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Wests Tigers Podcast

Wests Tigers Podcast

By: Joel Helmes
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About this listen

 The Wests Tigers Podcast is a long-running, fan-run podcast and community that provides weekly coverage of the Wests Tigers, the NRL team. Established in 2018, the podcast, along with its associated forum, offers in-depth discussions on game analysis, team news, roster changes, and the club's future, aiming to connect fans and foster a harmonious environment for the Wests Tigers fanbase.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wests-tigers-podcast--6660380/support.Copyright Joel Helmes Politics & Government Rugby
Episodes
  • Welcome To Wests Tigers Bunty Afoa!

    Welcome To Wests Tigers Bunty Afoa!
    Oct 12 2025
    The Wests Tigers have signed New Zealand Warriors cult player, Bunty Afoa. Always a strong performer when playing against our club, Afoa is coming across the ditch on a one-year deal with Wests Tigers for season 2026.

    But what does the signing of the 29-year-old front-rower mean for the 2026 prop rotation, and in particular, for existing impact prop, Royce Hunt? Joel Helmes is joined by Nick Hayes and Declan McCutcheon on this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast to discuss the signing of Afoa and make some predictions around the impacts in 2026 on Hunt, Pole, Sione Fainu, and Twal.

    Another "off the back fence" type prop has also been linked to the Wests Tigers in recent times, Nathan Brown. Brown, who debuted with the Wests Tigers way back in 2013, could be heading back to the club as a swap for Jack Bird. Is this a good move? Does the Afoa signing put an end to this deal? And what do we expect from Jack Bird next year if he remains with the club?

    Also on the agenda of this off-season edition of the podcast is the announcement that Terrell May has won the 2025 Kelly-Barnes Award. The boys discuss the reasons why May was the standout for the award, but a few other potential winners also get a mention. There's also a look at what we might get from the 2025 Rookie of the Year, Tony Sukkar, in 2026.

    Lastly, the Wests Tigers bus has made a stop and let a few guys off. Staines, Feledy, Matamua, etc, didn't come as a great surprise. However, there was one name on the departing players list that we might not have seen coming: Brent Naden. We take a look at the reasons why Brent was put through the shredder and what that might mean for our backline next year.

    As the weather starts to heat up and the countdown to the start of pre-season training commences, we hope you enjoy this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast. And don't forget that you are always welcome to join the conversation and engage with other Wests Tigers fans on the Wests Tigers Podcast Forum!

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wests-tigers-podcast--6660380/support.
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    55 mins
  • Top Five Next Generation Wests Tigers Stars

    Top Five Next Generation Wests Tigers Stars
    Sep 11 2025
    When Wests Tigers achieved success, we had a mix of youngsters and a sprinkling of older heads to guide them. Are we on the cusp of repeating that in 2026? Do we have a new generation of young talent to come through and make a mark on the NRL?

    We thought we would reach out to a podcast team that has done an excellent job of covering all that's going on through the lower grades at the Wests Tigers, the Wests Tigers Faithful podcast.

    On this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast, Joel is joined by Joe McCord (aka 'Mac') from Wests Tigers Faithful for a chat. Mac has identified five young players in the Wests Tigers system that he believes are standouts and gives us a rundown on what we might get from names like Phoenix Godinet, Logan Brookes, and Jarod Haywood in the coming years.

    He even believes at least one of the five players he has named will debut for the club in season 2026. One of the five in particular has Mac really excited, reminding him of a former young Wests Tigers star many of us have fond memories of.

    It's not just homegrown talent that looks promising. Mac also gives us a rundown on what we might get from Brisbane recruit, Javon Andrews, and the young Rooster coming across to our club, Ethan Roberts.

    Joel and Mac also discuss the recent announcement that Taylan May has re-signed with the club for two more seasons, and Mac gives his thoughts on how the season ended for the team. While he also makes a really interesting observation around why the Wests Tigers struggled at times this year, and it's a point, and a statistic that hasn't widely been discussed.

    We hope you enjoy this latest cross-podcast collaboration, and we hope to hear more insights about the young Wests Tigers players from Wests Tigers Faithful in 2026.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wests-tigers-podcast--6660380/support.
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    58 mins
  • Wests Tigers Fall To Fast Finishing Titans

    Wests Tigers Fall To Fast Finishing Titans
    Sep 8 2025
    What went wrong? That's a question that dominates this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast! The Wests Tigers put in another strong performance on Saturday evening...for about sixty minutes, eventually succumbing to the Titans 36-28.

    On this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast, Joel is joined by Nick, Declan, and Zac for a deep dive into the highs and lows of the Gold Coast game. There were some positives, including some flashy attacking play and some good individual performances as well. But, just like the Canberra and Cowboys games, the boys just couldn't match it with the opposition when the whips started cracking towards the end of the game.

    How can we change this next year? How can we make our right edge more reliable in defence? And have we signed enough quality players to turn this around in 2026?

    How about the young winger? One highlight from the game was the debut of Heamasi Makasini, the young Tiger proved he didn't look out of place in the NRL. We talk about how we fit the youngster into the team next year.

    There's also a strong list of 'One Word' submissions from the Wests Tigers Podcast Forum. And a big thank you to all the forum members who contributed right through 2025!

    Joel finishes this podcast with some rapid-fire questions, including: Was the season a success or a failure? And are we better placed than we were a year ago?

    It's really disappointing that the team didn't manage to put a more enjoyable full stop on the season, but we hope you still enjoy this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast. And stay tuned for more Wests Tigers content in the coming weeks, and right across the NRL off-season as well.

    As always, thank you for your support, and fingers crossed for a bigger and better 2026 for the Wests Tigers!

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wests-tigers-podcast--6660380/support.
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    54 mins
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