NRL 2021: Tigers face up to unfortunate reality as Michael Maguire, Luke Brooks get guarantees

Another season lost and while Wests Tigers are insisting on retaining their ‘core group of people’, it doesn’t mean some hard truths haven’t resonated with the club.

Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Wests Tigers have categorically guaranteed under fire coach Michael Maguire, chief executive Justin Pascoe and star halfback Luke Brooks will all be at the club next season — and that is regardless of what any post-season review determines.

Yet that did not stop Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis also conceding “there’s no point avoiding” the public perception that they are a club on the nose after missing out on the finals for the 10th straight season.

This comes in the wake of revelations over the weekend that Bulldogs enforcer Luke Thompson was the latest high profile player to reportedly turn his back on the Tigers’ advances.

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Michael Maguire has support where it counts at the Tigers.

Other big names including Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr, Jai Arrow, Dale Finucane and Tevita Pangai have previously snubbed the Tigers.

The Tigers still have north of $1 million in salary cap space to spend for next season but are fast running out of in demand and off contract players to spend it on.

Asked how you turn around this image issue, Hagipantelis conceded: “Firstly, I think you should acknowledge that is the reality.

“There’s no point avoiding it.

“We have not been in the finals since 2011.

“We haven’t challenged for a premiership really since 2005. That is the reality.

“There is a perception that we have to acknowledge, I don’t think it is necessarily right.

“But it a perception and people’s perception is their reality, of course.

Luke Thompson has reportedly turned his back on the Tigers.

“But we believe that we have a core group of people at executive level, at coaching level and in the roster that will take this club forward.

“I think we have to be very strategic with our planning.

“Me, personally, I am not a fan of paying overs to try and attract players to the club.

“I am more than happy to pay players what they are worth.”

But the problem is that regardless of what the Tigers are prepared to offer they just can’t seem to seal the deal.

And missing the play-offs again, it isn’t going to help.

With their season on the line on Saturday, they capitulated against Cronulla, going down 50-20.

It makes you wonder how too much will change next season if the changes don’t come from the top down.

Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis says Justin Pascoe is safe.

Though Hagipantelis was direct when backing Maguire and Pascoe along with recruitment chief Adam Hartigan.

“I think we have the core group necessary to grow this club,” he said.

Asked directly if that means Maguire’s job is safe, he said: “Madge has got a two-year contract with the club and we expect that contract to be fulfilled.”

Asked if Pascoe was safe, he responded: “Absolutely.”

The same went with Hartigan: “Safe.”

Former four-time premiership winning coach Tim Sheens will be returning to provide advice and support.

“It has to be a long game,” he said in respect to building from the ground up.

“Otherwise the risk is just throwing money at the problem and I don’t think that is a solution.”

Luke Brooks has been given a public pledge about his future.

What many believe has also become evident during the Fox Sports documentary Wild Wests: Tales from Tiger Town, is the lack of leadership among the playing group.

Adam Doueihi appears to be the only player who consistently speaks up.

Hagipantelis is confident it as not as major an issue as some would think: “I take that on-board but I think you have to be careful (in respect to what makes it on air and what ends up in the editing cut).

“I think there are enough voices.”

And he also backed Brooks, saying he was not being shopped to rivals and would be at the club next season.

“Yes, he will,’ Hagipantelis said.

“There was no offer to give Luke Brooks up and Luke Brooks will be at the Tigers in 2022 and beyond.”

10 seasons and counting: Tigers blow it again

Michael Maguire would have loved the privacy of the coaching box on Saturday, but instead he had to spend a frustrating afternoon in the stands amongst the punters as the Wests Tigers’ finals hopes were ended by the Sharks.

It wasn’t quite as dramatic as the Sunday afternoon showdown at Leichhardt Oval in 2019 that featured a Paul Gallen field goal, but it had the same outcome for the Tigers who need the miracle of all miracles to sneak into the top eight for the first time since 2011.

“We knew exactly what we were coming to and we didn’t get the job done,” Maguire said.

