Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor says his team will have plenty to play for when they host Newcastle Knights at Campbelltown Sports Stadium tomorrow.
Barring a mathematical miracle, the Tigers are not going to make the finals, even if they win their last four matches.
This would put them on 26 points, two short on what is expected to be the cut off position this NRL season.
Either way, Taylor, who is in his first year as Wests Tigers coach, says motivation won’t be a problem tomorrow and for the three remaining matches after that.
“We talked a lot recently about how it doesn’t matter where we are at the table in terms of us developing the kind of footy team that we want to be,’’ Taylor told the South West Voice in an interview this morning during team training at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
“We’d rather be up the ladder and we want to continue moving up the ladder, but the fact we can’t make the semi finals doesn’t mean the season’s over for us and it doesn’t mean these games aren’t important.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“These games are actually very important for us to continue developing the team we want to be going forward,’’ Taylor said.[/social_quote]
Asked whether he was happy the team had achieved stated goals such as improving its defence, Taylor said progress had taken a little more time than they had hoped.
“At the start of the season I was hopeful we would be in the position we are now of playing consistent footy,’’ he said.
“We would have liked it to have been a little earlier, but it took a bit longer than we hoped it would.
“However when you look at the players we let go at the start of the year, we’ve built on our performances all season long.
“The last two games have been really good.
“All in all it’s a positive season for us, but we want to finish it well,’’ Taylor said.
“There’s a good chance for us to finish strongly and therefore put us in a good position for preseason and next year.’’
Taylor’s young halves, five eighth Mitchell Moses and halfback Luke Brooks, have been earmarked for greatness since their arrival in the NRL, but how have they gone in their first full year together? Has Moses progressed more than Brooks this season?
“Both have made some really great improvements,’’ says Taylor.
“Mitch has obviously settled into his game lately and that’s great, but Luke’s also had a really good year.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“In a team that has won not so many games, if you look at his numbers, in tries scored and try assists – and his kicking game’s been really good – Luke’s had a really strong season in my opinion.’’[/social_quote]
