Some Wests Tigers fans may be getting ahead of themselves after back to back wins but the coach and the team are keeping their feet firmly on the ground.
Well, almost.
Coach Jason Taylor’s praise for Mitchell Moses after another superlative effort in the 23-8 win over Parramatta last night was effusive, to say the least.
“His [Moses] leadership has gone through the roof,’’ Taylor told the rugby league hacks at the post match media conference at ANZ Stadium.
Taylor usually chooses his words very carefully, so maybe such praise wasn’t entirely unintentional.
Especially with the divisive Robbie Farah spat a heavy backdrop to everything at the Wests Tigers for more than two weeks.
The reason it popped up in the press conference was the injury to half Luke Brooks halfway through the first half against the Eels.
Taylor was asked if Farah – who didn’t play in reserve grade yesterday because of injury – would be considered as a replacement for Brooks in the number 7 jumper.
Naturally the coach said all options were on the table at this early stage.
But if it did happen it would be messy, because Taylor would have to drop Farah again upon Brooks’s return.
The win against the Eels meant the Wests Tigers are almost in the eight, except for a terrible differential of minus 59.
But as skipper Aaron Woods pointed out at the post match conference, if the Wests Tigers keep winning, results in other matches won’t matter.
Cowboys next on the menu at Leichhardt
Fingers will be crossed for a brilliant sunny day next Sunday when the Wests Tigers host the premiers, the North Queensland Cowboys.
A massive crowd and no JT – Jonathan Thurston that is – will mightily improve the home team’s chances of picking up another two premiership points.
Five days later the Wests Tigers will be at Campbelltown, where they will host more Queenslanders: the Gold Coast Titans.
In their last three matches the Wests Tigers are scheduled to play Panthers, Warriors and Raiders.
The way they are playing at present every game looks winnable.
But in reality the mission to make the finals is a work in progress, just like Aaron Woods’s post try celebrations.
