As our 2024 programs near their conclusion, we look back at some of the club’s pathways achievements this year.
Eleven pathways teams under the Wests Tigers banner collectively used 296 players, competing in 125 matches played across 36 different venues.
Wests Tigers programs have continued to produce NRL and NRLW talent this year, showcasing the success of the club’s elite development system.
Lachlan Galvin has emerged from the Magpies system as one of the NRL’s best young players; making his NRL debut in Round 2 and locking down the No.6 jersey in his rookie season with Wests Tigers.
One of several players still eligible for junior representative teams in 2024, Galvin's rapid progression saw him elevated to the NRL squad.
Four other local juniors also made their first appearance in the top grade in 2024, with Tony Sukkar, Heath Mason, Luke Laulilii and Jordan Miller all featuring throughout the campaign.
Mason, Laulilii and Miller all began the 2024 season in the SG Ball Cup (U/19s) competition before eventually stepping up to the top grade.
Claudia Brown is another talented teenager who has developed throughout the season on the way to making her first-grade debut in 2024.
The 19-year-old middle forward played in the Wests Tigers Tarsha Gale Cup (U/19s) team earlier in the year and went on to finish the season with two wins from as many games in the NRLW.
Tiana-Lee Thorne and Harmony Crichton are two other players who have made their NRLW debuts this season after progressing through Wests Tigers representative teams.
Three of our teams reached grand finals this year.
The Wests Tigers Lisa Fiaola Cup (U/17s) and Wests Magpies Harold Matthews Cup (U/17s) teams both fell short in their deciders at CommBank Stadium in April.
Macarthur Wests Tigers Andrew Johns Cup (U/16s) was the other team that just missed out on a premiership victory after being narrowly defeated by the Central Coast Roosters at Cessnock in March.
In addition to team achievements, some outstanding individual accolades also deserve a special mention.
Promising Magpies centre Heamasi Makasini was awarded the Player of the Series in the 2024 Harold Matthews Cup, while Jared Haywood was named in this year’s Australian Schoolboys team.
Makasini and Haywood played for the Magpies Harold Matthews Cup and Balmain SG Ball Cup sides respectively, before the pair went on to make their Wests Tigers Jersey Flegg Cup (U/21s) debuts later in the year.
Our Wests Tigers Cubs and Roar programs continue to provide development opportunities for players following the conclusions of the junior representative seasons.
The bulk of these groups have already participated in matches since the conclusion of their respective junior representative competitions, while the White Cubs (U/16s boys) will travel to the far north coast of NSW this weekend to take on the Gold Coast Titans.
Keep an eye out for more pathways news over the coming months, beginning with the announcement of our junior representative summer squads next week.
