Wests Tigers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
 Wests Tigers 

Club information
Full name	Wests Tigers Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Tigers, Wests
Website	weststigers.com.au
Colours	Black      White      Gold
Founded	27 July 1999 (joint-venture of the Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies)
Current details
Ground(s)	Campbelltown Stadium (18,000) Leichhardt Oval (20,000)
CEO	Shane Richardson (interim)
Chairman	Barry O'Farrell (Interim)
Coach	Benji Marshall
Captain	Apisai Koroisau
Competition	National Rugby League
2024 season	17th
Uniforms
Home colours Away colours
Records
Premierships	1 (2005)
Runners-up	0
Minor premiership	0
Wooden spoons	3 (2022, 2023, 2024)
Most capped	277 - Robbie Farah
Highest points scorer	1181 - Benji Marshall

The Wests Tigers is an Australian professional rugby league team. They are based in Sydney, Australia. The Tigers joined the National Rugby League (NRL) in 2000. They were formed by combining two older clubs: the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs Magpies.

The Wests Tigers won their first championship (premiership) in 2005. They are one of only two clubs that have never lost a grand final they played in. The club also won the World Sevens competition in 2004. The Tigers play their home games at two different stadiums: Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown Stadium. Their current coach is Benji Marshall.

History of the Wests Tigers

How the Club Started

Rugby league began in Australia in 1908. The first league, the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL), had nine teams from Sydney. Two of these teams were from Balmain and Western Suburbs. They played each other in the very first round of 1908. Balmain won that game.

The Balmain club later became known as the Balmain Tigers. They were a strong team, winning many championships. However, by the 1990s, they were struggling. The Western Suburbs club, known as the Magpies, also had a tough time in the 1990s.

The league changed names a few times. By 1998, the National Rugby League (NRL) was formed. The NRL decided to have fewer teams. This meant some clubs had to merge (combine) to survive.

Joining Forces

Both the Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies were looking for partners. They wanted to merge with another club to stay in the top league. They decided to join together to form a strong new team.

In 1999, the two clubs officially merged. They created the Wests Tigers. Each original club owned half of the new team. The first CEO (chief executive officer) was Steve Noyce. The first chairman was John Chalk.

Playing Seasons and Coaches

Coach Wayne Pearce (2000)

Wayne Pearce, who coached Balmain before, became the first coach of the Wests Tigers. Jarrod McCracken was the first captain. Their first game was a 24-all draw against the Brisbane Broncos.

The team played surprisingly well in their first year. They were often near the top of the ladder. However, injuries to key players caused them to drop out of the top eight. Joel Caine was the top point-scorer in the NRL that year.

Coach Terry Lamb (2001–2002)

After Wayne Pearce left, Terry Lamb became the coach. This was a bit controversial for some Balmain fans. The team had a difficult 2001 season. Some key players faced suspensions.

The team struggled and finished near the bottom of the ladder. Terry Lamb's contract was not renewed. The club then chose Tim Sheens as the new coach for 2003.

Coach Tim Sheens (2003–2012)

In 2003, the team focused on developing young players. A very talented schoolboy, Benji Marshall, made his debut. The team improved a lot in 2004. New players like Brett Hodgson and Pat Richards joined. The Tigers almost made the finals that year.

Winning the Premiership (2005)

The 2005 season was the best for the Wests Tigers. They made the finals for the first time. They also finished fourth in the regular season. Many people didn't expect them to win the championship.

The team became known for its exciting, attacking style of play. They won eight games in a row. In the finals, they beat the North Queensland Cowboys 50–6. Then they defeated the Brisbane Broncos and St. George Illawarra Dragons.

The Tigers played the North Queensland Cowboys again in the Grand Final. The Tigers won 30–16. Pat Richards scored an amazing try that started with Benji Marshall running 60 meters and making a flick pass. Captain Scott Prince won the Clive Churchill Medal for being the best player in the Grand Final.

Winning the premiership in their first Grand Final was a rare achievement. It hadn't happened in almost 100 years.

