NRL 2022: Tim Sheens makes call on Michael Maguire’s Wests Tigers future

Wests Tigers football boss Tim Sheens has been left to clean up the latest embarrassing display from the embattled club.

Tim Sheens and Michael Maguire at Wests Tigers training. Picture: Toby Zerna

Wests Tigers boss Tim Sheens has thrown his support behind under-siege coach Michael Maguire and an embattled playing group amid revelations the club have won only three of their past 13 games, stretching back to the latter stages of last season.

Maguire’s future at the club has come under the spotlight again amid a disappointing start to this season for the Tigers – they have lost their opening two games, the latest an embarrassing performance against Newcastle.

Their tale of woe goes back further than that. Maguire was considered fortunate to hold onto his job after the Tigers finished last year in a rut, ending the year in 13th place.

It continued the gradual slide under Maguire – the Tigers finished ninth in his first season and 11th in his second before last year’s 13th place.

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Tim Sheens and Michael Maguire at Wests Tigers training. Picture: Toby Zerna

The club retained faith in their coach but things haven’t improved in 2022. If anything, the Tigers have picked up where they left off with a pair of performances that have failed to ease the pressure on the coach.

While the Tigers had a dig against Melbourne in round one, they were insipid against Newcastle on Sunday. In the aftermath of the humiliating 26-4 loss to an understrength Knights, Sheens returned serve at the critics calling for Maguire to be sacked.

“It’s a bit early to be jumping the gun – it’s round two for goodness sake, not round 22,” Sheens said.

“I’ve been around too long for knee-jerk reactions. I won’t be sucked into it. I’m standing by Madge and the team. People wanted to sack Des Hasler after four weeks last year and then look at what happened at Manly.

Luke Brooks has Tim Sheens’ backing. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

“Our job is to put our heads down, stick together, and be solid to each other.”

The former premiership-winning coach at the Raiders and Wests Tigers admits Sunday’s performance in Newcastle was not good enough but refuses to blame individuals.

“Yes they had a bad day yesterday and the whole world has jumped on them,” he said.

“I’ve been around too long for all this speculation and I won’t be sucked into it. In 2005 we were running 11th and there were issues about whether I should be there.

“Please quote me – I stand by Madge and the players. Fracturing the place is not the answer. We’ve got to work hard, simple as that.”

On Luke Brooks and another below par performance from his $900,000 playmaker, Sheens said: “He played behind a losing pack. The other halfback played behind a winning pack.

“I thought his defence was good. They hammered him on the left edge. I’m not getting involved in any of that stuff about Brooksy wanting to leave.

“He’s staying at the club, that’s it.”

Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis declined to comment, saying Sheens was the nominated spokesman for the club. Sheens, one of the greatest coaches in the game’s history, may yet provide a safety net for the club should things continue.

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While the Tigers have promised to stand by Maguire, their support for the coach is likely to wane unless things turn around. The Tigers face the winless Warriors this week before things get tougher – Gold Coast, Cronulla, Parramatta and South Sydney follow.

Unless Maguire can find a win soon, the club may be left with little choice but to look elsewhere. Sheens shapes as a potential caretaker to fill the void until the club can hire the likes of Cameron Ciraldo or Kristian Woolf.

Maguire was fuming after his side’s loss, not just at the performance but at the decision by the independent doctor in the bunker to remove winger David Nofoaluma from the field for a concussion test.

Newcastle back rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon avoided sanction on Monday from the match review committee over the incident, but Maguire remains upset at the ability for the independent doctor to assess head knocks rather than the doctors on the sideline.

“It is not tit-for-tat,” NRL head of football Graham Annesley said.

“It was reviewed by the match review committee. They decided to take no action. They deemed it accidental contact.”