The Wests Tigers are sitting at 3-3 to start the 2025 NRL season. On paper, that might not scream “premiership contenders,” but if you’ve been watching closely, you’ll know something’s different this year.
For the first time in a long time, the Tigers actually look like a serious football side.
I’ll be honest—I wasn’t sure how they’d go this season.
Not because of the talent or the coaching staff, but because of the instability that’s plagued the club for years. The headlines have been just as much about boardroom dramas as they have been about football.
In the NRL, off-field culture matters. You can have the best players in the world, but if your house isn’t in order, it eventually shows on the field.
But to their credit, the Tigers seem to have put that aside.
Every one of their new signings has played a crucial role—not just filling gaps but bringing a sense of purpose and identity to the team.
What’s really clicked, though, is the spine. They’ve finally found a mix of experience, youth, and raw instinct that makes them dangerous from anywhere on the park.
And the scary part? They haven’t even scratched the surface of what they’re capable of.
You can see it in the way they chase kicks, back each other up, and turn up for the tough carries.
It’s not just structure—it’s belief. It’s a team that knows who they are and where they’re going, even if not everything around them is perfect.
And in that, I think there’s a real spiritual lesson for all of us.
Sometimes, as Christians, we get caught up focusing on everything that’s wrong—within ourselves, our circumstances, or even the church. It’s easy to feel stuck, overwhelmed by past mistakes or present messiness.
But the Tigers remind us that growth doesn’t always come in ideal conditions.
They still have issues to work through. No one’s denying that. But they’re not waiting for perfection to start performing. They’re showing up, giving their best, and reaping the rewards of perseverance.
We’re called to do the same in the spiritual life. Not to pretend everything is fine when it’s not, but to keep going with gratitude and joy even when things are hard.
The saints weren’t perfect people living perfect lives. They were ordinary people who fell, got up, and kept going—trusting that the grace of God would carry them through.
The Tigers, in their own way, are doing just that. And whether or not they make the finals, they’ve already achieved something worth celebrating—they’ve given their fans something they haven’t had in years. Hope.
And for me, that’s a win worth talking about.