Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis has made no bones about setting a whole new standard to measure success at the NRL club.
Determined to abolish instability and under-performance that have kept the Tigers out of the NRL finals since 2011, he stood at the club’s season launch and declared nothing less than a premiership was good enough from now on.
“Mediocrity is no longer in our vocabulary,” he said.
“No one cares who came second, only winners are recognised.
“This year and in all proceeding years, this club will not be endeavouring to make the top eight or the top four.
“We have one unified purpose and one purpose only and that is to win premierships.”
It has been 15 years since their last NRL title, while four coaches and one caretaker since Tim Sheens have not been able to rally the team into the top eight.
Most frustratingly, they have finished ninth for the past two seasons and in 2019 just one point out of the top eight after losing their final game of the season.
A crushing 25-8 loss to Cronulla at Leichhardt Oval decided which team would go through to the first week of the finals and once again the Tigers could not cover the final hurdle.
And so, coach Michael Maguire devised a plan. He made the team train until last year’s grand final in a relentless pursuit of improvement.
“We want to be different, you know?” captain Moses Mbye said.
“A lot of teams have got similar nutrition, they have all got really good gym coaches, everyone is fit, strong, fast and athletic but we’re just trying to be a little bit different and get that little one per cent edge that we can get.
“We’re searching for that and any way that we can win, we’re going to do that.”
An injury to hooker Jacob Liddle could force Mbye to get behind the ruck for the start of the season.
The exit of Ryan Matterson to Parramatta also came as a huge blow, as well as the retirement of club legend Robbie Farah and departure of star centre Esan Martsers.
However, the Tigers have added Canberra centre Joey Leilua and his younger brother Luciano to play in the second row.
Reinforcement of the backline came in the form of quality South Sydney fullback Adam Doueihi after the club missed out on recruiting Latrell Mitchell from the Roosters.
“We feel like the club is in the best shape that we’ve been in for a long time now,” Mbye said.
“It’s been a little bit of a shambles but it seems like we’ve got some really good structure around the club and it all starts upstairs with breeding that culture.
“All the players have really bought into what we’re driving. We’ve got no excuses now, we’ve got to perform now.”
WESTS TIGERS
Finishes over the past three seasons: 2019 – 9th, 2018 – 9th, 2017 – 14th
Coach: Michael Maguire
Captain: Mose Mbye and Benji Marshall
Key gains: Joey Leilua (Raiders), Luciano Leilua (Dragons), Adam Doueihi (Rabbitohs)
Key losses: Ryan Matterson (Eels), Mahe Fonua (Hull FC), Esan Marsters (Cowboys), Ben Matulino, Robbie Farah (retired)
Best team: 1. Adam Douehi, 2. David Nofoalulma, 3. Paul Momriovski, 4. Joey Leilua, 5. Corey Thompson, 6. Benji Marshall, 7. Luke Brooks, 8. Thomas Mikaele, 9. Moses Mbye, 10. Alex Twal, 11. Michael Chee Kam, 12. Luciano Leilua, 13. Matt Eisenhuth, 14. Josh Reynolds, 15. Josh Aloiai, 16. Chris Lawrence, 17. Zane Musgrove.
Predicted finish: 9th
