Western Sydney continued their ascendency up the Sydney club rugby ranks but fell just short of the playoffs again.

But with Sailosi Tagicakibau returning again in 2024, it seems like finals footy is just around the corner.

Overview with Sailosi Tagicakibau:

“We were really gutted after the last game of the season. Our slow start to the season really cost us but unfortunately, sometimes that happens when you have a lot of personnel turnover,” Tagicakibau said. 

“It can take a bit of time for everyone to get on the same page when you’re rebuilding. Once we did get on the same page, we had some really good results and I think we scared quite a few teams with some really strong performances. 

“We were only getting better at the backend of the season and I think if we had one more week, it would have been interesting to see what we could have done in the finals. 

“You’ve got to make sure you’ve got a core first grade group and ideally they stay fit for the majority of the season, but you’ve also got to make sure there is that consistency of messaging through your lower grades so that when guys do move up, they are on the same page. 

“We had a lot of second graders move up into first grade this year and a few third graders as well and I think all of those guys will be better for the experience. 

“Hopefully those guys will be better prepared in 2024 and I think that will help in the early parts of the season if we need to call on them. 

“We’ve got a lot of talented players scattered throughout the grades and as coaches, we make sure we’re watching tape on all our players because I think we’ll continue to see young players improve and move up the grades. 

“I’m back coaching at the Two Blues next year. It’s been a bit of a process but fortunately our loyal sponsors Merrylands RSL have thrown more support behind us for the next three years, which we are very thankful for. 

“They can see that as a club, we’re on the right track and they know that if we can keep this group together, that we can go a long way.”

What needs to happen at Western Sydney between now and round one next year? 

“Retention is our big focus at the moment. With so many of our players playing so well this year, we know that other clubs will have noticed them,” the coach said. 

“The Two Blues have always been a breeding ground for other clubs and we’re working really hard to stop that. 

“Financially, it’s hard to compete with the other clubs but we’re focussed on what we can control and as coaches, we want to create an environment that allows players to improve and be successful at Shute Shield level and higher. 

“We’ve got Otu Mausia representing the Two Blues at the Rugby World Cup (as well as Adam Coleman). He’s playing for Tonga. He decided to come here to try and earn a spot in that World. Cup squad and we was able to do it by playing good footy for the Two Blues. We’re all thrilled for him.”

Is there a player at your club ready to take the next step in their career?

“We’ve got a few I think. Jay Fonakalafi was one of the best hookers in the competition this year. He can throw consistently, which not all hookers can do, and he’s worked really hard on his set piece this year. 

“His work around the park is fantastic. He is a great ball carrier, great in defence and he’s always one of the hungriest players on the field. 

“Rilloy Suesue was also one of the best halfbacks in the competition in my opinion. Defensively, no one is better and he made as many tackles as most of our backrowers most weeks. 

“I think he was in the top five tryscorers this season as well and the first two on that list were hookers that scored most their tries from mauls. 

“He’s seriously talented and I’ve been pushing his name to Super Rugby coaches because I believe he is good enough to play at the next level.” 

What can we expect in 2024? 

“We’re going to work really hard and continue what we’ve been doing. I don’t think we need to change too much, we’ve got a talented squad and we’re building some really good depth. 

“We need to make sure our players continue to improve and we need to make sure that they’re enjoying their rugby. 

“Our start to the year let us down this year, so if we can get that right and start 2024 strong then we’ll only get better through the season. 

“The stigma of the Two Blues being unfit and undisciplined, we’ve changed that. Sides used to try and wear us down and hope that the floodgates would open late in the match. 

“But if you look at the scoresheets, our biggest loss was 14 points, we lost two other games by eight, then the rest of our losses were by a try or less so we know we can play good footy for long periods of time and we think we’re good enough to play finals footy.”