After the Premiership

After their big win, some key players left the club. The team struggled with injuries in 2006. They narrowly missed the finals. Brett Hodgson played for New South Wales in the State of Origin series.

The Tigers continued to miss the finals in 2007, 2008, and 2009. In 2008, they signed Gareth Ellis, a strong international player.

Return to Finals (2010-2011)

In 2010, the club signed former Rugby Union star Lote Tuqiri. Benji Marshall also signed a new long-term contract. The team finished third in the league. They almost made the Grand Final again but lost by one point in the preliminary final.

In 2011, the Tigers had another good season. They finished fourth and made the semi-finals. However, they lost to the New Zealand Warriors.

Form Slump (2012)

In 2012, the Tigers were expected to do well. But they finished 10th and missed the finals. Coach Tim Sheens left the club at the end of the season.

Coach Mick Potter (2013–2014)

Mick Potter became the new head coach in 2013. The team continued to struggle, finishing 15th in 2013 and 13th in 2014.

During this time, Benji Marshall decided to leave the club to play rugby union. Mick Potter's contract was not renewed after the 2014 season.

Changes in Ownership (2014)

The club faced financial challenges. The NRL (National Rugby League) stepped in to help. A new board of directors was formed. Marina Go became the chairperson.

Coach Jason Taylor (2015–2017)

Jason Taylor became the new coach for the 2015 season. The team finished 15th. There were rumors of disagreements between the coach and captain, Robbie Farah. Robbie Farah was allowed to look for another club.

In 2016, Aaron Woods became the new captain. The team had mixed results and finished 9th, just missing the finals. Robbie Farah left the club at the end of the season.

In 2017, some key players were considering leaving the club. After some heavy losses, Jason Taylor was dismissed as coach. Assistant coach Andrew Webster took over temporarily.

New Ownership (2016)

In 2016, the ownership of the club was finally settled. Wests Ashfield Leagues Club became the majority owner (75%). Balmain kept 25% ownership. This helped stabilize the club's finances.

Coach Ivan Cleary (2017–2018)

Ivan Cleary was announced as the new coach in April 2017. He famously told the players, "You are either on the bus, or you are off it." This became a popular slogan.

The team finished 14th in 2017. In 2018, they started well but then had a mid-season slump. They finished 9th, again missing the finals. Towards the end of 2018, Ivan Cleary left the club to return to the Penrith Panthers.

Coach Michael Maguire (2019-2022)

Michael Maguire was announced as the new coach. He changed the team's slogan to "This is Our Jungle."

Salary Cap Issues

In late 2018, the NRL found that the Wests Tigers had issues with their salary cap. This was related to an offer made to Robbie Farah when he left the club. The club was fined, and CEO Justin Pascoe was temporarily stood down. The club appealed, and the fine was reduced. Justin Pascoe returned to his role later in 2019.

Season 2019

The Tigers played some home games at the new Western Sydney Stadium. They had some good wins but also some big losses. They finished 9th for the sixth time since 2000. This was also Robbie Farah's final game.

Season 2020

The 2020 season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Games were played without fans for a while. The team finished 11th. They also set an unwanted record for conceding many points in consecutive games.

Chris Lawrence and Benji Marshall both announced their retirement from the club at the end of the season.

Player Swap (2020)

In 2020, the Wests Tigers made history with the first "player swap" in the NRL. Melbourne Storm hooker Harry Grant and Tigers center Paul Momirovski swapped clubs for the season.

Ownership Update (2020)

The ownership structure changed again in 2020. Wests Ashfield Leagues Club and Balmain Tigers Leagues Club officially combined. This meant Wests Ashfield now owned 90% of the club, and Balmain owned 10%.

Season 2021

The 2021 season started with new players and hope. However, the team struggled. They paid tribute to former Western Suburbs legend Tommy Raudonikis who passed away. The team finished 13th. There were talks about coach Michael Maguire leaving, but he stayed for 2022.

Season 2022

The 2022 season was tough. Key players were injured. After 12 rounds, the team had only three wins. Coach Michael Maguire was dismissed in June 2022.

