NRL news: Tigers great Paul Sironen opens up on his near move from Balmain to Cronulla Sharks

Tigers great Paul Sironen has opened up on his near defection from the club in 1994, revealing he decided to sign a $1m deal with Cronulla - but changed his mind after 15 minutes.

Paul Sironen decided to quit his beloved Balmain Tigers in the mid-1990s to sign a $1 million deal with Cronulla Sharks – but his defection lasted just 15 minutes.

“I just couldn’t leave the Tigers,” Sironen said.

The two-year offer came after the 1994 season with Sironen meeting then Balmain secretary Keith Barnes to reveal his shock decision.

Yet as tempted as he was by the Sharks, Sironen knew the reality – he just couldn’t quit the club which owned his heart.

“There was a time when I felt I needed to leave for a change but I couldn’t, I just couldn’t leave. I love the club,” said Sironen, who left the Tigers last week after a 50-year association.

“I spoke to a couple of clubs over the years (Manly, Norths and Gold Coast) and toyed with the idea of leaving but I couldn’t do it to Keith Barnes.

“I was really close when I spoke to Cronulla. I had lunch with Johnny Lang (Sharks coach) and Shane Richardson (then Sharks CEO) and it turns out a year later the Sharks were in the Super League grand final.

Paul Sironen has opened up on his near defection from Balmain to the Cronulla Sharks in 1994.

“I probably wasn’t serious about leaving until that Cronulla offer. Balmain was struggling financially and I went to tell Keith that I was going but 15 minutes later I came with a new two-year deal with Balmain.

“Ultimately, my respect for Keith, and some other guys in and around the club, made me stay, and the opportunity to finish as a one-club player. I played with so many great players at Balmain who all did the same thing. I felt a sense of responsibility to stay there and see it out.”

Sironen, 58, has left the Tigers after five decades, he and wife Lee-Anne relocating from the Ryde Gladesville area to live in the Ballina-Lennox Head region.

He walked out of the Tigers for the final time last Friday, leaving the club a true legend having played a never-to-be-beaten record 247 games for Balmain.

The famous Leichhardt Oval scoreboard carried the message: Thank you Siro.

He played junior footy in the Balmain area, starting in 1972, before contesting 14 seasons with the Tigers. He then took up positions in junior league coaching, lower grades management, operations, pathways and served as a board member with Balmain and Wests Tigers.

He is black and gold.

Sironen was on his way to tell the Tigers he was leaving, but 15 minutes later he had signed a new deal with Balmain instead.

“I’ve either been a junior league player, grade player, junior league coach, board member, and that transitioned into a role in pathways and operations,” Sironen said.

“There have been a couple of brief gaps but by-and-large I have had some association with the club for the last 50-odd years. Geez, it’s gone quick.

“I’m very proud to have the Balmain first grade games record and that cannot be beaten. There have certainly been some highlights and lowlights but that’s footy. The Tigers will always be a part of who I am.”

Sironen holds no grudge for controversially being replaced late in the famous 1989 grand final, won in extra time by Canberra, along with teammate Steve Roach, by coach Warren Ryan.

“You make decisions in the best interests of the team,” Sironen said. “Coaches do that, they make calls, sometimes they get it right, sometimes they don’t.”

He added: “The months of being a director in 2005, watching Wests Tigers win the grand final, they were the best four weeks in my life, mate. It was bloody fabulous.

“And making the 1988 grand final, we came from a playoff. We were battered and bruised by the grand final and ‘Blocker’ (Steve Roach) was suspended.

“It captured the imagination of the whole district and area. There was a real buzz around Tiger town.”

The famous Leichhardt Oval scoreboard carried the message: Thank you Siro, after the club legend said farewell on Wednesday. Credit: Supplied.

Sironen had spoken about shifting to the NSW north for the past 20 years and now the big move has been confirmed. He was driving north when interviewed by this masthead about his amazing career.

“The move has been a long time coming,” he said. “I spoke to Lee-Anne about this when I first retired. It has taken me 20-odd years to get up north.

“The lifestyle is a little bit slower than Sydney. I’ve probably had enough of Sydney – I need to freshen up a few things so it’s time to move on. It’s not a retirement – it’s a relocation.

“I’ve spoken to a few people and there might be an opportunity to do some pathways and grassroots work up around the northern rivers with the NSWRL.”

Sironen has been an operations manager with the NSW Origin side – a position he hopes to retain next season.

“I’d love to stay on with the Origin side, it’s a fabulous eight week period, but you’d have to ask the new coach. We will wait and see,” Sironen said.

SIRONEN’S PLEA TO TIGERS AS HE FAREWELLS CLUB

Balmain great Paul Sironen has sent a final, blunt message to the maligned Wests Tigers – back Benji.

Sironen left the Tigers on Friday after 50 years at the club where he played his junior and senior football. He has also held positions in junior league coaching, lower grades management, operations and pathways, as well as serving as a board member for both Balmain and Wests Tigers.

He and wife Lee-Anne have relocated to the Ballina-Lennox Head region, while back in Tiger Town a comprehensive review into the club’s governance has been completed, with substantial changes expected.

As he packed up and left Sydney, Sironen, when asked about Wests Tigers and new coach Benji Marshall, said: “If the board thinks Benji is the right man, then back him – give him some time.

Paul Sironen is bidding farewell to Leichhardt Oval. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“If Benji is the man for the job then we have to develop him. He is only a rookie coach and he’s going to have some tough times next year, we all know that.

“Everyone will back the club to get the wooden spoon again and that’s probably fair to say because they haven’t recruited any superstars.”

The Tigers have signed veteran Aidan Sezer, St George Illawarra’s Jayden Sullivan and brothers Latu and Samuela Fainu from Manly for the 2024 season.

It comes as long-serving halfback Luke Brooks departs following a decade at the club.

New Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

“We just keep changing everything, looking for the right answer and a quick fix. You can’t do that in this game,” Sironen said.

“It will all be dictated by wins and losses but we have to support Benji. What the club needs is stability, mate.

“We have chopped and chopped our coaches and playing roster. They got rid of ‘Sheensy’ (Tim Sheens) again.

“The club needs a period of stability where we’re not turning over coaches and where we can develop players and coaches. That’s the disappointing thing about the club.

“We need to give these young blokes an opportunity and time and we need our senior players to lead really well – Api (Koroisau), David Klemmer, John Bateman, Aidan Sezer, we need some leadership across the job. That’s really important.”

Originally published as NRL news: Tigers great Paul Sironen opens up on his near move from Balmain to Cronulla Sharks