By Michael Chammas
Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens walked into the team meeting room at their hotel in Bathurst on the day of the game against Penrith with a simple instruction for his players.
It had been raining non-stop from the moment the Tigers arrived and the veteran coach didn’t want his team coughing up possession cheaply against the two-time defending champions.
He asked his players to wear strapping tape around their wrists to provide extra grip to control the soap-like ball in the torrential rain. It’s why most of the team wore tape.
David Klemmer took the advice, although it almost backfired in the dying minutes when the ball got attached to the adhesive.
Klemmer placed the ball on the ground for a play-the-ball but, as he lifted his hand, the ball got stuck to the tape and forced an error.
It presented the Panthers with an opportunity to win the game with two minutes to go, although the Tigers held their nerve to hold out Nathan Cleary and co.
The ball getting stuck to David Klemmer’s wrist strapping tape.
A completion rate of 90 per cent (38/42 sets) would delight coaches in the driest of conditions, but to do so in the driving rain against the best defensive team in the competition was a remarkable effort.
The Tigers were winless coming into the game, but you could see signs of improvement over the past few weeks. Their forwards have been exceptional.
The Tigers have run for a combined 1216 metres more than their past three opponents. Against Parramatta on Easter Monday they amassed 1963 metres compared to the Eels’ 1491 but lost the game after Maika Sivo crossed late to give his side a 28-22 win.
It was a similar situation in their next game against Manly at Campbelltown last Sunday. The Tigers ran for 498 more metres than the Sea Eagles, but conceded a late try to surrender the lead and lose their seventh-straight game.
The Tigers celebrate a win which has been brewing for a while.Credit: Getty
Against the Panthers in Bathurst they completely outmuscled the reigning champions, running 246 metres more than their opponents.
This time, halfback Luke Brooks managed to play off the back of it, kicking his team to one of the more memorable wins of recent years.
Manly bracing for Tigers player raid as Fulton leaves Sea Eagles nest
Manly are bracing for the Wests Tigers to launch a raid on some of their biggest names after long-time recruitment manager Scott Fulton signed a deal to join Wests Tigers immediately.
Fulton, the son of Manly legend and NRL immortal Bob Fulton, has been head-hunted by the Tigers after his role at the Sea Eagles was diluted over the summer.
Fulton, whose sister Kristie Fulton was moved on from her administration role at the club last year, once called the shots when it came to recruitment and retention at Manly but the club has moved to a different model under new chief executive Tony Mestrov.
While Manly didn’t stand in Fulton’s way, the move could come back to bite the Sea Eagles. The Wests Tigers have already begun asking questions about the future of five-eighth Josh Schuster, who was involved in an altercation with NSW Cup player Dean Matterson — the younger brother of Eels forward Ryan Matterson — at training last week.
Schuster is contracted until the end of 2024 but question marks over his future surfaced last week following comments from skipper Daly Cherry-Evans.
Manly playmaker Josh Schuster.Credit: NRL Photos
“I have been playing long enough to see so many people at this club not maximise their opportunity,” Cherry-Evans said.
“That is rugby league mate – if you’re not willing to work hard enough, if you’re not willing to sacrifice, you just don’t last long. He is at a crossroads early in his career but it can be a real positive.
“This doesn’t have to be a negative for him – spending some time away to get his body right, this could be a defining moment where he takes off to that level we all know he can.”
Making matters difficult for Manly is the fact they’ve gone to war in recent months with leading player agent Mario Tartak, who is extremely close to Fulton.
(From left) Late Sea Eagles legend Bob Fulton, CEO Tony Mestrov and chair Scott Penn.Credit: NRL Photos, Getty
Manly locked horns with Tartak over the future of rising star Viliami Fifita and were in a tug-of-war for his services with St George Illawarra before they eventually released him to the Dragons.
Tartak and Fulton worked together on luring a number of players to the Sea Eagles, particularly those from western Sydney.
