NRL 2022: Wests Tigers set to sack Michael Maguire, replacements revealed
The Wests Tigers will soon make a call on the future of Michael Maguire soon, but if he is sacked he could be gifted an even more lucrative job, writes Brent Read.
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John Morris was the street corner tip to replace Michael Maguire at the weekend. Then again, Maguire has looked like a dead man walking before.
Late last year, there were some within the Wests Tigers who wanted Maguire gone. Powerful people too.
Maguire survived but the Tigers have won only three games since and he is once again in the crosshairs, with his fate seemingly already determined.
It would be a major surprise if Maguire is at the helm of the Tigers by the end of the week. The capitulation to South Sydney at the weekend looked to seal his fate, although the club’s board will have the final say.
The Tigers were woeful in the second half. Every try the Rabbitohs scored weakened Maguire’s grip on his position. That said, it would be wide of the mark to suggest his future rode on the outcome against Souths.
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Dig a little deeper and the Tigers have won only six of their past 23 games. They aren’t exactly setting the world on fire. They have shown flashes of quality during his tenure but every win has been a false dawn.
No corners have been turned. Hence the talk that Morris was rather favourite to take over. The connection was an educated one. Morris played under Sheens and comes from his school of coaching.
He had success at Cronulla before departing to make way for Craig Fitzgibbon. He is known to covet a return to head coaching but any potential comeback may hinge on Maguire and his fate.
What makes a decision on Maguire’s future all the more interesting is that if he is shown the door, he would immediately become one of the favourites for the Canterbury job.
Only in rugby league could a coach be sacked one day and then land another - potentially more lucrative job - at a rival not long after.
First, to the Tigers. Maguire’s fate largely rests in the hands of head of football Tim Sheens, who will be charged with making a recommendation on the club’s coaching direction.
Sheens has had his feet under the desk for a good six months now.Long enough to get a gauge on where the club is heading and whether Maguire is the right man to take it forward.
Pure results suggest it isn’t working. Hasn’t been for quite some time. The issue for the Tigers is that they want to begin contract talks with some of their most important players and they will want to know who the coach is.
Think Luke Brooks, Jackson Hastings, Daine Laurie and Adam Doueihi. They are the heartbeat of the team and they will want clarity around who will be in charge beyond this season. For that reason, it has become crucial that the Tigers make a call on their coach.
The Bulldogs similarly need to provide some clarity around their coach so that they can continue an impressive recruitment drive. They have already strengthened the side for next season with the addition of Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney but they have millions to spend in 2024.
Their priority is likely to be Penrith assistant Cameron Ciraldo but should he declined the job, Maguire may be next in line.
What a turn of events that would be. Yet there has been talk that Canterbury head of football Phil Gould is an admirer of Maguire and while he hasn’t had success at the Tigers, Maguire remains a quality coach with premiership credentials.
The Tigers will need to make the first move. It could be only days away.
REVEALED: MAGUIRE MAY HAVE COACHED LAST TIGERS GAME
— Phil Rothfield
Tim Sheens is to undertake an immediate review of the Wests Tigers football operations that will determine the future of under-siege coach Michael Maguire before the club’s next game.
In the middle of his fourth season in charge, Maguire may have coached his last game at the Tigers.
As boardroom pressure increased over the weekend after a thumping loss to South Sydney, no-one at the Wests Tigers would guarantee Maguire’s job is safe with the team languishing in 15th place on the ladder after just three wins from 12 matches.
Chairman Lee Hagipantelis, normally talkative, directed all media inquiries to Sheens, who will make the recommendation to the board on Maguire’s position before the club’s next game against Manly on June 12.
“You could say it’s going to be an internal good look at ourselves,” Sheens said.
“We have the break with the bye and it’s a time for us to stop and reflect on our position. Obviously the coaching will be part of that. I’ll be talking to the coach.
“The recommendations will come from there. I’m not saying either way.
“The coaching is one aspect of the review.”
I pressed Sheens again on Maguire and the club’s performances since he’s been there. Ninth, 11th, 13th and now 15th.
“I’m not going to say yay or nay until we have a better look at what’s going on,” Sheens responded.
“They’ve been discussing Madge even as far back as last year when I was still in England.
“I’m not going to go there. You all brought it up again after round two.
“You’ve been around long enough to know there have been discussions and it will obviously come up and our next board meeting.
“There are elements in the club that are happy to be patient with Madge. Others aren’t.
“That’s the case at a lot of clubs when things are going so well.”
The Wests Tigers led Souths 18-12 at halftime but for the third time this season they failed to score a point in the second-half.
Not one forward made 100 metres.
Outside of James Tamou (93 metres) not one other forward made more than 75 metres.
They were absolutely trampled by the Rabbitohs’ middle forwards.
The Wests Tigers had a disgraceful 53 missed tackles, 34 of them in the second-half. Dane Laurie and Luke Garner six each, Joe Ofahengaue five.
“This is going to be a complete overview of where we’re at,” Sheens said, “We need to have a really good look at ourselves.
“We’ll be looking at recruitment, injury updates and everything else. It’s also our investment in juniors to beat off the bigger clubs that want to cherry pick our kids.
Sheens insists the club has yet to look at other coaching options despite a rumour over the weekend that former Origin and Test halfback Brett Kimmorley would step in as a caretaker.
“We haven’t even gone there,” Sheens said.
“I’ll be making a recommendation to the board but it’s their decision.
“I don’t want to be the focus just to be the coach.
“I’ve been here six months and I’ve got more of a grip about what’s going on.
“We have to look at everything and then make some decisions.”
Originally published as NRL 2022: Wests Tigers set to sack Michael Maguire, replacements revealed
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