Maguire urges Tigers to play the imitation game

Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire has told his players they need to aspire to be like Sydney Roosters after the premiers turned on a masterclass to deliver a 42-12 thumping at the SCG.

The loss was the Tigers second heavy defeat in their past three matches after losing 51-6 to Parramatta in Round 6 and leaves them outside the top eight after a good start to the season under Maguire.

Yet the Tigers matched it with the Roosters for periods of Saturday night’s clash and only two tries in the last six minutes of the first half enabled the home team to go to the interval leading 18-6.

A Robbie Farah try in the 45^th minute gave the Tigers an opportunity to fight their way back into the game but the premiers stepped it up a gear to run out comfortable winners.

“We’re in moments and we fall out them quickly,” Maguire said. “Teams like the Roosters and where they are playing at the moment, they stay at it for long periods of time and they know their game very well. That is something we have got to learn.

“We got back to 18-12 and then obviously they kick through and they come up with a play. For us we are disappointed really, we are a better team than we showed. I though the effort was there but it is now us learning to play at that level for long periods of time.”

Maguire described the Roosters as the benchmark and said they were at a different level to most teams in everything they do, on and off the field.

As a premiership-winning coach with South Sydney in 2014, Maguire knows what is required and wants to push his players to achieve higher standards.

“It’s the way you practice and everything you do, how you look after yourself off the field to turning up at training and competing at that high level,” he said.

“No doubt their training levels are at a very high level, that is how you get to those spaces and obviously it’s something we need to continue to work towards.

“I can’t fault how our boys are training but we have got to find ways to improve each individual’s game and that adds to the team’s value.”

The Tigers were without five-eighth Benji Marshall after deciding not to take a risk on his injured hamstring and Maguire wasn’t sure if he would be fit for next weekend’s Magic Round clash with Penrith at Suncorp Stadium.