Their star may have only flickered briefly, but no team has quite captured the imagination like Wests Tigers’ rag-tag band of entertainers under Tim Sheens in 2005.
Operating $600,000 under the $3.6 million salary cap – forbidden under current rules – Sheens’ team of cast-offs and youngsters took out the NRL premiership in scintillating fashion.
There were few signs to suggest the Tigers were a coming force in the previous season.
The joint-venture club had never made the finals since their formation in 2000 and in the annual Rugby League Week players’ poll were voted the least attractive team to join.
Despite that lack of respect, Sheens believed he could create something special if he ripped up the typical NRL playbook and opted for skill and speed over size and strength.
“My philosophy that pre-season was to just score as many points as possible,” Sheens told AAP.
“We weren’t a big side, but we were quick, had a lot of skill and players who liked to throw the ball around.
“I took the term ‘red-zone’ out of our game and determined to play our football from try-line to try line.
“At the start we were criticised for playing too sideways, but by the end of the season we were being praised for it.”
With little budget to spend Sheens was forced to sign players deemed not good enough by other clubs, and rely on some outstanding local juniors to compliment the talented players he did have.
The previous season, NSW representative fullback Brett Hodgson arrived from Parramatta and halfback Scott Prince was lured to Sydney following an injury-ravaged spell at Brisbane.
But when Sheens added to the mix exciting Balmain junior Robbie Farah at hooker and teenage sensation Benji Marshall at five-eighth, he was confident the combination could silence the doubters.
“We liked the spine we’d put together,” he said.
“Marshall and Farah were pretty much unknown but Scotty and Hodgo added the experience.
“Around them we built some forwards led by Mark O’Neill, John Skandalis and Ben Galea who were already there.
“We’d signed Toddy Payten who was also being paid by Canberra and the Roosters, who’d released him. He added some real football nous to the pack.
“But we didn’t have any budget so we had to use local juniors like Liam Fulton, Bryce Gibbs and Bronson Harrison.
“We also had some good young players in Dene Halatau, Chris Heighington and Anthony Laffranchi who’d become established in the team.
“But to build the outside back-line we needed to look at players who other clubs didn’t want.
“We picked up Patty Richards from Parramatta and Shane Elford and Paul Whatuira came in from Penrith.
“Those young guys were getting paid very little, league minimum some of them, but were desperate to play.”
The Tigers started the season well, winning three of their first four matches, but a run of seven defeats in 10 games saw them slump to 12th after round 16.
Fearing the campaign was spiralling out of control, Sheens asked the players if they had what it took to be a finals team.
“We hadn’t planned to win the comp but I felt at the start of the season we should aim for the top four,” Sheens said.
“So I asked the players, should we temper expectations?
“But Ben Galea stood up and said, ‘no, we believe we can do something special’ and it took off from there.”
The following weekend, with their year on the line, the Tigers fought back from 22-6 down to beat high-flying St George Illawarra – the first of eight successive wins that catapulted them into the top four.
During that run, Sheens’ rejuvenated side put on 40-plus against Manly, South Sydney and Cronulla before demolishing reigning premiers Canterbury 54-2.
The 676 points they racked up that season was only eclipsed by minor premiers Parramatta.
“We came into the finals with some real momentum,” Sheens said.
“Because we knew we had the second chance that took the pressure off.”
In the club’s first ever finals appearance Hodgson was untouchable, scoring 30 points as North Queensland were hammered 50-6.
That was followed by a 34-6 win over Brisbane to set up a clash with a star-studded Dragons side at a packed Sydney Football Stadium.
Once again the Tigers roared with Marshall scoring the decisive try in a 20-12 win to seal a grand final spot.
Surprisingly, it would be against the Cowboys who stunned a red-hot Eels side 29-0 in the first preliminary final.
Sydney was alive with Tigers fever during grand final week and Sheens admitted he was concerned his young stars may be distracted by the attention.
“Mark O’Neill and Skando were superb at keeping the boys focused,” he said.
“The players wanted to treat it as a normal week.
“Whenever we played at ANZ Stadium the players would drive to the ground and they insisted on doing so for the grand final.
“So I’m there in the sheds worrying they’ll be caught in traffic and we won’t have enough players!
“But they all arrived in plenty of time and what followed has been talked about for many years.”
The final will always be remembered for Marshall’s audacious flick pass to set up Richards for one of the great grand final tries.
“Benji would do that in training and I used to encourage him to use it in games,” Sheens said.
“So none of us were in the least bit surprised when he pulled it off.”
That Tigers team never played together again and the club haven’t made the finals since 2011.
Sheens left in 2012 and outstanding local juniors like James Tedesco and Mitchell Moses were lost to rival clubs.
But those memories of ’05 still burn bright for supporters
“It was a great team and will always be remembered as one,” Sheens said.
