Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor called on fans to stick by his team as they set around changing the style of play the joint venture club is renowned for.
After losing 8-0 to North Queensland in a match which didn't yield a try for 77 minutes, Taylor insisted the young Tigers outfit were focused on trying to improve the worst defence in the NRL last season and said the club could not continue trying to play the expansive style that earned them the 2005 premiership.
"It is not as bad as it looks is my message to our boys," Taylor said. "We made some improvements tonight, we have got a simple goal in this season and we did well in regards to that goal tonight - albeit the result in the end is not good enough.
"In the end, to not score any points is really disappointing. That is not what we have come to know from the Wests Tigers over the years. We are really disappointed about that but at the same time we are working really hard to change the way this team plays because we are coming from a long way behind in regards to matching it with the best teams in the comp.
"One try against us tonight was a major positive for us tonight. That's the path we are on, it is a toughening up as a team and we toughed it out better than we had in most of our games this season.
"We can't say let's throw the ball around and hope to get some points and we know that when we tire we will let some in but hopefully we have scored enough. That has been the Wests Tigers motto for a long time but it hasn't worked since 2005 and we are about changing that.
"Regardless of the team we played tonight we conceded one try and our defence was the best it has been all season."
Taylor said the only reason the Tigers didn't finish with the wooden spoon last season was because of the attacking ability within the team but they could not become a premiership force if they didn't improve in that area.
"In the NRL you can't come last in defence and be anywhere near the eight and while that game would have been ugly to watch and Wests Tigers supporters would have been feeling that was crap we are on the path to changing the way we play," he said.
"We are on the path to competing with the best teams in the competition, is that going to happen this year where we can get into the top eight I am not sure but the plan is to stick to it."
