Weekend Read: Wests Tigers set to make decision on coach Michael Maguire as James McManus concussion case nears an end
Big decisions loom at Wests with the review into the football department and coach Michael Maguire underway. Plus the latest on the James McManus concussion dispute.
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The Wests Tigers’ season will mercifully come to an end on Sunday but the hard work is about to begin.
The Tigers have some big decisions to make in coming weeks, most notably around the future of coach Michael Maguire.
A review of the football department has already kicked off and a decision on Maguire’s future is expected by the end of the month.
It’s hard to get a precise read on whether Maguire will be there next season or not, but Sunday’s result against Canterbury could be crucial.
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Should the Tigers lose, they are likely to remain in 13th, the club’s worst finish in four years. It would also be the worst finish of Maguire’s stellar coaching career. A win could mean the club jumping to 11th, although that would be small consolation given the expectation of Tigers fans and officials when the season began.
There is a sense of urgency around the decision. The Tigers have more than $1m of salary cap burning a hole in their pocket and a desire to spend it. Decisions need to be made on players and recruitment.
Weekend Read understands that Maguire is keen to give James Robertsa new contract but the club may hold their nerve until a decision is made on the coach.
At the heart of the call will be whether the club believes Maguire has the ability to extract the best from the playing group. On this year, it would be hard to argue in the affirmative.
The sense is that there is disconnect between the players and the coaching staff. The question for the Tigers will be whether it can be repaired or whether the dressing room requires a fresh voice.
Incoming head of performance Tim Sheenswill play a part in the decision from afar – he is tentatively booked to return from England next month to begin his new role.
The club’s junior numbers are healthy. The top squad has flashed potential at times this year, but more often have been out of their depth.
It is understood premiership winner Shane Flanagan is unlikely to get the job if it does become vacant, although Penrith assistant Cameron Ciraldo, Queensland’s Paul Green and St Helens coachKristian Woolf deserve consideration.
LANCINI A GOOD FIT
The ARL Commission is in the process of looking for a commissioner to fill their eighth spot and they could do worse than make a phone call to former North Queensland chair Laurence Lancini.
Lancini is one of the most respected rugby league figures in Queensland, having turned the Cowboys into a powerhouse during his period at the apex of the club.
You only have to see how far they have fallen in his absence to get an idea of Lancini’s power and influence. Weekend Read understands Lancini was tentatively approached about his interest in joining the commission last year but indicated it was not part of his plans.
It is understood his stance may have changed and Lancini would now be open to at least discussing a role. A self-made millionaire, Lancini would add desperately needed club acumen to the commission.
He was chair of the Cowboys for nearly 20 years, turning the club from a rag-tag organisation into a premiership winner and financial juggernaut.
SMITH INSIDE THE TENT
Like most things he turns his hand to, Cameron Smith is adept at putting up a tent.
“I am pretty good, I am pretty handy,” said Smith, who this week became the face of Adventure Kings with former teammate Queensland teammate Corey Parker.
“As most families do, there are little blow-ups here and there when things aren’t going right. I have been using swags lately.”
In between spending time with his family, Smith has been keeping an eye on his former club Melbourne and isn’t overly concerned by its late-season dip in form.
“It has been funny to watch them,” Smith said. “They win 17 or 19 or 19 in a row and everyone is saying they are the best ever. Then they lose to Parramatta and everyone says we saw that coming.
“Have they been at their best over the past month? No they have not. Everyone knows that. It is really hard to be up that long.
“So we probably saw them on the decline over the last month. Am I worried about Melbourne? No I am not because I know they are a quality football side, they haven’t lost their talent, and they have Craig Bellamy’s coaching.”
MCMANUS BURNS BRIDGES
James McManus hasn’t been sighted around the Newcastle Knights in recent years. He hasn’t returned for their Old Boys’ days. Chances are if he did, he would get politely escorted out of McDonald Jones Stadium.
McManus is due to head to court on September 20 as part of his concussion case against the Knights but there are whispers it won’t get that far. An agreement may not be far away and it is likely to be a resounding victory for Newcastle.
It is hard to believe McManus will be welcome back at the Knights given some of the high-profile figures he dragged into his legal dispute with the club. The biggest was the Knights’ general manager of football Danny Buderus, a club legend and one of the most respected and popular figures in the game.
In his statement of claim, McManus pinpoints a series of incidents over the course of his career that he said were of concern and ultimately led to him suffering anxiety and depression. In 2015, he suggested he was struck in the side of the head by Edrick Lee when playing against Canberra.
Buderus was the blue shirt trainer at the time and McManus says he was subject to an on-field assessment. McManus claimed that he was allowed to stay on the field. Later that year, McManus says he collided heavily with Many’s Brett Stewart, became dazed and confused, and vomited. Buderus was the trainer.
In July, he claims he suffered a head knock against the Gold Coast. He then says he went on to play the whole second half.
The Knights’ legal team are believed to have studied video footage of the games in question.
It is understood they support Buderus’ version of events. Further, it is understood that the Knights legal team have raised concerns over McManus having clear recollections of the incidents, yet claiming he was badly concussed at the time.
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