NRL 2022: Cameron Ciraldo tops Wests Tigers hitlist as pressure builds on Michael Maguire
A familiar name has re-emerged as the preferred candidate to coach Wests Tigers as the club’s chairperson cast further doubt on Michael Maguire’s future.
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Cameron Ciraldo has re-emerged as the preferred candidate to coach Wests Tigers as pressure intensifies on Michael Maguire.
Ciraldo’s coaching apprenticeship, particularly in helping develop many of Penrith’s premiership-winning side as juniors, is a major lure for a Tigers club that believes their next crop of juniors are the best in 20 years.
The increasing spotlight on Maguire has only heightened after Wests Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis refused to guarantee the future of the premiership winner as head coach and conceded that change may be necessary to turn around the club’s fortune.
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Head of football Tim Sheens is in the process of forming a recommendation for the Tigers board on whether Maguire should continue as head coach at time where the club has won only six of the past 23 games.
“As of today, 31 May 2022 Michael Maguire is the contracted head coach of the Wests Tigers and there is nothing before me to indicate that will change,‘’ Hagipantelis said on SEN Radio.
“But will I guarantee anyone’s employment whether it be the head coach, or head of commerce, or the CEO’s role? No, I will not give that guarantee.
“The issuing of guarantees has certain legal ramifications. At the moment we are somewhat disappointed with where we are sitting at the moment on the table.
“Do we need to make some changes? I suspect we do.
“We will leave it to the great man to come back to us.
“The board puts a lot of stock in Tim Sheens and his recommendations.”
The Tigers’ appetite for Ciraldo is nothing new. At the end of last season, the Panthers defensive coach was identified by some elements of Wests Tigers as the ideal replacement for Maguire in 2022.
However, Ciraldo declined the overtures with one year remaining on his Penrith coaching contract. The 37-year-old is currently without a deal at Penrith for next season but is believed to be on the radar of not just the Tigers, but also Canterbury.
Maguire’s chances of surviving yet another review into his coaching methods may depend on whether Ciraldo wants the job. A handful of other coaches have been linked with the Tigers job, among them John Morris. However, Ciraldo is in the box seat given the work he has done at the Panthers.
Ciraldo isn‘t short of support from within the game for his ability to develop players. Ciraldo coached the premiership-winning 2015 Penrith under-20s side that included current NRL stars Jarome Luai, Brent Naden, Robert Jennings, Dylan Edwards, Moses Leota, James Fisher-Harris and Kaide Ellis.
Ciraldo then coached the under-20s side in 2016, that finished as runners-up, that included current first-graders Nathan Cleary, Wayde Egan, Braidon Burns and Corey Waddell.
Cleary, the NSW Origin halfback, gave a ringing endorsement for Ciraldo.
“He’s been huge for me and the team,’’ Cleary said.
“He was my first coach in the under-20s and he‘s taught me so much about the game and my own game. He‘s since come into first grade and a lot of us young guys have had him in the under-20s, but now he’s with us in first grade as the defensive coach.
“We all get along with him really well and he‘s taught us all so much.
“I think he‘s definitely ready for an NRL job – not that I would want him to take one because I would love for him to stay with Panthers.
“I just think he’s biding his time, waiting for the right one to come and I can’t speak highly enough of him.’’
The Tigers sit in 15th place on the ladder, having won only three games this season.
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