Just when the Tigers fans thought things couldn’t get any worse, somehow it did.
Following a 2022 season where they finished last and sacked Michael Maguire, Wests have picked up their second consecutive wooden spoon this campaign and have moved on from yet another coach prematurely.
The struggling Tigers managed to break all the wrong records in 2023, going on one of the worst losing stretches in NRL history.
The marquee signings made over the off-season had many experts predicting at least an improvement in the sides' form, but they for the most part were unable to fire on a consistent basis.
A lack of creativity in attack and poor goal-line defence plagued the Tigers all season, ultimately resulting in the firing of Tim Sheens - their sixth coaching change in the past decade.
Unfortunately, all the optimism that followed the Tigers into this season quickly diminished as the club found itself at rock bottom and it will be up to Benji Marshall to turn things around.
The Sporting News reviews the Wests Tigers season below.
Did the Tigers over-deliver or under-deliver in 2023?
The expectations on the Tigers this season were simply to avoid the spoon and to be competitive. It’s safe to say the Tigers have accomplished neither and have UNDER- DELIVERED in 2023.
The acquisitions of Isaiah Papali’i, John Bateman, Apisai Koroisau and David Klemmer were supposed to at the very least push the Tigers off the bottom and towards a finals finish.
The standout from those signings has to be Api Koroisau who was arguably the side’s best, showcasing elite leadership and craftiness.
The other aforementioned signings were okay but not spectacular, with the emergence of talented youngster Jahream Bula the Tigers' unexpected hero in 2023.
A lack of cohesion stung the Tigers to start 2023 as the new signings struggled to mesh, resulting in the clunkiest attack in the NRL.
Nothing ever seemed to fall into place for a side that often showed heart but consistently failed to find a way to win.
When did it fall apart for the Wests Tigers?
From Round 1 it seemed the Tigers were on the back foot as they failed to find any success in their first eight matches, going 0-7.
In particular, Rounds 1-3 were extremely poor as the Tigers dropped points to the Titans, Knights and Bulldogs - all clubs who were either struggling at the time or have finished the season outside the top-eight.
Their seven-game losing streak is officially the fourth-longest winless run to start an NRL season.
The Tigers' woeful 2023 was typified by their Round 18 performance against the Cowboys where they conceded 74 points, the largest losing margin in the competition’s history.
The Tigers from Round 14 to Round 24 would lose 10 straight games - their second-longest losing streak only behind their 12-game losing streak which continued from 2022 into the 2023 season.
An inability to execute when they found themselves in their opponent's redzone was the Tigers' glaring issue this season as they finished with the least points scored.
This firing of Tim Sheens who was only appointed 12 months earlier would exemplify the instability at the club with the Tigers seemingly always in a state of flux.
The best period to be a Wests Tigers fan
In terms of great wins for the Tigers this year, there was no greater than the 66-18 demolition of the Cowboys at Leichhardt Oval in Luke Brooks’ 200th game.
A special moment for both Brooks who has been a loyal servant of the club and the fans that got to experience their side triumph emphatically at their spiritual home.
The period between Round 9-12 was the club’s best they went 3-1 with the remarkable upset victory over the back-to-back premiers, the Panthers, and the Dragons.
At the time it looked like the Tigers had turned a corner. Brooks, Koroisau and Bula were firing in the spine whilst newcomers Bateman, Papali’i and Klemmer had adapted and were dominating the middle.
The Round 13 bye would kill all momentum though, as the Raiders' one point victory in the final moments would be the beginning of the end for Wests’ season.
Shining light: Jahream Bula
The emergence of Bula came absolutely out of left field as the unknown fullback quickly rose to prominence.
One of the club's best performers in 2023, his introduction into the side correlated directly with their success in the middle of this season.
Bula is a frontrunner for the Dally M Rookie of the Year award and has been integral in the limited success his side has found this season.
The 21-year-old finished the year with five tries, 59 tackle breaks, seven try assists, and 159 average run metres per game, single-handedly sparking the Tigers' sluggish attack.
It was his inspired defence that really stood out, as Bula was amongst the best defensive fullbacks in the NRL.
Bula made eight try-saving tackles across the season, with two of those directly impacting their Round 9 and 10 wins.
Will the Tigers improve in 2024?
Yes – it is almost impossible for the Tigers to fall any further.
Benji Marshall will take complete control in 2024 and will be expected to at the very least elevate the Tigers outside the bottom four.
Wests showed that they could win the field position battle on multiple occasions, it was just their inability to turn their field position into points that haunted them.
These graphs from The Rugby League Eye Test showcase the inefficiency that the Tigers had trying to score points.
Haven't seen an expected points chart like this in a *long* time 😬 pic.twitter.com/AtZouiLdzV
— The Rugby League Eye Test (@LeagueEyeTest) April 10, 2023
The June expected point efficiency update is on the site, and there's two very impressive numbers for Souths coming off the back of their win over the Warriorshttps://t.co/pEsX5lQjvY
— The Rugby League Eye Test (@LeagueEyeTest) July 3, 2023
They were elite at getting into the right positions but were unable to convert opportunities into points, resulting in losing winnable games.
These statistics do show that the Tigers are capable of being competitive and just need more polish to match their ability to gain metres.
The Brooks and Laurie combination between Rounds 22-24 showed the side can put on points with the Tigers scoring 18 or more against three top-eight sides.
That combination will be gone by 2024, and the Tigers will be hoping that they can find joy with the new partnership between expected signing Aidan Sezer and confirmed acquisition Jayden Sullivan.
Koroisau needs to be healthy for all of 2024 - the attack flows through his creativity around the ruck and it was clear he was sorely missed when he was unavailable through injury.
The duo of Stefano Utoikamanu and Klemmer did relatively well up front whilst a bit more attacking flair will hopefully allow the star edge pairing of Bateman and Papali’i to flourish.
The constant altering of the centre and wing pairings highlighted the uncertainty the coaching team felt in that area of the squad, which might need reinforcements.
The lack of depth in the halves was the Tigers' other glaring issue in 2023 which will hopefully be resolved by both Sezer and Sullivan, as well as young prodigy Latu Fainu.
Wests Tigers player movements 2024
Gains:
Latu Fainu, Samuela Fainu, Jayden Sullivan, Aidan Sezer
Losses:
Luke Brooks, Tommy Talau, Daine Laurie
Unsigned
Alex Seyfarth, Apisalome Saukuru, Brandon Wakeham, Charlie Staines, Tukimihia Simpkins