Brett Kimmorley became the interim coach. The team suffered their heaviest loss in club history, 72-6, against the Sydney Roosters. In round 24, the Wests Tigers finished last on the ladder, earning their first Wooden Spoon in club history.

Coach Tim Sheens (2023)

Before the end of 2022, it was announced that former coach Tim Sheens would return as head coach for 2023.

Coaching Team Changes

Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah were appointed to the coaching team. It was planned for Benji Marshall to take over as head coach in 2025.

Season 2023

The team started 2023 by losing their first five matches. This was the second year in a row they did this. In April, the club faced criticism for using an image of American soldiers on a special ANZAC jersey. They apologized for this mistake.

In round 9, the Tigers got their first win in a long time, beating the Penrith Panthers. They had a big win against the North Queensland Cowboys, 66-18. However, in round 18, they suffered a huge loss to the same team, 74-0.

In August 2023, Tim Sheens asked to step down as head coach at the end of the season. This meant Benji Marshall would become head coach in 2024, earlier than planned. Fans showed their unhappiness with the club's management by displaying banners at games.

The Wests Tigers finished with the Wooden Spoon for the second year in a row in 2023.

Independent Review (2023)

The club announced an independent review of its operations. Changes were made to the board of directors.

Coach Benji Marshall (2024–)

Benji Marshall officially became the head coach for the 2024 season. He added John Morris to his coaching team.

The 2024 season was another difficult one. The team had a nine-game losing streak. In the final round, they lost to Parramatta, which meant they finished with the Wooden Spoon for the third year in a row.

New Board and CEO (2023)

In December 2023, the board of directors was changed. CEO Justin Pascoe resigned. Shane Richardson became the interim CEO. Barry O'Farrell, a former politician, returned as the interim chairman of the board.

Club Structure and Management

The Wests Tigers are a joint venture between two older rugby league clubs.

Western Suburbs Leagues Club

This group, also known as Holman Barnes Group, provides a lot of financial support to the Wests Tigers. They own Wests Ashfield Leagues Club and other venues.

Balmain Tigers Rugby League Football Club

The Balmain Tigers club was one of the original rugby league teams in Sydney. They won many championships. Their Leagues Club closed in 2010. In 2019, the Balmain Leagues Club officially combined with Wests Ashfield Leagues Club.

Former Clubs

Wests Campbelltown

Wests Campbelltown Leagues Club used to be involved with the Wests Tigers. It is located next to Campbelltown Stadium. Wests Campbelltown is no longer part of the Wests Tigers joint venture.

Board of Directors

The club's board can have up to 9 members. As of December 2023, the board includes:

• Interim Chair: Barry O'Farrell
• Holman Barnes Nominee: David Gilbert
• Balmain Tigers Nominee: Danny Stapleton
• Wests Magpies: To Be Announced

The club secretary is Tim Brown, who is also the CFO (Chief Financial Officer).

Ownership Structure

As of October 2020, the ownership is:

• Wests Magpies Pty Ltd owns 90% of the shares.
• Balmain Tigers Rugby League Football Club Ltd owns 10% of the shares.

Home Stadiums

The Wests Tigers do not have just one home stadium. They play games at several grounds each year.

Their main home grounds are Campbelltown Sports Stadium and Leichhardt Oval. Each stadium hosts about five games per season. These stadiums are in the areas where the original Magpies and Tigers clubs were based.

The club also plays some "home" games at other stadiums. These include Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane for Magic Round. They have also played at Sydney Football Stadium, Accor Stadium, and Commbank Stadium.

Current Home Stadiums

• Campbelltown Sports Stadium (since 2000): 96 games played, 39 wins, 56 losses, 1 draw.
• Leichhardt Oval (since 2000): 98 games played, 54 wins, 43 losses, 1 draw.

