Wests Tigers 2024 season review
Overview
2024 was depressingly familiar for the long-suffering Tigers fans, as the team collected a third straight wooden spoon. After winning two of their opening three games, there was some early hope that the joint venture might make their first finals series since 2011.
However, that early optimism evaporated pretty quickly, as they went on to lose their next nine games on the spin, before back-to-back victories over the Titans and the Bulldogs briefly lifted them off the bottom of the ladder for one week. A 40-6 defeat to the Roosters in round 17 saw them drop straight back down though, and that’s where they stayed for the remainder of the year.
They went into the final round knowing that a win would lift them off the bottom at the expense of their opponents, Parramatta, but the Eels stuck 60 points on them to leave Wests facing another dreadful year.
Highs
Lachlan Galvin has been a shining light in a disappointing team this year. The 19-year-old has looked head and shoulders above many of his teammates in 2024, and he looks to have a very bright future in the game, wherever that may be.
As for results, a 32-6 win over the Sharks at a packed Leichardt Oval in round three was followed up by a single-point victory over the Eels at CommBank Stadium the following week.
The Tigers’ other four victories came in two sets of back-to-back wins, as well, so there’s something to build on for next year if they can find some consistency.
Lows
Where do I start?
With 18 defeats in 24 games, there were plenty of lows throughout the campaign, and that’s just on the field. Nine straight losses between rounds five and 14 killed any hopes the team had of finals footy, whilst their 58-6 mauling at the hands of the Sharks in round 19 was their biggest beating of the year.
Off the field, the sudden departure of John Bateman in late July left more questions than answers. As it stands, the Englishman is due back at the Tigers in 2025, but that looks unlikely.
Prop forward, Stefano Utoikamanu, meanwhile, took a pay cut to head to Melbourne Storm next year, despite Wests offering him a lucrative new contract.
And not forgetting, former chairman Lee Hagipantelis terminating his $1m per year Brydens Lawyers sponsorship of the club.
All in all, another tough campaign for the Tigers in 2024, but there are some bright spots ahead of 2025.
Reasons to be positive in 2025
We’ve already mentioned Lachlan Galvin, and the teenager will be joined in the halves next year by Jarome Luai. His arrival from serial premiers, Penrith Panthers, should give everyone at the Tigers a boost, if he can transfer some of that winning mentality to his new club.
Sunia Turuva is also coming over from the Panthers with him, while Jeral Skelton and Royce Hunt have also signed on for 2025 from the Bulldogs and the Sharks respectively, and are a couple of solid signings.
Another Premiership winner, Jack Bird, will add some more experience to the side when he arrives from the Dragons, so the team should be a bit stronger next year.
With exciting young players like the Fainu brothers and Jahream Bula still under contract for 2025, there are plenty of reasons why the Tigers could start climbing the ladder next year, although a top eight spot might be a stretch.
My 2024 prediction – 17th
Final 2024 position – 17th
Getting this one right doesn’t make me some sort of rugby league genius, but I’ll take it anyway. The Tigers were always destined to be in and around the bottom four, but they picked up two more wins than they did in 2023, and showed the occasional sign of promise this year. Ultimately it wasn’t enough to avoid a third consecutive wooden spoon though.
