Behind The Roar Wests Tigers

This week’s guest on Behind The Roar is former Dragons’ winger Alex Lobb, who will make his first starting appearance in the NRL on Friday night in Wollongong.

Lobb, a 22-year-old Wollongong local, joined Wests Tigers in the off-season looking for an opportunity. 

He was unexpectedly called on to make his NRL debut in the team’s most recent match against the Cowboys in Townsville.

It was an unlikely debut with little fuss or fanfare in the lead up to the game.  As Alex explains, it was not how he thought it would happen, but he’s just stoked that it did.

His debut milestone was belatedly celebrated this week at the club, with his family on hand at the Zurich Centre on Tuesday to present Alex with his very first NRL jersey.

They will be there on Friday night too when Alex gets to run out in the starting side for the very first time, against of all sides his former club, and just up the road from home.

We chat to Lobby about his first 12 minutes in first grade, about his pathway to Wests Tigers after switching from soccer to league, and about how he’s enjoyed his first season at Concord despite the daily journey from the Gong.

We also dig a bit deeper into the mindset of a player and how he prepares for a match when named as 18th man.

Alex is living proof that you’ve got prepare as if you’re going to play, and you just never know, 18th man or not, you might even make your NRL debut!

 

On this week’s episode of BTR we chat to the man behind the design of our 2024 Indigenous Jersey which will be worn on Friday night against the Cowboys.

It’s a special bitesize edition of BTR where we recognise and celebrate the immense contribution indigenous players – past and present – have made to our game.

Uncle Richard Campbell has very close ties to rugby league and indeed to Wests Tigers. He is from the same Indigenous community as current Tigers half, Jayden Sullivan, who quickly suggested that his Uncle Richard should design the jersey. He is also the cousin of former Balmain Tigers player Paul Davis.

Richard talks about the significance of NRL Indigenous Round, the important role that rugby league plays in helping Indigenous youth, and his sheer delight in being involved with the club he supported as a child.

This week’s guest is a highly regarded sports administrator who was CEO of Central Coast Mariners for nine years and has previously worked in the NRL at both Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs.

He was recently appointed to the position of GM Community, Foundation and Affiliates and his work will play a huge role in Wests Tigers Strategic Plan.

We talk to Shaun about how his challenging experiences in the A League have shaped his passion for making a true difference in the community, and about the structure and purpose of the soon-to-be-launched Wests Tigers Empower program.

Shaun also tells us about the time he shared a beer with Kenny Sutcliffe – the ‘male model from Mudgee’ – not in Mudgee mind you, but of all places in Saudi Arabia!

All that and more in Episode 51 of Behind The Roar.

Joining us this week on our 50th episode of Behind the Roar is former Cowboys hooker, now Wests Magpies NSW Cup Coach, Aaron Payne.

Payne joined Wests Tigers in the pre-season, uprooting from Townsville for a sea change in the big smoke, and a fresh challenge.

After playing 219 NRL games across 11 seasons with the Cowboys, this fella has plenty of skin in the game, and can tell a yarn or two as well, like how he made a thousand bucks a minute when making his NRL debut.

We talk about the challenges and opportunities that come with the job as reserve grade coach, when, more often than not, the team changes from week to week. 

Payne talks about his own football journey and why the time was right for him to hang up the boots as a 29-year-old and turn his hand to coaching.  He also talks about the disappointment of losing the 2005 Grand Final, the No.9s competing with Api Koroisau for a Blues Origin berth, and away from footy, his love of fishing and thoroughbreds.

All that and more on our 50th episode of Behind The Roar.

On this week’s episode of BTR we learn a lot more about 21-year-old middle forward, Fonua Pole.

 

We chat about preparations for Saturday’s game against the Bulldogs, how some divine intervention helped him switch from Aussie Rules to Rugby League, and he also tells us about his ‘first true love’. 

 

As debate continues about banning the long kick-off, Fonua says he loves coming off the back fence, and reveals what goes through his mind at that moment just before ‘collision time.  

Of Tongan heritage, New Zealand-born, and raised in Melbourne, Fonua also reveals his entrepreneurial side, telling us about his latest clothing label and the inspiration behind its name, ‘live yourz’. 

 

All that and more on episode 49 of Behind The Roar.

On this week’s episode of Behind the Roar turn back the clock with two of Wests Tigers ‘Originals’ who played in the club’s first season in the NRL, and in the very first match against the Broncos at Campbelltown.



We chat to WT Player #8 Shane Walker – who zooms in from his worksite – and WT Player #15 John Skandalis – who strolls in from his worksite, the corporate sales suite at the Zurich Centre.

 

Both players reminisce about the good old days, excited about Saturday’s past players get together at Campbelltown, when suddenly informed mid-recording that former teammate, WT Player #4, had passed away.  

 

We talk about Terry - the footballer and the larrikin, we look at a couple of key battles that will take place on Saturday evening, including the match-up between two of the game’s best props, Stefano Utoikamanu and Payne Haas.

 

We also discuss the move of John Bateman to lock, the impending NRL debut of former Super Rugby star Solomon Alaimalo, and the rising stars involved in junior rep Grand Finals on Saturday at CommBank Stadium.

 

All that and more on episode 48 of Behind the Roar!