Lachy MacCorquodale reviews the 2022 Season of the Wests Tigers where they finished 16th on the ladder.
Stats
Wins: 4
Losses: 20
Most Tries: Ken Maumalo (12)
Most Points: Adam Doueihi (52)
Club Player of the Year: Joe Ofahengaue
The year the Tigers will want to forget
2022 was a tough year to be a Tiger. The club finished in last place for the first time and broke three unwanted club records just to be sure.
Those being, the least number of wins during a season (4), the least number of points scored during a season (352) and most points conceded in a match (72).
Previously, we would’ve been able to say that the only way is up, but with a 17th team entering the competition next season, there’s now the possibility of dropping one place further. If the Tigers play like they did this year, there’s a very good possibility of this happening as they enter the 2023 season on a five-game losing streak and with just one win from their past 13 matches.
Their defence will need fixing by new defence coach Dave Furner, who joins the club from Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, after the club conceded 28.3 points per game (2nd worst in the league) and an incredible 47 points conceded per game over the last four matches as both the Sydney Roosters and the Canberra Raiders pilled on over 50 points during the closing weeks of the regular season.
The positives throughout the 2022 season were limited, with the back-to-back single-point victories over the Parramatta Eels and South Sydney Rabbitohs being the pick of the bunch.
Since those victories, it was mostly all downhill for the joint-venture.
They came back to life briefly during July with tight losses to Penrith and North Queensland (still sour about it) followed by a big win in Brisbane.
Although, once Jackson Hastings was injured in the outing against Brisbane, the club’s hopes of a positive end to the year were effectively wiped away.
However, the 2022 season is done with and the Tigers’ fans have copped enough.
The club turns to 2023 with a full season at their new training facility under Tigers’ legend Tim Sheens, their 2005 Premiership winning coach.
Sheens will welcome Premiership-winning hooker Apisai Koroisau to the club along with Isaiah Papali’i.
Could this trio bring a change of fortunes for the Tigers in 2023?
NothingButLeague Tigers Player of 2022: Jackson Hastings (6)
Embed from Getty ImagesMatches: 16
Points: 21
Run Metres: 1,243
Tackle Bursts: 33
Kick Metres: 2,569
Other Points: 4 Adam Doueihi, Jock Madden, Luke Brooks; 3 Alex Twal, Daine Laurie, Joe Ofahengaue, Ken Maumalo; 2 David Nofoaluma, Tom Freeburn; 1 Fonua Pole, James Tamou
