Zac Cini: Superstar in the making A Set the default text size A Set large text size
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Watching the coverage of the Wests Tigers-Dragons game, I noticed the hair colour, hair cut and facial hair of the young debutant almost immediately.
“Who is this guy?” I thought. “He will be seeing a lot of high ball from Ben Hunt and Corey Norman today.”
But maybe the Dragons had done their homework and knew he was going to be a legend straight out of the gates and there was no point trying to rain bombs on the future of rugby league, and they’d need to look elsewhere for a chance to win.
Winners
Eels skipper Clint Gutherson (91) was unstoppable in a 32-10 win over Canterbury, topping the round with two tries and 10 busts despite getting an early mark from coach Brad Arthur.
His teammate Isaiah Papali i now has to be regarded as a genuine keeper after holding a starting edge spot despite the return of Ryan Matterson, bumping Shaun Lane to the bench and piling on another 80 NRL Fantasy points.
The Roosters impressive win over the Knights was tempered by some devastating injury news (more on that below) but the high point without a doubt was the stunning form of teenage half Sam Walker, who had a hand in all seven of his team s tries and finishes with a try and four try-assists in his 88-point haul.
By Mark Levy4 hours ago
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Wests Tigers churn through coaches like toilet paper and if Michael Maguire becomes the next mentor to be flushed by the club, they are just covering up their own mistakes.
The recent conga line of NRL coaches who have attempted to turn the Tigers into a premiership force have all ended up failing, but it s through no fault of their own; the finger should instead be pointed at the executive team and the board. It s always the coach who ends up fighting for his future according to a report on the back page of the paper, so why not the people running the club?
The Wests Tigers are hoping Jackson Hastings can have a similar impact to Canberra’s signing of English stars Josh Hodgson and Elliott Whitehead by becoming a circuit breaker for the club’s recruitment ambitions.
After falling short in attempts to sign the likes of Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr, the Tigers have been forced to target young talent for their rebuilding program but recent results are testing the patience of the club’s hierarchy.
The worst start to a season since former Parramatta CEO Denis Fitzgerald predicted in 1999 that “two struggling clubs getting together” would create a “struggling joint venture with no great long term future” has sparked speculation about the future of Tigers coach Michael Maguire.