Other Stadiums Used

• Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (since 2019): 22 games played, 10 wins, 12 losses.
• Scully Park, Tamworth (2018–2024): 5 games played, 1 win, 4 losses.
• Accor Stadium (2005–2008, 2014–2018): 91 games played, 36 wins, 55 losses.
• Sydney Cricket Ground (2008–2020): 9 games played, 3 wins, 6 losses.
• Allianz Stadium (2009–2013): 42 games played, 16 wins, 26 losses.
• Commbank Stadium (2019–2023): 25 games played, 9 wins, 16 losses.

Club Emblems and Jerseys

The Wests Tigers' name and logo combine parts of the two original clubs. Their uniform colors are black and white (from Western Suburbs) and black and gold (from Balmain). The original logo had a tiger head and a "V" shape from Wests. There was also a magpie on the sleeves.

In 2009, for their 10th anniversary, they had a special white jersey with a gold "V". In 2021, the club updated its logo to be simpler and more modern.

Supporters

At the end of the 2023 season, the Wests Tigers had over 20,000 paying members. This made them the sixth largest club in Sydney by membership.

Many famous people support the Wests Tigers, including:

• Jimmy Barnes (musician)
• Ash Barty (tennis player)
• Tim Cahill (soccer player)
• Michael Clarke (cricketer)
• Anthony Field (from The Wiggles)
• Dawn Fraser (Olympic swimmer)
• Benji Marshall (former player and current coach)
• Barry O'Farrell (former politician)

Kit Sponsors and Manufacturers

Year	Kit Supplier	Major Sponsor	Sternum Sponsor	Upper Back Sponsor	Lower Back Sponsor	Sleeve Sponsor	Shorts Sponsors
2020	ISC	Brydens Lawyers	neds	neds	Allied Express	Brydens Lawyers	U Tech, Deemah Stone, MSR Services
2021	Steeden	Brydens Lawyers	neds	neds	Organica	Brydens Lawyers	Barclay Pearce Capital, PlayUp, Sharp Extensive IT
2022	Steeden	Brydens Lawyers	Organica	ELMO Software	KFC	Brydens Lawyers	Barclay Pearce Capital, PlayUp, Sharp Extensive IT
2023	Steeden	Brydens Lawyers	PlayUp	FAB Industrial Logistics	KFC	FAB Industrial Logistics	Barclay Pearce Capital, Draft Stars
2024	Steeden	Brydens Lawyers	NA	PlayUp	NA	FAB Industrial Logistics	Pama

Main Partners

• Brydens Lawyers is the major partner.

Other Important Partners

• PlayUp, Steeden, Allied Express, Victoria Bitter are premier partners.
• ISRI Truck Seats, Wests Campbelltown, Ticketek, Sydney Motorway Corporation, WestConnex, MSR Services Australia, Austbrokers Canberra, Lantrak, Utech are platinum partners.
• Wests Ashfield Leagues Club, Chemist Warehouse, Binet Homes, Handy Finance, Liverpool Catholic Club, Income Tax Professionals, Expresso Organica are gold partners.

