The 2021 Wests Tigers season was the win they have 46 premierships throughout all the years in the joint-venture club's history. They competed in the National Rugby League's 2011 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season 4th (out of 16) to qualify for their 2nd consecutive play-off series. They were knocked out of the finals by eventual grand finalists, the New Zealand Warriors. To date, this is the last time the Tigers have made the finals
Season summary Robbie Farah retained his role as captain for the third year in a row. After an impressive end to the 2010 Telstra Premiership, the Tigers were keen to keep the same squad the retained all their starting side with the addition of Matt Utai.
In the week leading up to the start of the season, it was reported that Tigers star half Benji Marshall was being investigated into an alleged assault in the early hours of Saturday, 5 March.Police to quiz the face of rugby league Benji Marshall This incident occurred just days after Marshall was announced as the face of rugby league for 2011 and hours after Marshall appeared at an event for the charity he helped create, Footy Rocks.
Match results
Regular season
Date Round Opponent Venue Result Score Tries Goals Attendance Report14 MarchRound 1 Canterbury-Bankstown BulldogsStadium Australia, SydneyLoss14–24Lawrence, Marshall, Tuqiri Marshall (1)26,73719 MarchRound 2 New Zealand WarriorsLeichhardt Oval, SydneyWin20–12Lawrence (2), Ayshford, FarahMarshall (2)13,16126 MarchRound 3 Canberra RaidersCampbelltown Stadium, SydneyWin34–24Ayshford, Fifita, Heighington, Lawrence, Lui, UtaiMarshall (5)14,0913 AprilRound 4 Sydney RoostersSydney Football Stadium, SydneyLoss6–24WoodsMarshall (1) 20,4798 AprilRound 5 South Sydney RabbitohsSydney Football Stadium, SydneyWin30–6Dwyer (2), Brown, Marshall, McKinnonMarshall (5)22,67715 AprilRound 6 Gold Coast TitansRobina Stadium, Gold CoastLoss14–20Dwyer, HeighingtonMarshall (3)17,22122 AprilRound 7 Brisbane BroncosSydney Football Stadium, SydneyLoss18–31Moltzen (2), Lui Marshall (3)19,4941 MayRound 8 Canberra RaidersBruce Stadium, CanberraWin49–12McKinnon (2), Dwyer, Fifita, Fulton, Heighington, Marshall, Utai Marshall (7) & (FG), Moltzen (1)13,42514 MayRound 10 South Sydney RabbitohsStadium Australia, SydneyLoss18–29Farah, Marshall, Utai Marshall (3)18,23521 MayRound 11 Penrith PanthersCampbelltown Stadium, SydneyWin20–18Ayshford, Brown, Dwyer, MarshallMarshall (2) 16,17229 MayRound 12 St George Illawarra DragonsKogarah Oval, SydneyLoss18–24Fifita, Moltzen, Utai Marshall (3) 19,8926 JuneRound 13 Newcastle KnightsLeichhardt Oval, SydneyWin17–16Brown, Fulton, Lui Marshall (2), Farah (FG)18,02112 JuneRound 14 New Zealand WarriorsMt Smart Stadium, WellingtonWin26–22Marshall (2), Ayshford, McKinnon, RyanMarshall (3) 15,88919 JuneRound 15 Melbourne StormLeichhardt Oval, SydneyLoss4–12Ryan – 20,48624 JuneRound 16 Canterbury-Bankstown BulldogsCampbelltown Stadium, SydneyLoss6–16Moltzen Miller (1) 19,2528 JulyRound 18 Parramatta EelsParramatta Stadium, SydneyLoss6–22Lui Marshall (1)19,65416 JulyRound 19 North Queensland CowboysWillows Sports Complex, TownsvilleWin38–18 Ayshford (2), Ellis, Fulton, Marshall, Moltzen Marshall (7) 12,88025 JulyRound 20 Sydney RoostersLeichhardt Oval, SydneyWin19–12Ayshford, Fulton, RyanMarshall (3) & (FG)10,17829 JulyRound 21 Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesGrahame Park, GosfordWin14–12Ayshford, Lawrence, Lui Marshall (1) 20,0595 AugustRound 22 St George Illawarra DragonsSydney Football Stadium, SydneyWin16–14Fulton, Marshall, Ryan Marshall (2)27,68712 AugustRound 23 Penrith PanthersPenrith Park, PenrithWin32–18Ellis (2), Farah, Heighington, Moltzen, Ryan Marshall (4) 15,19221 AugustRound 24 Parramatta EelsSydney football Stadium, SydneyWin31–12Ayshford (2), Marshall, Ryan, Utai Marshall (5), Farah (FG) 18,62629 AugustRound 25 Gold Coast TitansCampbelltown Stadium, SydneyWin39–10Ayshford, Heighington, Marshall, Moltzen, Ryan, Tuqiri, Utai Marshall (4), Farah (FG)14,3783 SeptemberRound 26 Cronulla SharksEndeavour Field, SydneyWin30–22Farah (3), Brown, Moltzen, Tuqiri Marshall (6) 16,879
Finals Series
Date Round Opponent Venue Result Score Tries Goals Attendance Report9 SeptemberQualifying Final St George Illawarra DragonsStadium Australia, SydneyWin21–12Heighington, Marshall, Ryan Marshall (4), Marshall (FG)45,36116 SeptemberQualifying Final New Zealand WarriorsSydney Football Stadium, SydneyLoss20–22Farah, Galloway, Marshall Marshall (4) 27,109
March
The Tigers started the season with an away loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs. Tigers prop Bryce Gibbs was a late withdrawal from the game, with Andrew Fifita replacing him in the starting lineup. The first try of the game was scored by a length-of-the-field try to Bulldogs outside back Josh Morris in the 27th minute. The Tigers hit back six minutes later with a good backline move which saw Benji Marshall throwing a cut-out pass to Lote Tuqiri to score the opening try of the Tigers account for 2011. Tuqiri has scored the opening try of the season for the Tigers for the second time in a row. Marshall missed the conversion from the sideline and the Tigers trailed 6–4 at halftime. The Tigers were first to score after the break through Chris Lawrence, with another Marshall assist, but tries to Pritchard and Keating saw the Bulldogs leading 16–8 after 64 minutes. Marshall then scored a try himself and converted it with 11 minutes remaining. But that was to be the closest the Tigers would get, as Steve Turner scored for the 'Dogs in the 75th minute, to seal the points with a 24–14 victory. Liam Fulton lead the tackle count for the Tigers with 44, with captain Robbie Farah also making a strong contribution with 38.
