It’s the most wonderful time of the year because the sun is shining, the Christmas leftovers are still good enough to stick on a sandwich and Wests Tigers fans are starting to hope again.
Signing John Bateman caps a heavy recruitment drive for 2023, with Api Koroisau, Isaiah Papali’i and David Klemmer all heading to Concord in what could bring about the kind of change that usually only comes when a southerly drops the temperature on a scorching summer afternoon.
The Tigers have been here before, of course.
Footy optimism is as much a December tradition as cleaning up an unsuspecting younger relative at backyard cricket and forgetting what day of the week it is during the time between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
It’s never worked out the way they wanted, but there’s every chance things are a little different this time around.
This latest revival isn’t built on hope, it’s built on cold, hard cash and using that cash to buy the best of what’s around.
There are very few problems in rugby league that can’t be solved by throwing some money around and, after 11 straight seasons without finals football, the Tigers have got nothing to lose and everything to gain by dropping some fat stacks on the table.
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