Legendary NRL coach Tim Sheens says winning promotion with Hull KR one of his finest achievements
HE is one of Australia’s most decorated coaches, but for Tim Sheens getting promoted to the Super League with Hull KR is up there with winning a World Cup.
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HE is one of Australia’s most decorated coaches, but for Tim Sheens getting promoted to the Super League with Hull KR is up there with his finest achievements.
The 67-year-old, who finished a successful six-year reign as Australia coach in 2015, moved to Salford Reds as director of rugby before accepting an offer to return to the coaching ranks with Hull KR in 2016.
However, before the four-time premiership-winner got the chance to take over, Rovers were relegated following a dramatic playoff loss to the club he had just left.
For a man used to coaching at NRL level and winning World Cups at Old Trafford, the prospect of going to Rochdale, Dewsbury and Swinton was something of a culture shock.
“When it went haywire I said to the owner, who was going to pay me a wage of a Super League coach, that if he wanted me to walk away I would,” Sheens told AAP.
“He wanted me to stay, but understood that I may want to back off. But we’d shaken hands and I said I was happy to come on board.
“It was hard work last season but I really enjoyed it.
“We started the season as favourites but we didn’t have a favourite’s budget.
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“But we got some wins and the team got some credibility and then were able to bring some better players on board and won promotion.”
Sheens, who maintains he loves the game as much now as when he debuted for Penrith 48 years ago, said the turmoil took him back to the days when his Canberra side was broken up due to salary cap issues in 1991. Three years later Sheens guided the Green Machine to their third, and last, premiership and said the satisfaction of rebuilding a club is hard to beat.
“The Raiders were the victims of the very first salary cap,” he said. “They put a cap on of $1.2 million and we broke it by $200,000. It broke every contract in the club and we had to start again as we lost 52 players.
“By 94 we’d rebuilt it and won the premiership.
“I haven’t gone into a rich club yet. Canberra weren’t, the Cowboys weren’t, Penrith definitely weren’t and the Tigers had a self-imposed $300,000 salary cap (per player) and were still 300k under the NRL cap.”
“It’s not like I’ve been at the Roosters who have money coming out of their ears.”
Hull KR boast a sprinkling of former NRL talent ahead of this week’s big kick- off, headlined by former St George Illawarra fullback Adam Quinlan and Sheens is relishing his first crack at Super League.
He also believes he has a better chance to recreate the flamboyant style of his 2005 West Tigers premiership-winning team at this level than in a defence-driven NRL.
“I’m not wrapping myself, but I have never conformed to what goes on over there,” Sheens said.
“My ‘05 side and the Raiders sides never conformed. But you can’t throw it around unless you have the players. You recruit players that can be both athletes and footballers.
“I’ve always tried to do that and hopefully we can show that and have some success this year.”