NRL 2023: Ben Elias reveals he apologised to Tim Sheens after Wests Tigers sacking

After Ben Elias completed his marathon meeting into the club’s review of football operations, the Balmain legend revealed he personally fronting up to axed Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens.

Wayne Pearce and Benny Elias. Picture: Jeremy Piper

NRL legend Ben Elias took the extraordinary step of personally fronting and apologising to Tim Sheens after claiming to be “embarrassed and disgusted” at how Wests Tigers sacked their coach.

It comes as Elias admitted to being interviewed for the Wests Tigers’ internal review, a report the former NSW and Australian hooker claimed could be the “turning point for our club.”

Elias attended a Kangaroos reunion inside the SCG Members Stand last Saturday week and wanted to say sorry after Sheens was dumped by the club in mid-August.

“We sat down and had a couple of beers together and I absolutely apologised for the way our club treated him,” said Elias, who played 234 games for Balmain. “I thought he was disrespected and deserved better.

“I walked straight up to him and said: ‘I’m sorry on behalf of the club, it was embarrassing’.

“The way they treated him, it was disgusting. They signed him saying: ‘Help us, help us’ so he puts his heart and soul into the club and then they sack him again.

Sacked Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty

“It was the board’s decision to punt him – that’s not my decision - but I was genuinely embarrassed at the way it happened and how he was treated – there are certain ways of doing things and in this case the execution was very poor.

“This bloke is a legend. This is the coach who has won four grand finals at two clubs, coached NSW and Australia. When it comes to the elite in terms of coaching, he is up there in the top three coaches.

“Tim is the Wests Tigers’ most successful coach, the only coach to have won us a grand final. They forget that. What a great man to have in your camp.

“I originally brought Tim to the club the first time back in 2003 and we won a premiership a couple of years later.”

Elias also spoke about his contribution to a review into the operations of the embattled club.

Balmain legend Benny Elias. Picture: Christian Gilles

Former NRL chief financial officer Tony Crawford is among those conducting interviews for the review, due out in December.

Elias and Crawford were scheduled to talk over the phone for 30 minutes but the meeting extended to two-and-a-half hours with the ex-Tigers hooker claiming the club was at the rugby league “crossroads.”

While reluctant to reveal exactly what was said, Elias did concede: “Yes, Tony Crawford contacted me and I think it was the first major step in the right direction in regards to the club’s future.

“They were hard questions that people don’t like to ask but need to be asked and answered. It was enlightening and optimistic. Everyone has to be open and honest.

“The club is at the crossroads. This review is the turning point for our club, this is critical and I hope to God that the right people listen to this review and make the right decisions.

“I always worry about the future of our club. It’s such a great club but sometimes you need to take some smelling salts and admit your failings.

“We are such a popular club – imagine what it would do for the game if we were a top four club? There have to be changes. We spoke about everything from the ball boys through to the chairman.”

When asked about coach Benji Marshall, Elias said: “I have total faith in Benji Marshall. The bloke is a winner and he has the right ethics.”

Lee Hagipantelis’ position as club chair remains uncertain.

Originally published as NRL 2023: Ben Elias reveals he apologised to Tim Sheens after Wests Tigers sacking