arrival had come as a surprise to the playing group on Tuesday morning.

Several players, including Russell Packer and Elijah Taylor, are reportedly on the outer at Concord, but Matterson insisted the outside noise wasn’t having an impact on morale.

“I don’t really read the articles that come out. Some say, does the external head noise impact on the side? I say it doesn’t because we are just so close knit, we don’t care what the external people are saying.

“The energy of the boys, you wouldn’t think we have come off three losses. It’s positive in that sense, that Madge [Michael Maguire] is trying to keep us together,” Matterson said.

Tim Mannah has signed on with the Tigers for the remainder of the season. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

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Mannah, who has played 233 matches for Parramatta after making his debut in 2009, is expected to leave the Eels as early as this week to join the Tigers.

Forward Ben Matulino, whose future has also come into question, said Mannah will bring invaluable experience into the side.

“I’ve known Timmy since 2008 when I played against him in the under-20s and I’ve always gotten along with him,” Matulino said.

“I’m looking forward to it. He’s a pretty nice guy and I guess it can only boost our team. He has a lot of experience and we could use him in our team at the moment.”

Matterson, a Parramatta junior believes Mannah will provide invaluable leadership in the forward ranks.

“I was training full time [at the Eels] in my last year there. He was the captain, he had a lot of experience. He’d played for NSW and hundreds of games for Parramatta, he was that leader role,” Matterson said.

Ben Matulino has welcomed the club’s newest signing. Picture: Brendon Thorne

Matterson is no stranger to how quickly things can change in rugby league. The 24-year old, who was playing as a five-eighth at the time, signed a three-year deal with the Eels in 2014 but the arrival of Kieran Foran forced him out of the club and in 2015 he signed with the Sydney Roosters.

Then Matterson, at this stage a backrower, was squeezed out of Bondi with the arrival of Angus Crichton and early release from that deal landed him at Concord in 2019.

“It impedes on other people [early releases]. I have been at clubs where people have come in and I’ve just signed lengthy contracts and then I’m down on the pecking order,’’ Matterson said.

“That’s twice I have signed three-year deals and I have got out of after the first year. As a player, I’m glad I was able to move.

“If I had to stay at Paramatta when I signed my first three-year contract, I would not have played first grade the year after with the Roosters.”

This time, Matterson is hoping to fulfil the remaining two years left on his Tigers deal.

“That’s the plan, you don’t want to be jumping ship too many times. But at the end of the day rugby league used to be more than an organisation. I felt like there was a lot more respect but now it’s just a business and everyone has to look after themselves,” he said.

Originally published as Wests Tigers left in the dark over Tim Mannah’s Concord arrival