Western Sydney were in the playoff race with a month to go in the Shute Shield regular season before the wheels fell off at Merrylands.

Despite that, the Two Blues proved their best rugby can challenge the best in the competition now and a new coaching structure at the club should set Western Sydney up for even more success in the future.

Overview with Sailosi Tagicakibau:

“It was disappointing to finish the season the way we did with a few straight losses, but that’s sometimes the roller coaster of the Shute Shield,” Tagicakibau said. 

“Some teams start well, other teams find form during the season. The good teams find a way to be consistent and we lacked that this year, which was the difference I think. 

“In saying that, there were a lot of positives. We led Warringah by 30 points at Rat Park and they went on to win the competition. 

“It shows our best rugby is good enough to challenge every team. We just need to do it for 80 minutes. 

“I’ve just finished a pretty extensive review process and you always learn a lot from this part of the year. 

“Analytically, we weren’t where we needed to be in a lot of the key stats. I always like to think you want to be in the top four in all key categories. That way you are comfortably playing finals, rather than sneaking in. 

“So to become that finals team, we can see some clear areas where we need to improve. 

“I also think we had too much turnover again this year. We had 12 new players in the side in round one against Gordon.”

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

“Our core group has been around for a while, but we need to build consistency around them, and that starts with improving our colts program,” the coach said.

“We also want more continuity in our coaching staff and it looks like we’ll have that pushing into 2026 which is exciting. We haven’t really had that in my time at the club. 

“Because of that, my role will change slightly next year and I’ll work more as a Director of Rugby, rather than a head coach. I’ll be spending more time across colts so we can encourage the best players in western Sydney to stay out west and pursue their rugby through the Two Blues. 

“I think it will be good for first grade to have a fresh voice and I also think it’ll be great for the club to put more focus into the future so we can build that consistent playing group that can play finals consistently year after year.”

Which Two Blues player deserves a crack at the next level?

“The Suesue brothers have been two of the most consistent performers in the Shute Shield for a number of years now and it would have been great to see them get an opportunity in the Super Rugby AU competition,” Tagicakibau told Rugby News.

“I’m not sure what more they can do. 

“Latrell Ah Kiong joined us this year and had a fantastic season at fullback. He was rewarded with an international cap with Samoa. 

“I also think Meli Sifa at tighthead prop had a big year following his stint in France. He’s back with the Two Blues next year and I think he has a lot of potential.”

What are you expecting in 2026?

“I’m really excited about the 2026 season for the Two Blues. There’s a lot to like about this group and a lot of learnings that have come from this season. 

“We will keep the core of the group and I think we know what has worked for us and what didn’t work so we won’t need to do too much work on developing our style of play. 

“We need to stay true to our identity and from our review, I don’t think our counter attack was as good as it has been in recent years. 

“We need to play that exciting, unpredictable style that the Two Blues play so well, but also maintain that physical presence over 80 minutes. 

“I’m confident there are good things to come for the Two Blues.”