'Don't care': Demoralising saga hurting Tigers

1 year ago 83

NRL large Paul Gallen says helium "doesn't care" wherefore caller enlistee John Bateman is yet to play for the Wests Tigers, successful the aftermath of an bonzer outburst from nine president Lee Hagipantelis but says the disorder surrounding the marquee signing's presumption hurts the club's fans.

Officially, Bateman is "acclimatising" aft lone arriving from the UK 2 weeks earlier the commencement of the season. But rumours person emerged that the 29-year-old mightiness beryllium suffering from an ankle injury.

Ahead of the club's lucifer against Newcastle, Hagipantelis called connected those pushing the ankle wounded enactment to "put up oregon unopen up".

"If immoderate conception of the media has grounds to found that what I person said publically is mendacious oregon misleading, past I would invitation them to supply [the] aforesaid to me," helium told The Sydney Morning Herald.

"I would besides caution anyone to suggest publically that I person lied oregon misled our supporters. Some whitethorn construe specified remarks arsenic defamatory."

Writing successful his weekly file for Wide World of Sports, Gallen noted that the full saga was demoralising for fans.

"I don't truly attraction wherefore Bateman isn't playing," helium said.

"If he's got an ankle injury, good that's life. If they're putting him done a spot of a pre-season to get his fittingness to wherever it needs to be, that's good arsenic well.

"The hard happening for Tigers fans is not being wholly definite which 1 to believe."

Gallen explained that Bateman's clip with Canberra successful 2019-20 meant helium was the champion justice of his fittingness levels, earlier pointing retired that losses to Gold Coast and Newcastle made his lack adjacent much conspicuous.

"If helium didn't person a bully pre-season, I tin recognize the determination to wait," Gallen said.

Stream the NRL premiership 2023 unrecorded and escaped on 9Now

"He's played successful the NRL before, truthful helium knows however acceptable and beardown helium needs to be. I've got nary occupation with that.

"It's a agelong hard season, and if you haven't had a bully mentation you're going to get injured and you'll beryllium retired for perchance a batch longer than you would person been had you waited.

"They're looking astatine the agelong game, but I conjecture that's travel to a caput a spot due to the fact that they're 0-2. If they'd beaten the Titans and Knights cipher would beryllium saying anything."

Gallen wrote that the Tigers ever look to beryllium successful the midst of 1 situation oregon another, putting it down to the information the nine hasn't played finals shot since 2011.

In that clip they've had 8 antithetic caput coaches - Tim Sheens (2012), Mick Potter (2013-14), Jason Taylor (2015-2017), Andrew Webster (2017), Ivan Cleary (2017-2018), Michael Maguire (2019-2022), Brett Kimmorley (2022) and Ben Gardiner (2022). Ironically, Sheens is present backmost successful charge.

"A batch of that (drama) is the information it's casual to footwear a squad erstwhile they're down," Gallen said.

"When things aren't going good radical are looking for the reasons why.

"Their roster, successful my opinion, inactive needs plentifulness of work. I said past twelvemonth determination was not a azygous subordinate astatine the nine that could pull different bully players.

"They've got Api Koroisau for 2023 and they tin usage him arsenic a selling point, present I don't cognize what they've payed for Api, but I'm definite it was overs, which they needed to bash to get a subordinate similar him to the club.

"At immoderate signifier that volition travel backmost to wound them, due to the fact that that's however the wage headdress works."

Gallen besides said expectations were "too high" if fans are looking for different caller recruit, ex-Parramatta guardant Isaiah Papali'i, to marque a important quality single-handedly.

"That's not just connected him," Gallen said.

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!