“The competition is still wide open. Anything can happen in the NRL.”

The Tigers have to look ahead to 2022.

They came into the game on the back of two-straight wins but they were no match for a professional Sharks side that is now back in the finals hunt after a comfortable 50-20 win in Rockhampton.

The fallout from the loss will make for good viewing in the Tales from Tiger Town documentary, because no coach could cop so many basic errors in such an important game.

Moses Mbye passed when the line was wide open and they had a simple try disallowed because of a scrum infringement, while their defence was unacceptable with so much at stake.

“That’s what you’ve got to handle when you play at this level,” Maguire said when asked how his players handled the occasion.

“We’ve got a number of players, who at times throughout the game, ebbed and flowed when they needed to get the job done.”

Like they’ve done so often in 2021, they showed some fight when the game was already gone to make the scoreboard more respectable, but even that didn’t last as the Sharks smelled blood in the water and went in for the kill.

No team has conceded 50 points and gone on to win the competition. Somewhat mercifully, that’s of little concern for the Tigers who will have to watch the playoffs on TV.

The Tigers hopes of making finals are virtually over as they are stuck on 18 points.

BIZARRE BUNKER CALL

Michael Maguire held his tongue when asked about a controversial no-try ruling during his side’s heavy 50-20 loss to the Sharks, but it was fairly clear that he disagreed with the Bunker’s decision to take four points off the board.

It looked like they’d started an unlikely comeback when Adam Doueihi was awarded a try on the back of a sneaky scrum play close to the line.

But the dreaded ping of the referee’s whistle meant the try was sent upstairs, and it wasn’t good news for the Tigers.

The Bunker had a couple of looks at it and decided that Sharks forward Teig Wilton was “held unfairly in the scrum” by Kelma Tuilagi, resulting in a penalty for Cronulla that put them straight back on the attack.

It was probably a moot point given the final score, but it could have been the spark that got the Tigers back in the game.

No.16 Teig Wilton attempts to break out from the scrum and still managed to tackle Adam Doueihi, but was unable to stop the ‘try’.

“Those sorts of things go on all the time. They’re 50-50 calls,” Maguire said.

“I think every front-rower in the game is holding onto someone at some stage, but they decided to look at that one.”

While Maguire remained calm in the press conference, the Fox League commentary team were more than happy to question the call.

“If you’re a Tigers fan, they’d be reeling from it,” Corey Parker said.

“It’s an enormous call in the context of their season.”

Former Sharks coach Shane Flanagan used a similar play to great effect in the 2016 Grand Final for Ben Barba to score, and he thought the Tigers may have copped a tough call this time around.

“I find that hard to make a decision on, especially front-rowers,” he said.

“You’re supposed to bind and pack into a scrum and hold your opposition front-rower. Then they’re going to look at it and say ‘no, you packed too tight, you held the opposition in’.

“I just don’t understand, front-rowers have to bind and they’re facing the other way so they don’t actually know when the ball is out.”

Luke Metcalf scored his first try in the NRL and played a crucial role in the Sharks’ demolition of Wests. Picture: Getty Images.

COOL HAND LUKE

They hadn’t won a game since Shaun Johnson suffered a season-ending hamstring injury against the Bulldogs, but a new-look halves pairing has breathed life into Cronulla’s finals campaign.

“To put 50 on says we might be a decent footy side,” Josh Hannay said.

Braydon Trindall has been a shining light in recent weeks, and he was at it again in Rockhampton. He threw a brilliant pass to set up the first try and nailed a 40/20 in an outstanding first-half showing, but it was the inclusion of Luke Metcalf that could be a masterstroke heading into the finals.

“I thought Luke Metcalf was tremendous,” Hannay said.

“For Luke, it was probably a coming of age game for him. He’s got something there.”

The local junior made the most of his first NRL start, causing all sorts of headaches on the left edge. He set up Ronaldo Mulitalo with a peach of a pass and then received an early Christmas present when his winger unselfishly handed him the ball with the line wide open.

