Wests Tigers head coach Ivan Cleary has just named his 21-man squad for the final time in 2018.
Cleary’s men will take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium this Thursday night knowing their season is over after wins by the Broncos and Warriors last weekend.
And while the players will be able to have a bit of fun on “mad Monday’’, Cleary can feel that the season has achieved a measure of success.
With 12 wins in the bag and the chance to make it 13, the Wests Tigers could finish with 28 points – enough to qualify for the finals in previous seasons.
But that’s the way the cookie crumbles in the NRL and Cleary will look back on a season of missed opportunities – and too many injuries.
Josh Reynolds hardly played all year, while the experiment with Elijah Taylor at hooker during the middle part of the season was a flop, which was incidentally when the Wests Tigers lost a lot of their games.
For me that was Ivan Cleary’s biggest mistake this year, not choosing a specialist hooker in the number nine for such a long period.
The return of Robbie Farah helped the team turned its season around and polarised the fans at the same time.
Speaking of hookers and would be hookers, Cleary will welcome back Elijah Taylor for Thursday’s game after he missed last week’s against Manly with a corked thigh.
But Wests will be without co-captain Russell Packer for the final game of the year.
Packer is replaced in the front row by Matt Eisenhuth, with Taylor returning to his preferred lock forward role.
Robbie Rochow also returns to the first-grade side for the first time since Round 15, joining Alex Twal, Sauaso Sue and Josh Aloiai on the interchange bench.
Jacob Liddle, Luke Garner, Tyson Gamble and Malakai Watene-Zelezniak have been named as reserves.
The Bret Hodgson coached Wests Tigers Intrust Super Premiership side, Western Suburbs Magpies, (pictured) will face the Wyong Roos in an Elimination Final on Sunday after finishing the regular season in fifth position.
NRL — WESTS TIGERS
- Moses Mbye
2. David Nofoaluma
3. Esan Marsters
4. Mahe Fonua
5. Kevin Naiqama
6. Benji Marshall
7. Luke Brooks
8. Matt Eisenhuth
9. Robbie Farah
10. Ben Matulino
11. Chris Lawrence
12. Michael Chee Kam
13. Elijah Taylor (capt.)
Interchange:
14. Alex Twal
15. Sauaso Sue
16. Robbie Rochow
17. Josh Aloiai
18. Jacob Liddle
19. Luke Garner
20. Tyson Gamble
21. Malakai Watene-Zelezniak