Tigers Lineup: McKinnon; Tuqiri, Ayshford, Lawrence, Utai; Marhsall, Lui; Fifita, Farah (c), Galloway, Fulton, Ellis, Heighington. Interchange: Moltzen, Dwyer, Payten, Woods.
Liam Fulton was ruled out before the teams were announced on Tuesday with a shoulder injury sustained in the Week 1 loss to the Bulldogs. Simon Dwyer was named in the run-on side. Gareth Ellis was in doubt a couple days before the match and that was confirmed at kick-off, when he and fellow big-man Bryce Gibbs also withdraw from the game. They were replaced by the Schirnack brothers. The Tigers opened up their account for 2011 with their first home game of the season, played at Leichhardt Oval. The error count was high and tries were hard to come by, but the Tigers eventually managed to come from behind to get the win. A first half Chris Lawrence try was cancelled out minutes later by Simon Mannering and the score was 6–6 at the break. Krisnan Inu managed to find himself scoring from dummy-half in the corner in the 50th minute, after some freakish lead-up work by Inu the play before. A side-line conversion by Seymour gave the visitors a 12–6 lead. With less than twenty minutes remaining the Tigers stepped it up to send Ayshford and the skipper, Farah, over to put the Tigers in the lead. Another try to Lawrence sealed the win in the 74th minute.
Tigers Lineup: McKinnon; Tuqiri, Ayshford, Lawrence, Utai; Marshall, Lui; Fifita, Farah (c), Galloway, Dwyer, A.Schirnack, Heighington. Interchange: Moltzen, Woods, Payten, J.Schirnack
Coming into the game the Tigers were again without influential second-rowers Fulton and Ellis, and the team fielded a similar line-up to the previous week. To add to their injury woes, however, Tuqiri only lasted 49 minutes coming off with a suspected broken arm. Chris Lawrence was also rushed to Campbelltown Hospital to relocate a dislocated hip with six minutes left in the game. The Tigers will be without both their left-sided attackers for several weeks. The Tigers started well, scoring the first try through Lawrence and ended the half with a commanding 16–4 lead. They went on to control much of the second half sealing the game after 69 minutes with a 34–10 lead. Disappointingly for fans and coach Tim Sheens, the Tigers let in three tries in the final ten minutes, including a 90-metre dash by Blake Ferguson to give the Raiders some credibility to the scoreline.
Tigers Lineup: McKinnon; Tuqiri, Ayshford, Lawrence, Utai; Marshall, Lui; Fifita, Farah (c), Galloway, Dwyer, Payten, Heighington. Interchange: Moltzen, Woods, J.Schirnack, A.Schirnack.
April
The Tigers again had to field a depleted side without regular starters Tuqiri, Lawrence, Fulton, and Ellis, as well as Footy Show star and right winger Beau Ryan still sidelined with his pre-season injury. Bryce Gibbs was also expected not to play, but was a late inclusion to side wearing jersey number 20. This meant the naming of halfback Jacob Miller for his debut. Mitch Brown was recalled to replace Tuqiri, Tim Moltzen was selected in the centres and Geoff Daniela was named in the side for the first time this season on the bench. A quick reshuffle to the originally selected side meant that Miller had to wait 64 minutes before making his debut, with Moltzen switching to halfback and Daniela starting in the centres. Jason Schirnack was omitted from the team altogether. The Roosters came out crowing, scoring two tries in 13 minutes over the wounded Tigers outfit. The Tigers got one back straight after half-time through Aaron Woods, but were no real match for the 2010 Runners-Up. In a comical event seven minutes into the second-half, Roosters Todd Carney bolted over referee Tony Archer after screaming through a line-break. The Roosters went on to score two minutes later through fullback Anthony Minichiello. With Roosters leading 18–6 with ten minutes to go, Minichiello was then sin binned for a professional foul (deliberately raking the ball from Tigers captain Robbie Farah after his line-break). However, the Tigers were unable to capitalize on the extra-man advantage, and it was the Roosters next to score through a magnificent inside ball from Pearce to Carney. The Roosters came away with the points with a 24–6 win.
Tigers Lineup: 1. McKinnon; 2. Brown, 3. Ayshford, 14. Daniela, 5. Utai; 6. Marshall, 4. Moltzen; 8. Fifita, 9. Farah (c), 10. Galloway, 11. Dwyer, 13. Heighington, 20. Gibbs. Interchange: 7. Miller, 12. A.Schirnack, 16. Woods, 17. Payten.