The Tigers were thumped 34-10 by ladder-leaders St George Illawarra on Friday night, a result which no doubt flattered the Dragons thanks to two late tries but which also exposed the magnitude of the task facing the Tigers.

Entering the final two months of the season, Wests have still only beaten one side currently in the top eight, a statistic giving ammunition to critics who believe Sheens' men to be flat track bullies.

Trailing 14-10 and with all the momentum midway through the second half, the Tigers could have gone a long way to silencing those critics with a late charge, but as they had for most of the game, the visitors made things hard for themselves with poor options in attack.

"I said to the guys 'if you're going to run with the big boys you're going to have to handle those sorts of games," Sheens said.

"They're a very well drilled and very intense side, they're a physical side and they don't give much away.

"So if you're going to win a semi-final, it doesn't matter if it's them or anyone, you're going to have to play better football.

"That's ten weeks away - there's a lot of things that have got to happen in that period of time." But the Tigers can't afford to take ten weeks to find their A-game, with six of their last ten regular season games against sides in the top half of the ladder and one against Melbourne - who would be third if they were allowed to attain premiership points.

Of utmost urgency is finding someone to wear the No.7, with the Tigers badly missing injured playmakers Robert Lui and Tim Moltzen. Lui is not due back for at least a fortnight and Moltzen is gone for the season.

"It's not easy to go and replace both your halfbacks, without offering any excuses," Sheens said.

"It did break our rhythm a bit plus the short week Sunday to Friday to manufacture a new player in that position."

One player who definitely won't be an option for the Tigers is veteran Melbourne playmaker Brett Finch, despite reports on Melbourne radio on Saturday that a move back to Sydney was imminent.

"No, the mail's wrong - he's not going there," Finch's manager Steve Gillis said.

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