The Wests Tigers received the dishonourable tag of favourites for the wooden spoon after their round two performance against the Newcastle Knights where they lost 26-4.

An association with the dreaded wooden spoon is bad enough for just one week but anything more than that should be avoided at all costs.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, they have failed to do so as they remain the favourite to finish last on the ladder following their loss to the New Zealand Warriors.

Granted there was a contentious call that many believe cost the Tigers a win when Luciano Leilua’s try was deemed a 20-metre restart to the Warriors; however, this does not excuse what we saw from the black and golds for the majority of this game.

Both sides were under immense pressure to win their first game of the season in this fixture and the Warriors got the job done by beating the Tigers 16-12, moving Michael Maguire and his team further under the microscope.

 
The Tigers are now in 16th place on the NRL ladder and have failed to win a game thus far in 2022 with their misery compounded by the fact that despite winning the Warriors did not put in their best effort either.

A side with seven penalties conceded 12 errors and four fewer completed sets than their opposition would lose to most of the time but on this occasion, the Warriors still managed to get the two points against the Tigers.

Calls for Michael Maguire to part ways with the Tigers have grown stronger since the loss and will continue to do so until the club wins a game.

Premiership winner and former Australian International Gordon Tallis was adamant that the Tigers should let Maguire leave when speaking on Triple M over the weekend.

“There is something not quite right there and it would probably be better for him [Maguire] long-term in the rugby league world to walk away from the Tigers,” Tallis said.

Veteran reporter Brent Read has leapt to Robbie Farah's defence claiming he had a 'bird's eye view' of the alleged Maguire incident 👀

MORE 👉 https://t.co/PeHodfqfqH pic.twitter.com/c9nNvN27qU

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 27, 2022

“I think he has been there for four years.

“Sometimes coaches and players just need a new start and I think with the Wests Tigers they are just not responding are they?”

On Thursday night the Tigers will have their next opportunity to get a win on the board in 2022 as they travel to the Gold Coast to take on the Titans who are also coming off of a defeat when they let a 22-point lead slip against the Canberra Raiders last Saturday night.

It’s only early days, but after round three the wooden spoon goes to the Wests Tigers.