Interim Wests Tigers coach Andrew Webster focused on his first game in charge

AFTER a few restless nights, Tigers interim coach Andrew Webster says he is prepared for what may be his first and last NRL game as head coach.

AFTER a few restless nights sleep Tigers interim coach Andrew Webster says he is prepared for what may be his first and last NRL game as head coach on Sunday.

Webster was rushed into the head coaching role following the shock sacking of Jason Taylor last week. He has had just three field sessions to put his stamp on the side since stepping up from the assistant coaching role before the Tigers clash with the Storm at Leichhardt Oval.

“Early on in the week (sleeping) was torture with so many things going on through my head,” Webster said.

“I was disappointed for someone that had been so good to me. Jason was fantastic. That’s what upset me and then it was ‘righto you’ve got to move on’ and I had to focus on what I had to do next. Because of the announcement we were a day behind on our review from the Raiders.

“I knew the players would be struggling with the news. Making sure they were preparing well in their minds and making sure they were dealing with it the right way.”

Webster has reached out to Taylor but is yet to hear back from the former coach. While the Tigers will ramp up their search for a fulltime coach following today’s game, Webster is unsure if he will throw his name into the mix.

“At this stage I don’t know,” Webster said. “I’ve made it clear that come Monday it may be different and we’ll have a chat about things. It’s about the boys now. When it comes to Monday and if we know more than we can make some better decisions. I would be doing the wrong thing by the boys if I was thinking further than this weekend.

“You never want to get an opportunity in these circumstances but only now is it hitting home. Being so busy I haven’t been able to think about the job.

“If it’s my only game I’m going to be happy with a win.”

Webster (right) is focused on getting the team right to play. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

With back to back losses the Tigers need to beat the undefeated Melbourne side to get their season back on track. Webster said he had made minor tweaks following the side’s last-start loss to Canberra.

“At training the first thing we spoke about was respect for Jason,” Webster said. “What he has done for so many people in the room was very important. We spoke about needing to work hard. We can’t shy away from this challenge.

“We’ve changed some minor things. Jason had great ideas and everything was in place. What we’re focusing on is some little changes because of the circumstances.

“What we want to see is a committed team for 80 minutes. We’ve been committed for periods of the game. We need to be committed for the whole game.”

Originally published as Interim Wests Tigers coach Andrew Webster focused on his first game in charge