Season Statistics

Season	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	B	F	A	+/-	Pts	Notes	Crowd*
2000	10th	26	11	2	13	N/A	519	642	−123	24	Wests Tigers 2000	12,124
2001	12th	26	9	1	16	N/A	474	746	−272	19	Wests Tigers 2001	9,287
2002	13th	24	7	0	17	2	498	642	−144	18	Wests Tigers 2002	10,478
2003	13th	24	7	0	17	2	470	598	−128	18	Wests Tigers 2003	8,993
2004	9th	24	10	0	14	2	509	534	−25	24	Wests Tigers 2004	13,935
2005	4th	24	14	0	10	2	676	575	101	32	Premiers Wests Tigers 2005	19,998
2006	11th	24	10	0	14	2	490	565	−75	24	Wests Tigers 2006	19,357
2007	9th	24	11	0	13	1	541	561	−20	24	Wests Tigers 2007	16,766
2008	10th	24	11	0	13	2	528	560	−32	26	Wests Tigers 2008	15,930
2009	9th	24	12	0	12	2	558	483	75	28	Wests Tigers 2009	16,848
2010	3rd	24	15	0	9	2	537	503	34	34	Wests Tigers 2010	16,941
2011	4th	24	15	0	9	2	519	430	89	34	Wests Tigers 2011	17,852
2012	10th	24	11	0	13	2	506	551	−45	26	Wests Tigers 2012	16,227
2013	15th	24	7	0	17	2	386	687	−301	18	Wests Tigers 2013	10,507
2014	13th	24	10	0	14	2	420	631	−211	24	Wests Tigers 2014	13,104
2015	15th	24	8	0	16	2	487	562	−75	20	Wests Tigers 2015	11,709
2016	9th	24	11	0	13	2	499	607	−108	26	Wests Tigers 2016	15,390
2017	14th	24	7	0	17	2	413	571	−158	18	2017 Wests Tigers 2017	13,551
2018	9th	24	12	0	12	1	377	460	−83	26	Wests Tigers 2018	17,181
2019	9th	24	11	0	13	1	475	486	−11	24	Wests Tigers 2019	13,992
2020	11th	20	7	0	13	0	440	505	−65	14	Wests Tigers 2020	2,966
2021	13th	24	8	0	16	1	500	714	−214	18	Wests Tigers 2021	9,526
2022	16th	24	4	0	20	1	352	679	−327	10	Wests Tigers 2022	11,094
2023	17th	24	4	0	20	3	385	675	−290	14	Wests Tigers 2023	11,042
2024	17th	24	6	0	18	3	463	750	−287	18	Wests Tigers 2024	12,653

* Average home crowd

Head-to-Head Records

Opponent	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Win %
Cowboys	46	24	0	22	52.17
Sharks	38	19	1	18	50.00
Dragons	46	21	0	25	45.65
Raiders	44	20	0	24	45.45
Knights	38	17	0	21	44.74
Warriors	37	16	0	21	43.24
Rabbitohs	44	18	0	26	40.91
Sea Eagles	37	15	0	22	40.54
Bulldogs	44	17	0	27	38.64
Titans	27	10	0	17	37.04
Panthers	41	15	0	26	36.58
Eels	48	17	1	30	35.42
Dolphins	3	1	0	2	33.33
Storm	38	12	0	26	31.58
Broncos	33	9	1	23	27.27
Roosters	39	9	0	30	23.07

Finals Appearances

The Wests Tigers have made the finals 3 times:

• 2005
• 2010
• 2011

2025 Squad (Team Members)

New Players and Players Leaving for 2025

New Players Joining

Player	Previous Club	Contract Ends
Jack Bird	St George Illawarra Dragons	2026
Jarome Luai	Penrith Panthers	2029
Jeral Skelton	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	2026
John Bateman*	Warrington Wolves	2026
Sunia Turuva	Penrith Panthers	2027
Royce Hunt	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	2027

*Returning from a loan to another team.

Players Leaving

Player	New Club
Aidan Sezer	Hull F.C.
Isaiah Papali'i	Penrith Panthers
Junior Tupou	Dolphins
Stefano Utoikamanu	Melbourne Storm

Club Records and Statistics

Robbie Farah holds the record for playing the most games for the Wests Tigers, with 277 appearances.

The highest point-scorer for the club is Benji Marshall, with 1181 points. He is followed by Brett Hodgson (786 points) and Joel Caine (526 points). In 2005, Hodgson scored a record 308 points in one season. He also scored 30 points in one game during the 2005 semi-finals.

David Nofoaluma has scored the most tries for the Wests Tigers, with 100 tries. Taniela Tuiaki scored a club record 21 tries in the 2009 season.

Wests Tigers "Team of the Century"

In 2004, the Wests Tigers announced their Team of the Century. This team included the best players from both the Balmain and Western Suburbs clubs. Nine players from Balmain and eight from Western Suburbs made up the 17-member team.