He then completed his double late in the contest when the returning Matt Moylan broke through and found Metcalf backing up in support. He looks a real talent and worked well with Will Kennedy who had another enormous game at the back.

“I just wanted to come into the team and get a good performance going for 80 minutes instead of coming off the bench,” Metcalf said.

The Sharks have suffered a massive blow with Ronaldo Mulitalo suffering a suspected broken jaw. Picture: Getty Images.

FINAL FANTASY

It’s been a rollercoaster year for the Sharks, but they control their own destiny as they look to extend their impressive post-season streak.

Cronulla occupies eighth spot for now and they have a better points differential than their nearest rivals who have already lost this week.

The Sharks face the Broncos next and then finish the regular season against the Storm. On paper it looks like a certain loss, but Melbourne could easily rest the bulk of their squad if they’ve sewn up the minor premiership.

The only negative to come from the huge win is a suspected broken jaw for Mulitalo, who scored two tries in the first half but was in tears after the game as his season hangs in the balance.

STATS TELL STORY: PUNCHING BAG TIGER DESERVES A BREAK

—Nick Campton

They are the surprising numbers that should not only bring an end to Luke Brooks’ days as a Wests Tigers punching bag, but prove why he is being groomed as their future captain.

Since making his debut eight years ago, Brooks has long been the face of a club mired in the longest finals drought of any team in the league.

But with Michael Maguire’s side still in with a fighting chance of making their first finals appearance in almost a decade, it’s Brooks who has helped kickstart their season with some of his best football in several seasons.

“He’s definitely not short of copping it every now and then. But to Brooksy’s credit he’s very resilient around that space, he understands what it means to play as a halfback for the club,” Maguire said before Saturday’s must-win clash with Cronulla.

“He just needs to go out there and keep doing what he’s been doing the last few weeks. Brooksy and Adam (Douehih) are really building a strong combination.

Luke Brooks has helped kick start the Tigers’ season. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

“Brooksy himself knows what he needs to do and he just needs to play his part for the team and guide us around the park.”

Seemingly every time the Tigers lose a match, there’s an outcry for Brooks to be shown the door. And with Jackson Hastings joining the club from Wigan next year, his position has come under the microscope more than once this season.

But the 26-year-old, who is under contract until the end of 2023, has posted strong numbers that belie the club’s precarious position on the table.

Brooks has 22 try assists, putting him level with Melbourne’s Jahrome Hughes and Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses at the top of the charts for full-time halfbacks this year.

In fact, his overall numbers (148 runs, five line breaks, 13 line break assists, 41 tackle busts, 22 offloads, 20 errors) match up well with former teammate Moses’ (84 runs, 764 metres, six line breaks, two line break assists, 35 tackle busts, six offloads and 15 errors).

Brooks has also thrived under the extra responsibility of the captaincy, and has taken a real leadership role with the Tigers since they relocated to Queensland.

“The responsibility has always been there for Brooksy,” Maguire said. “It’s an honour for a player like him to come through the juniors and captain the club.

“He’s really driving the mentality around the team, he’s growing some really good, strong bonds around the team in the hotel and in the bubble.”

Luke Brooks has produced impressive figures in attack this season. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Despite his improvement, Brooks will continue to wear shots, some fair and others not, until the Tigers make it back to the finals — a quest which will continue against the Sharks on Saturday.

Depending on other results, the Tigers could finish the round in equal eighth and tantalising close to ending their decade-long exile from September football.

“It’s the momentum you get from winning, that feeling of doing your job and playing your part for the team is something we need to capture,” Maguire said.

“We’re at the business end now. The opportunities are in front of us but we have to make sure we’re focused on the now and laying your part for the team.

“I think a lot of our boys now are understanding what’s needed to play first grade. It’s the understanding of the pressure game now.

“The way the team has come together, we have to use that. That’s the momentum you have this time of year. We have to make sure we capture the moment. Do your job for each other.”

Originally published as NRL 2021: Tigers face up to unfortunate reality as Michael Maguire, Luke Brooks get guarantees