NRL 2022: Api Koroisau happy for Tim Sheens to take coaching reins at Wests Tigers
Blues hooker Api Koroisau, touted as the key Wests Tigers signing for next season, has weighed in on the uncertainty over the head coaching role at the club.
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High-profile Wests Tigers recruit Api Koroisau has backed Tim Sheens to take over as coach next year.
The NSW State of Origin hooker has also declared he is fully-committed to the struggling franchise amid increasing uncertainty over the head coaching role.
Sheens has emerged as an option for the Tigers after lead target Cameron Ciraldo knocked back the club.
Brett Kimmorley, Shane Flanagan, Kristian Woolf and John Morris are among the contenders.
However, the Tigers are weighing-up the possibility of appointing Sheens with an understudy that he can guide through the next two to three years.
Koroisau is a key arrival at Concord next year. The delay in appointing a replacement to former coach Michael Maguire has led to suggestions that the Blues hooker could have second thoughts. However, he allayed those fears on Wednesday.
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“I’m there 100 per cent,’’ Koroisau said. “The Tigers will be me next year.”
Asked if the coaching situation was an issue for him and how he would feel about working under Sheens, the Panthers premiership-winner said: “I haven’t had too much to do with him.
“I’ve obviously met him a few times now and had a few conversations with him.
“But he’s got the track record, if he wanted to go and coach again.
“He obviously did it in 2005 and won a premiership so whatever decision they wanted to go, I’d be down with that.’’
Raiders legends back Sheens to reignite Tigers
-Dean Ritchie
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has declared Wests Tigers need an experienced coach who “won’t succumb to outside pressures” and can “handle the politics from above”.
That is why Stuart has ignored club rivalry to urge Wests Tigers management to appoint Tim Sheens as head coach for the next two seasons.
And Stuart’s support of Sheens was immediately shared by Raiders legends, Laurie Daley and Mal Meninga.
The push for Sheens, 71, to take over at Concord from next year is gathering momentum.
Well-placed sources claim the club hasn’t formally asked Sheens to take over – but won’t rule out the possibility either. Stuart, Daley and Meninga won premierships at Canberra in 1989, 1990 and 1994 under Sheens as head coach.
Sheens has support to be named head coach while mentoring a development coach to take over, possibly in 2025.
“I think the environment at Wests Tigers is for a coach that is experienced, can handle the politics from above and has the ability not to listen to any outside noise. And that’s Tim,” Stuart said.
“It’s not a job for a young or inexperienced coach. Tim’s not using it as leverage. You would think it would be his last-ever coaching gig and he won’t succumb to outside pressures.
“The thoroughness of Tim Sheens’ preparation and the passion he has for a club, not just the NRL team but the whole club, the juniors, pathways, is what Wests Tigers need.
“They don’t need a coach in there who will just hinge on the result of the NRL team. They need a coach who is going to build that club for the future.
“Unfortunately, they have got themselves in a position where they need that.”
Daley added: “Tim is one of the greatest coaches of all time. No one knows football better than him when it comes to knowledge.
“He could do it for two or three years while mentoring a young coach. Tim could wear the bruises over that time compared to a young coach. Why wouldn’t you get him to coach when he is there already?
“You ask all the Raiders players about their careers and they will tell you what an impact Tim had on everyone. We wouldn’t have been the players we were or had the success we had without him.”
Wests Tigers missed out on No.1 target Cameron Ciraldo and continue to discuss a range of potential coaches including Brett Kimmorley, Andrew Webster, Shane Flanagan, Stephen Kearney, Dean Young, John Morris, Jason Ryles, Josh Hannay, Kristian Woolf, David Furner and Steve Price.
The current Wests Tigers head of football, Sheens is widely regarded as one of the finest coaches of the modern era, winning three grand finals at Canberra, one more at Wests Tigers while also coaching NSW and Australia.
“Tim would do a great job. I don’t think there’s any reason why Tim can’t (coach Wests Tigers),” Meninga said.
“Maybe under a model where he coaches for a few years and brings along a younger coach at the same time who then takes over. Tim could take control for a few years and then bring on the next coach.
“Tim taught me a fair bit about footy, which was good. And then he gave me the captaincy (at Canberra), which improved my game. He taught me how to be a leader. He put his faith in me.”
Benji backs Sheens for return amid NRL coaching crisis
-Phil Rothfield
Wests Tigers legend Benji Marshall wants veteran four-time premiership coach Tim Sheens to consider taking over as head coach of his embattled old club.
His comments come as the Gold Coast Titans are on the verge of sacking Justin Holbrook, who would become the fourth NRL coach axed in yet another season of clipboard carnage.
There have now been an extraordinary 80 coaching changes (including caretakers) across the game since 2010.
And it’s no surprise that the five lowest clubs on the ladder have had the most instability with the Warriors (nine coaches) and the Bulldogs, Titans, Wests Tigers and Knights with seven.
That’s 37 coaches between five clubs.
At the same time the Roosters and Melbourne Storm have had three.
But back to Benji and the Wests Tigers.
The old superstar five-eighth thinks the best way forward is for his 2005 premiership-winning coach to step back in and mentor a younger coach like Brett Kimmorley to then become the long-term fix.
“I think Sheensy should do it,” Benji said, “especially with the kids he’s got.
“He’s the best I’ve seen with kids and just teaching them the basics of the game.
“It’s not a bad idea and he could mentor someone along the way.
“I’ve got no doubts he could still coach an NRL side and if he’s interested he should go for it.
“He’s the same age as Wayne (Bennett) and look what he’s done. If he’s still got the passion and the desire, why wouldn’t he coach?”
There has also been talk of Benji being more involved at the Wests Tigers.
He’s obviously busy at Fox Sports, Triple M and with other interests.
“What Coops (Cooper Cronk) does at the Roosters is what I’d like to do,” he said.
“It gives you a bit of a purpose. You’re still involved in the game and you’re teaching young players some stuff. I really like coaching kids. A lot of basics are missed at the start of their footy careers.”
Benji’s comments on Sheens are interesting in that the more experienced coaches now appear to be coming back into favour rather than gambling on untried rookies, outside of Cameron Ciraldo.
Two premiership-winning coaches Shane Flanagan and Paul Green are the names being mentioned for the job on the Gold Coast.
The Titans owners have no choice but to move on Holbrook after 11 losses from their last 12 games.
Their first half on Friday night against Newcastle was one of the most incompetent displays I’ve seen from an NRL club in years.
A good side would have led them by 40 at half-time, not 22-nil.
Seriously, they are hopeless at even the basic skills.
You see kids in the park who can play the ball properly yet a $9 million team can’t.
This side is rubbish and the Titans management can’t just sit back and do nothing about it.
Kieran Foran is a wonderful old campaigner but it’s too much to expect him to fix this on his own.
They need to put a proven coach in charge.
Someone who can fix their roster and a salary cap that is totally out of whack.
Someone who won’t put a second-row forward on $1.2 million a year.
And someone who can recognise Jamal Fogarty was always their best option at halfback rather than a rookie who’s obviously not ready for the week in, week out demands of NRL.
Having a team play as poorly as they did against Newcastle is bad for the game.
People turn their televisions off and look for something better to watch.
Their next home game against the Broncos is normally a ticket-office bestseller.
You couldn’t blame their members and fans for not turning up this time.
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