There’s no question that the football team being created at Wests Tigers by Benji Marshall is a work in progress.
Most fans accept that, going by their comments after the 34-10 loss to the Broncos last Saturday night in a second sold out Campbelltown Stadium match.
That’s 17,351 fans who did their best to help Benji’s young guns, even applauding them off the field at half time.
Which is good, because we all need to be a little patient until success comes.
But there’s two things are happening here which bode well for long suffering fans of the Wests Tigers.
One is that Benji Marshall is creating an exciting new playing culture at the club.
The second is that the club is finally recruiting strategically to complement its development of local juniors, mostly here in Campbelltown.
Scoring tries is not coming easy to the Tigers this season, but they’re not that far away, so imagine Jarome Luai as halfback in 2025, alongside our exciting five-eighth, Lachlan Galvin.
Bula, Galvin, Luai, Api – most rugby league pundits would concede that’s a pretty good spine – and with room for a hell of a lot of improvement.
Still on recruitment, last week the club announced it had also snared the signature of off-contract Panthers winger Sunia Turuva on a three-year deal.
The 21-year-old pipped Tigers fullback Jahream Bula for last season’s NRL Rookie of the Year award.
So things are looking good in 2025, but in the meantime Benji wants the team to keep improving this season.
I am tipping that at some stage this season things will gel and the Wests Tigers will win a few matches.
But in the meantime they need the fans to give them all the support possible.
This afternoon Benji Marshall named his 22-man squad for the Round 9 match against Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to be played at Accor Stadium on Saturday.
There are no changes to the side which lost to the Broncos last weekend.
Round 9, Bulldogs v Wests Tigers, 3pm, Saturday, May 4, Accor Stadium (Olympic Stadium, Homebush)
WESTS TIGERS TEAM LIST:
1. Jahream Bula
2. Charlie Staines
3. Brent Naden
4. Justin Olam
5. Solomon Alaimalo
6. Lachlan Galvin
7. Aidan Sezer
8. Stefano Utoikamanu
9. Apisai Koroisau (c)
10. David Klemmer
11. Isaiah Papali’i
12. Samuela Fainu
13. John Bateman
INTERCHANGE:
14. Latu Fainu
15. Alex Twal
16. Alex Seyfarth
17. Fonua Pole
