Timid Tigers tap out already
INTERIM Wests Tigers coach Brett Kimmorley stopped short of saying that his players had given up on the season, but the performance against the Roosters told another story after the club suffered the worst loss in its history.
The 72-6 defeat at the SCG was building, with key players injured and other stars loaned to top clubs, and the weight of a turbulent year proved too much against one of the best teams in the NRL.
It was fitting that Oliver Gildart was playing well for the Roosters after he was loaned by the Tigers, while the club’s leading tryscorer is killing it in Melbourne after a mid-season switch.
The Tigers were never in the fight, conceding 12 tries and only scoring one via an intercept late in the game, while the usually calm James Tamou was sent off at the death for abusing referee Ben Cummins.
They were obliterated in all key statistics, and while their coach didn’t want to throw the players under the bus, from afar it looked like they’d thrown in the towel from the moment the whistle blew.
“I never criticise anyone of giving up,” Kimmorley said.
“It’s probably more in their preparation and attention to detail for making sure your preparation is right to play this hard game of NRL and doing everything you need to do as a player, including training hard and dietary stuff and doing the extras you need to do.
“Our stockpiles aren’t very high because of a few decisions that were made.
“I was a part of a lot of those decisions to loan players or move players to other clubs, but the club will be better for it next year.
“We just have to wear the pain of it short term.
“We’ve got some injuries at the club and we’ve loaned some players so it’s a pretty difficult moment. We just need to stay connected.
“I don’t know if some people have tapped out because they’re going somewhere else next year or because they know there are different coaches coming next year. That’s just how I feel as coach of the Wests Tigers at the moment.”
The Tigers now have two weeks to salvage something from this diabolical year that saw a coach sacked and highprofile player Luke Brooks indicate he may leave the club because of too many leaks at the organisation.
There hasn’t been much success since the 2005 premiership, and if they can’t win at least more game, the club will claim its first wooden spoon.
“I don’t think we’ve given up and I don’t think it’s gone too far. The big thing is we need to stay together as a group,” Kimmorley replied when asked if it was too late to turn it around.