Tiger Takes

Have we seen a more impressive club debut than Kai Pearce-Paul? 80 minutes, 2 tries, 140 metres, 30 tackles. Great job by the club identifying a very specific recruitment need, right edge second-row, and signing the best option on the market.

@NBWT__ In your opinion is Ethan Roberts a chance of a debut this year? Considering if Samuela/KPP are out Sukkar is first drop, could he leap him?

- Ethan Roberts will make his club #NSWCup debut this weekend in the backrow - Balmain #SGBall captain + 2027 NRL T&T Blake Van Drie named on extended bench in #JerseyFlegg for the first time - Pheonix Godinet to start in the backrow in #JerseyFlegg

@Gnr4life1 We hadn’t won 3 games in a row in 8 years. Stop it

@Tiger_Takes The delusions a few wins create

Disappointed that Jarome is leaving, but we are stacked in the halves with Doueihi, Madden, Latu Fainu & Javon Andrews. Regardless, we have a great chance to do well this year & next with Jarome in the team, and it gives time for his replacement to claim that jersey for 2028.

@Gnr4life1 Do you not watch rugby league? Madden went 3-0 as halfback this year. Andrews is the U19s Queensland half. Latu Fainu is a huge talent. We’re covered in the halves

@Tiger_Takes The delusions a few wins create. The club will almost certainly go to the open market to look for a marque half. They aren’t settling on Madden and Andrews

Adam Blueouhi.

@CastTiger Think it’ll be Hope & Latu, Seyfarth in for KPP, ideally Benji can get Bunty into the mix for the Seyfarth bench role

Would say Api takes the guilty plea Hope will obviously be the 9, but the bench makeup will likely change Who shares the minutes at 9 Sione? Latu? Murray? Haywood hasnt even been playing NSW cup, big jump from Flegg to NRL

@LeagueEyeTest In your opinion, is this sustainable? Understand strength of schedule plays a big role in a small sample size, does the schedule we’ve played so far stack up for you?

Yes the Tigers lost on Saturday, but they've still shown dramatic improvement this season, especially in defense. This week's post is a look at the numbers showing how Benji has shaped the team And of course there's some Alex Twal stats rugbyleagueeyetest.com/2026/04/20/don…

@LeagueEyeTest Outstanding article. Thanks for writing it!

@CastTiger I think Luai only being there ~2.5/6 games is a big factor here. He was great in the redzone against the Cows, he should be the one that has a few different tools to unlock a defence in the 20. Whether it’s using Sam or Taylan, his short kicking game, or footwork & speed 1 on 1.

The tigers have the 2nd worst attack in the opposition 20 Luai, Doeuihi, Madden it doesn’t matter It’s the attacking structure we play too

@NBWT__ Agreed, I’d be swapping Makasini out for Tavana if he’s fit, and either giving Makasini a rest or a couple of weeks in NSW cup. Objectively, Tavana has outperformed Makasini this year, and is offering more of a threat as you say

Also why I think they need to find a way to get Tino upgraded immediately. Using him as an aerial target at least forces them into some kind of creativity.

@Bgal1414 @RapidKarnage He’s playing 20 minutes less than Smith per game, if you’re going to comment at least get your facts right. He gave the club an ultimatum, agitated for a release from and its backfired

@RapidKarnage @Tiger_Takes No it’s completely lies all tigers fans are so hurt by every player who leaves it’s hilarious. He left to play nrl not because he said he was better then Api and he is playing more minutes then smith and should be starting and playing 80 playing good footy

Last year, Tallyn Da Silva said to the club that he should be starting over Api Koroisau & would leave if Api re-signed. Benji backed Api. This year, Api has led us to equal 1st, a 4-1 record and is in the origin frame. TDS is playing ~20 mins off the bench for the 2nd last team.

@LeagueEyeTest Just as everyone predicted!

With that Tabuai-Fidow try against Penrth from ~62m out, that makes the Wests Tigers the last team remaining this season not to have conceded a try from a play the ball inside their opponents half

@WestsTigersLife Ridiculous that Moses’ was a penalty and the one tonight wasn’t. How they can judge what’s “incidental” and not is just again ridiculous. We are lucky it didn’t decide our game because we got a square to, but if I’m the storm I’m fuming - that has to be a penalty if Moses’ one is

Wait, when could high tackles be called incidental? Mitchell Moses had his makeup slightly messed up by Samuela and the Bunker said it was high?! #nrlraidersstorm

@Kyeser06 If you think you’re too good to sit behind the captain of the club and want to dictate terms to the club, giving them an ultimatum and threaten to leave, I see that as disrespectful

@Tiger_Takes Because he never disrespected anyone you are just lying lol

@trravisd @SHELTONZOR Yep I think it’s a bad combination of debuted too early by the club + pushy managers telling them they are the next big thing + a trend of younger people these days not having any patience.

@SHELTONZOR @Tiger_Takes 100%, but now as soon as they get a taste of first grade, they want or expect to be out and out starters every week and when they get asked to bide their time in Cup, they leave. Whether that's poor influence from their managers or an ego problem, it ain't a good look

@t_m_140682 Good measured take. Fair call that he bet on himself. My issue is that this is a very young player trying to dictate to the club by giving them an ultimatum, by doing so disrespecting Api & the team. It was “me” before “we”. The club gave him his debut when other clubs wouldn’t.

@Tiger_Takes He bet on himself. Was just timing that made this a big deal last year with the Galvin drama. Plenty of players have done this when path is blocked. Hadn’t done much to justify starting over Koroisau and koroisau proving he still top tier hooker.

@Gurgarious We’ve got a caps lock lunatic here do we? He literally says “if you choose to go with Api then we will have to look elsewhere”

@Tiger_Takes WHERE IN THAT FUCKING STATEMENT DOES IT SAY HE SHOULD BE STARTING!?

@Gurgarious No I’m not. Read his quotes properly. He thought he should be starting at the tigers ahead of the captain and 3-time premiership winner. He gave the club an ultimatum that if they re-signed their captain, he would leave. It’s literally stated there. Disrespectful to say the least

@Tiger_Takes That’s not the point.. you’re putting words in to his mouth and are spreading misinformation. He could have meant that he wanted to be the future 9 for the club doesn’t mean he had to start right away. Do you think he would’ve joined the Eels if he knew he would be on the bench?

@Gurgarious What do you think it means when he says “if you choose to go with Api then we will have to go elsewhere”

@Tiger_Takes Where does it say he should be starting over Api…?

@Tiger_Takes Talk out of your ass mate