Wests Tigers' Team of the Century

First team squad						Reserves		Coaching staff
1 Keith Barnes – FB – Balmain 2 Peter Dimond – WG – Western Suburbs 3 Charles Fraser – CE – Balmain 4 Harry Wells – CE – Western Suburbs 5 Alan Ridley – WG – Western Suburbs 6 Vic Hey – FE – Western Suburbs 7 Keith Holman – HB – Western Suburbs 8 Steve Roach – PR – Balmain 9 Ben Elias – HK – Balmain 10 Noel Kelly – PR – Western Suburbs 11 Paul Sironen – SR – Balmain 12 Arthur Beetson – SR – Balmain 13 Wayne Pearce – LK – Balmain						14 Kel O'Shea – SR – Western Suburbs 15 Jim Craig – CE, HB – Balmain 16 Tom Raudonikis – HB – Western Suburbs 17 Harry Bath – SR – Balmain		Head coach Norm "Latchem" Robinson – Balmain Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice captain(s)

Team Captains

There have been 25 captains for the Wests Tigers since 2000. The current captain is Apisai Koroisau.

No	Captain	Years	Games
1	Jarrod McCracken	2000	6
2	Darren Senter	2000–2004	86
3	Terry Hill	2000–2002	2
4	Craig Field	2000	2
5	John Simon	2001	2
6	Ben Galea	2001–2006	7
7	Mark O'Neill	2002–2005	19
8	Corey Pearson	2002	1
9	Scott Sattler	2004	8
10	Scott Prince	2005–2006	29
11	Brett Hodgson	2006–2008	50
12	Todd Payten	2007–2009	9
13	Robbie Farah	2007–2016, 2019	149
14	Benji Marshall	2009–2013, 2018–2020	45
15	Braith Anasta	2014	5
16	Chris Lawrence	2014–2018	14
17	Aaron Woods	2014–2017	46
18	Dene Halatau	2015–2016	8
19	Elijah Taylor	2017	1
20	Russell Packer	2018	5
21	Moses Mbye	2019–2020	32
22	James Tamou	2021–2022	38
23	Luke Brooks	2021–2023	17
24	Apisai Koroisau	2023–	43
25	John Bateman	2023–	3

Team Coaches

There have been 11 coaches for the Wests Tigers since 2000. The current coach is Benji Marshall.

No	Name	Seasons	Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %	Premiers	Runners-up	Minor premiers	Wooden spoons	Notes
1	Pearce, WayneWayne Pearce	2000	26	11	2	13	42.3%	—	—	—	—	—
2	Lamb, TerryTerry Lamb	2001–2002	50	16	1	33	32%	—	—	—	—	—
3	Sheens, TimTim Sheens	2003–2012, 2023	273	126	0	147	46.15%	2005	—	—	2023	Club's first finals appearance and premiership in 2005.
4	Potter, MickMick Potter	2013–2014	48	17	0	31	35%	—	—	—	—	—
5	Taylor, JasonJason Taylor	2015–2017	51	20	0	31	39%	—	—	—	—	Sacked mid-season
6	Webster, AndrewAndrew Webster	2017	2	0	0	2	0%	—	—	—	—	Caretaker coach
7	Cleary, IvanIvan Cleary	2017–2018	43	18	0	25	42%	—	—	—	—	—
8	Maguire, MichaelMichael Maguire	2019–2022	80	29	0	51	36.25%	—	—	—	—	Sacked mid-season
9	Kimmorley, BrettBrett Kimmorley	2022	12	1	0	11	8.33%	—	—	—	2022	Caretaker coach
10	Gardiner, BenBen Gardiner	2022	1	0	0	1	0%	—	—	—	—	Caretaker coach
11	Marshall, BenjiBenji Marshall	2024–	24	6	0	18	25%	—	—	—	—	Current Coach

Club Honours and Awards

• NRL Premiership: 1

2005

Pre-season and Youth Competitions

• Rugby League World Sevens: 1

2004

• Foundation Cup: 1

2011

• Under-20s Premiership: 1

2012

New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL)

• Harold Matthews Cup: 1

2022

• NSW Women's Premiership: 1

2022

See also

In Spanish: Wests Tigers para niños

• National Rugby League
• Balmain Tigers
• Western Suburbs Magpies
• Huddersfield Giants