Wests Tigers Jersey Flegg Head Coach Shane Sultana has praised his young squad's resilience and cohesion after securing a top-five finish for the first time since 2022.
The Tigers secured their spot in the finals after a dramatic 24-all draw with the Rabbitohs in the final round of the regular season, surviving a tumultuous final few minutes.
Despite the stress, Sultana was filled with pride when the final whistle blew that saw them get through.
“It was just ecstatic,” Sultana said.
“Honestly, there are no words that can describe that feeling, especially when you really care about that group, and you’ve come through the last couple of years with them.
“You know how connected and how tight that group is as a team.
“Even today, we’re still running on the high of it.”
With finals football the main goal at the start of the year, Sultana says developing players across the Wests Tigers Pathways system remained a major focus.
“The main goal was to try and get as many players into NRL and NSW Cup as we could,” he said.
“I thought we did really well in that process.
“The idea of pre-season was to get that second group, the guys who weren’t training with Cup and NRL, up to the best possible standard, because we knew we would eventually need them.”
That depth was tested throughout the season as several players earned opportunities in higher grades, forcing others to take on bigger roles in Jersey Flegg.
Sultana believes the wider squad’s work throughout the year was crucial to the Tigers reaching the finals.
“It takes a very brave person, those guys who have been in and out all year, to then be given that opportunity right at the end of the year,” he said.
“They were well prepared, and they kept themselves prepared for the whole year, which makes that transition into finals a lot easier.
“This is the reward for those guys for sticking at it and working really hard.”
The move between grades did create challenges for the team mid-season, when results weren't going the Tigers way.
But they were always aiming to be playing in September.
“Having missed out on the semis in both SG Ball and Jersey Flegg last year, obviously that was still in the back of our minds,” Sultana said.
“We knew as a group that we could do it, and we could get there.
“To make the top five in Jersey Flegg is a special thing to do because it’s very, very tough.
“You can’t lose too many games. You have to stay consistent all the way through.
“We found it really difficult during that period with players going up and guys coming in, but this was always the end goal.”
A constant throughout the season has been the bond within the playing group.
Many squad members have progressed together through Wests Tigers junior representative teams, schoolboy football and the Club’s Pathways system.
Sultana says those longstanding relationships have provided a strong foundation for the side.
“We’re a very connected group,” he said.
“We harnessed our relationships from before, guys who grew up together, played schoolboy football together and came through Harold Matthews, Jersey Flegg and the Cup system together.
“We used all those little variables to tie into our group this year.
“We brought in the guys who were new to our system and made them feel really part of it, and it didn’t take them long to get that vibe and that feeling.
“We’ve been a pretty tight, close group for a couple of years now.”
The Tigers now turn their attention to Saturday’s elimination final against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at Jubilee Stadium, an opportunity Sultana wants his players to seize.
“I really want us to embrace playing football with each other and being in the moment in this semi-final,” he said.
“I really want them as a group to enjoy that moment.
“If they can enjoy the moment, forget about the outcome and stick to our process, we will get the result.
“I don’t think any team is better than us.
“We just need to focus on ourselves and, if we do what we do well, I don’t think we should be in any doubt.”
After the strong support they have enjoyed at various points throughout the season, including at Lidcombe Oval last Saturday, Sultana is keen to see fans in the stands at Kogarah.
“It really makes a huge difference, especially in those tight, clutch moments,” he said.
“It’s almost the fans that can get you home. It would mean a lot to us.”
