Tigers are better without Big Four
Hijab in ring
WESTS Tigers have bent over backwards to keep them, but this stunning stat suggests the club is better off without the ‘‘big four’’.
James Tedesco, Aaron Woods, Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks have taken the field together on 35 occasions since 2014. According to Champion data, the quartet have notched just 13 victories together, for a winning percentage of 37 per cent.
Tigers fans are still coming to terms with the fact they will lose three of their local juniors – Moses to Parramatta, Woods to Canterbury and Tedesco to the Roosters. However, the alarmingly low strike rate when they are all fit and available should soften the blow as the club prepares to raid the open market with a war chest approaching the $A4 million mark.
A breakdown of the statistics shows the Tigers are more likely to sing the team song when only three of the quartet are available, with the winning percentage rising to 45 per cent. That figure drops to 36 per cent when only two are present, while the jointventure outfit has lost on the one occasion when just one of the ‘‘big four’’ were available.
Woods has the highest individual success rate of 42 per cent.
One stat that may prompt coach Ivan Cleary to grant Moses an early release is this: the team actually performs better without him, winning 60 per cent of the time when he’s out injured. The figure drops to 34 per cent when he takes the field.
Cleary has plenty of money and now must work out how to best spend it. Given the turmoil that has surrounded the club in recent seasons, there are fears marquee players may demand ‘‘overs’’ to head to Concord. However, the Tigers could benefit if rival clubs are forced to offload talent after overestimating the salary cap figure for next year and beyond. The NRL has already warned clubs that contracts won’t be registered unless they comply with the nominal figure of $A8.7 million that is currently before the players’ association in collective bargaining negotiations.
The Tigers have identified props Ben Matulino and Russell Packer as potential replacements for Woods. They have missed out on the signature of Gareth Widdop, who has signed a fouryear extension with the Dragons, although they could be the beneficiaries of an expected fire sale of Canterbury talent.
While the Tigers are chasing big names, Jack Littlejohn is hoping they will see the value of retaining him.
The playmaker has been filling in for the injured Brooks, who is attempting to prove his fitness in time for today’s clash with Canterbury. Littlejohn is hoping to earn a regular starting spot and a new contract before the season is out.
‘‘I’ve always seen myself as a first grade player,’’ Littlejohn said. ‘‘I think I’ve been proving that over the last few weeks. It all depends on what the coach wants – if he wants me to hang around and be that player or be that backup half.
‘‘The halves are definitely my position, but playing hooker isn’t too bad.
‘‘I don’t mind getting in there and mixing it with the big boys. But halves is definitely my spot.’’ The Sun-Herald GETTY IMAGES Boxing: A Muslim teen boxer from Minnesota, who hopes to one day compete in the Olympics, has won a fight to wear a hijab during bouts in the US. Amaiya Zafar, 16, will also be allowed to cover her arms and legs in accordance with her religious beliefs while competing in her first sanctioned bout this month in Minneapolis under a USA Boxing exemption, The Star Tribune reported. The organisation normally requires boxers to wear a sleeveless jersey and shorts.