They include Schuster, Jason Saab and Haumole Olakau’atu. Like Fulton, Tartak’s stranglehold on the club has been diminished under the Mestrov regime.
Anzac jersey not behind Tigers staffer’s sacking
Still on the Tigers, and it was reported during the week that the club had parted ways with their head of merchandise following the ANZAC jersey debacle.
However, the club did not terminate him because of the jersey bungle but rather because he had been discussing club matters on a Facebook account under a different name.
The club confirmed his sacking was unrelated to the fallout over the jersey design. Club bosses were tipped off about the Facebook account and decided he was in breach of the Tigers’ social media policy.
The former employee should not be held responsible for the jersey fiasco. That falls on the shoulders of CEO Justin Pascoe.
Storm, Roosters, Broncos fight for Vegas slot
The NRL will head to the US over the next fortnight to begin plans for the 2024 season-opening double-header in Las Vegas.
The Wests Tigers’ original Anzac jersey design featured a stock image of American soldiers.Credit: Instagram @nrl_weststigers
The five teams that have expressed interest in playing in the event are the Manly Sea Eagles, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Brisbane Broncos, Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters.
With Russell Crowe’s affiliation with the Rabbitohs and Hugh Jackman’s attachment to the Sea Eagles, it’s hard to see those two teams missing out. The last two spots are up for grabs.
Souths to be fined five figures
The NRL is expected to hand the Rabbitohs a hefty fine somewhere in the region of $10,000-$20,000 for playing 15 seconds with 14 men on Friday night.
The Rabbitohs are in no danger of losing the two competition points from their 32-6 rout of the Broncos in Brisbane.Credit: Getty
The reason the Rabbitohs found themselves in that position was because prop Davvy Moale handed the interchange card to a club official and not the designated NRL official at the ground.
The NRL official was occupied with another interchange involving South Sydney’s Jai Arrow.
Brimson likely gone for a month
Gold Coast Titans fullback AJ Brimson is facing up to a month on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury on Saturday night against Manly.
AJ Brimson.Credit: Getty
It’s not the same hamstring that has troubled him in the past, however the club is bracing for him being out of action for two to four weeks.
It will give young gun Jayden Campbell a chance to slot back into his preferred fullback position. Campbell plays his 30th NRL game next week, triggering a clause in his contract that will allow him to explore options at rival clubs.
Knights mourn passing of O’Brien’s mother
A number of Newcastle Knights staff members will make the trip south to Batemans Bay for the funeral of Adam O’Brien’s mother, Maree, on Monday.
The Knights are the only team not playing in Magic Round next week, with the players given some time off.
There are a handful of players heading over to Bali on a mid-season getaway. They appeared to have their mind on the trip against Parramatta on Friday night, failing to turn up in what was their worst performance of the season.
While the Knights missed out on Magic Round this year, they will return in 2024 with another team to be handed the bye during the Brisbane festivities.
Dragons have chance for reset
The Dragons are on the hunt for more than just a new coach. There’s a strong belief within the club that the club needs a fresh start. That includes the recruitment department and also the head of football. The appointment of a potential new coach will be a chance for the club to hit the reset button.
Bennett downplays 900-game milestone
Wayne Bennett has given Dolphins management a directive to not make this week about him. The veteran coach will coach his 900th NRL game at Magic Round in Brisbane this weekend.
It’s an incredible achievement but has told the club he wants no fanfare. The NRL is likely to recognise the occasion at the game on Sunday. Don’t expect much noise from the Dolphins.
APOLOGY
An earlier version of this article referred to the Wests Tigers Head of Football Operations and Recruitment, Warren McDonnell. The Herald did not in any way intend to suggest that Mr McDonnell had been demoted from his position. The Herald also did not intend to suggest that Mr McDonnell had been sacked twice from the Club. If any readers understood the article as suggesting otherwise, the Herald sincerely apologises to Mr McDonnell.
Stream the NRL Premiership 2023 live and free on 9Now.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.