Shortlist revealed to replace Michael Maguire as axe hovers over Wests Tigers coach

Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire’s future at the club is under threat once again after their latest substandard performance.

Is Maguire a dead man walking? Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images

Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire is once again in the firing line after the latest substandard performance from his side.

Coming into the Origin series, the Tigers sit in 15th, ahead of only the Bulldogs with three wins from 12 matches in 2022.

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The besieged coach has been under pressure for some time as the Tigers have failed to make inroads into returning to the finals under his tenure, having not made the playoffs since 2011.

The drums are beating louder after his troops were completely outplayed in Saturday’s 44-18 loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, despite leading 18-12 at halftime.

Daily Telegraph reporter Phil Rothfield told NRL 360 on Monday he believes Maguire has coached his last game.

“Pressure builds as we all know … I think there is a split board,” he said. “Some want to move on now and others want to give him a bit more time.

“I think those wanting to get rid of Madge will win, I think they have done it very cleverly. The smarter people at the club want to use State of Origin, where they are talking to Freddy, talking to Billy Slater, talking to Payne Haas.”

Asked if Maguire will be at the Tigers in a couple of weeks, Rothfield replied: “No he won’t be, I think he has probably coached his last game.”

The Tigers’ run of dismal results has sparked the club into action, with director of football Tim Sheens to undertake a review.

Speaking on SEN 1170 Breakfast, Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis downplayed the review, saying “the word review has become a dirty word”.

“He (Sheens) has just found an opportune time when there’s this little two week hiatus in the season to do a little health check and see how we are sitting and why are we 3-12 and are we happy with that — no we’re not — what we need to do to improve, what changes may or may not need to be made,” he said.

“From the board’s perspective, it’s business as usual today. There’s no emergency board meetings, there’s no panicked phone calls, there’s no late night zoom hook-ups. Tim said he’s going to have a look at how things are at the moment, he’ll come back to the board at the appropriate time with some recommendations.

“I’m a firm believe in the old adage that you don’t buy a dog so you can bark yourself. Tim’s been brought in for that role so he’ll tell us what if anything needs to be done to get this club back on track.”

Michael Maguire is back under fire. Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images

Asked directly if Maguire will be coach in the Tigers’ next match against the Bulldogs, Hagipantelis said as of today, he is contracted “and there is nothing before me that suggests that’s going to change”.

“Will I guarantee anyone’s employment, whether it be the head coach or head of commercial or the CEO’s role? No, I will not give that guarantee,” he said.

“The issuing of guarantees has certain legal ramifications. But at the moment, we are somewhat disappointed where we’re sitting on the table. Do we need to make some changes? I suspect we do.”

However, The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis said there were already some names being floated to replace Maguire.

Asked if he believed that Maguire would be in the coach’s box in the Tigers’ next game on Sunday week, the reporter didn’t have an answer but did say there was a push from inside the club to move him on.

“There is definitely an appetite from some on the board to change the coach,” Carayannis said.

“Whether that’s enough to see a change in Michael Maguire as head coach of the Tigers, I’m not exactly sure. His position is certainly under threat, there’s no doubt about that, they’re looking at it.

“Whether it’s now or at the end of the year, I don’t see Michael Maguire as a coach of the Tigers long-term.”

Tigers stars are feeling the heat. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Carayannis revealed the likes of 300-gamers Brett Kimmorley and John Morris were in the club’s sights as possible replacements for Maguire.

Kimmorley previously coached the Tigers’ Holden Cup team in 2015 currently works at the club as pathways and coaching manager, working across junior development and the academy.

Morris, who played three seasons with Wests in his 300-game career, was unceremoniously dumped by the Cronulla Sharks last season and joined South Sydney as assistant coach this season.

“Brett Kimmorley is a potential interim coach, he’s obviously working with their pathways and their halves at the moment,” Carayannis said.

“The other name that Brent Read wrote about this morning was John Morris, who obviously had success as the Sharks’ coach over the last couple of years before they signed Craig Fitzgibbon, he’s an assistant at South Sydney.

“He obviously played under Tim Sheens at the Tigers, I think it’ll be someone like that, someone with a connection with the club.”

Despite the gloomy outlook on his coaching tenure, Maguire is staying positive.

It was another tough loss for the Tigers. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

After the Rabbitohs loss, Maguire said he still believed he was the man to take the Tigers to success, saying he believed his side, who are three wins out of a finals position, can still feature in the top eight.

Maguire appeared to liken his side to the 2005 Tigers, who won only five of their first 12 games but surged to premiership glory in the second half of the season.

“The season is still alive,” he said.

“You get a run on, and you can go back in time at this club.

“You just need to have a passage of consecutive wins and I know it is inside this team.”