NRL 2021: Michael Maguire breaks silence after surviving as Wests Tigers coach

Michael Maguire’s survival as Wests Tigers coach comes with one or two caveats, including foregoing some of his autonomy as the club embarks on a new collaborative recruitment approach.

Michael Maguire remains intent on bringing a premiership to Wests Tigers and has shown his commitment to the cause by agreeing to cede some of his power over the hiring and firing of his football staff.

News Corp understands that under the revised structure at the Tigers, Maguire has agreed to forego some of his autonomy in return for the club taking a more collaborative approach to their recruitment of his offsiders.

The first test of the new order will come as the Tigers pursue a defensive coach to replace the departed Wayne Collins. The likes of Canberra assistant Brett White and former Canterbury head coach Dean Pay are expected to feature in discussions as the club considers potential additions to the coaching staff for next season.

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Michael Maguire is delighted to have his future guaranteed at Wests Tigers.

The final decision will be in the hands of more than just Maguire. While Maguire will have input into Collins’ replacement, he will be just one of the voices involved in the appointment.

Incoming coaching director Tim Sheens will also work on filling the role along with the football committee, which comprises head of football Adam Hartigan, chief executive Justin Pascoe and several board members.

Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis hinted at the evolution in Maguire’s role on Tuesday night when he talked about the disconnect between the football department and head office, and the need for the two to work more closely.

Collins paid the price for the Tigers’ defensive slide in recent seasons, culminating in the worst year of Maguire’s career in 2021. Since he led South Sydney to the premiership in 2014, Maguire’s sides have been on the defensive dip.

He has missed the finals for the past five years culminating in this year’s disappointment, when the Tigers conceded nearly 30 points a game. That statistic cost Collins his job and left Maguire with little choice but to agree to the changes if he wanted to keep his.

Having secured another year at the helm of the Tigers, Maguire released a statement on Wednesday in which he said he was pleased to move forward with the club and put an end to the speculation surrounding his future.

Dean Pay could be a target for the Tigers defensive coach role.

“I’m happy to keep working with every member of the organisation on our vision to turn around the fortunes of this proud club,” he said.

“My belief never wavered that in the fullness of time the club will be a rugby league force. Our recruitment policy won’t deviate – we will look to bring players in that complement our team and salary cap position.

“We want players to join our club that have the passion to help the club return to its winning ways, along with our juniors growing a stronger foundation.”

The club is now focused on improving their roster and it is understood they spoke to Gold Coast utility Tyrone Peachey last weekend. Peachey also has interest from Canberra. The club has also been asked to keep inform of developments with former Canterbury forward Adam Elliott and St George Illawarra Tariq Sims.

Tim Sheens could be back in Australia as early as October.

Maguire said he was pleased to work closely with Sheens, who remains in England but is due to arrive in Sydney potentially next month.

“I’m looking forward to working with Tim to build a strong and sustainable roster,” Maguire said.

“As a coach, self-improvement is always a path that I am hungry for. The game evolves, our competitors evolve, we need to take the squad to a higher level every day, because that’s what it takes to compete at a top four level all the time. You need to continually put yourself into that space to play and win a grand final.

“That’s what I’m focusing on.

“I’d like to thank everyone that’s given me support throughout this period. I’m looking forward to November 1, start of pre-season, when I get all my players back along with some new faces.”

The one thing Wests Tigers need for success

The Tigers have $1.6 million to spend in the salary cap but if Michael Maguire is to build the roster that might save his NRL coaching career, splashing the cash may not be the best solution.

According to Fox League’s Matty Johns, with the gap between the NRL’s powerhouses and stragglers like the Tigers continuing to widen the joint venture can’t afford to be caught over their head in bidding wars for established stars in an effort for another quick fix.

Instead, with Maguire earning a stay of execution after he avoided the axe on Tuesday, the best path is the same one that delivered the club the likes of Daine Laurie, Stefano Utoikamanu and Adam Doueihi.

There's plenty of reason to hope for Wests Tigers fans.

“What we’re seeing in the game is the widening of the gap between the best and the rest. The biggest thing it points to is how reactive and year-by-year some clubs can be. They just never get traction,” Johns said.

“Players will go to the good clubs now for less and the better the club the less they’ll go for. A lot of clubs are going to have to pay 20 per cent over a person’s worth to get them there.

“There’s been a real reactive quality to the Tigers, they were grabbing whatever they could off the shelf.

“The smart thing the Tigers could do is pull the blanket back on the top layer of some of the top clubs, see who is sitting underneath the top players, find out who are four or five of the best 17 or 18-year olds coming through and pay a little bit more for them.

“Then have the patience to let the kids come through and start to build. Look at Daine Laurie - that’s one they’ve done really well.”

Laurie, Utoikamanu and Doueihi all joined the Tigers from more successful clubs in an effort to earn a permanent NRL spot, as did other standouts Luciano Leilua and Shawn Blore.

As it stands, the club’s only recruits for 2022 are Wigan pair Oliver Gildart and Jackson Hastings - but there could be more value plays to be made.

Building on that young talent, and forming a true system around them, is not only the key to the club making it back to the finals - it’s the same recipe that delivered them their 2005 premiership.

“That’s what encourages me about Tim Sheens return is what he did the first time around,” Johns said.

“They’d had difficult years, and he played the long game, Sheensy built them piece-by-piece - he knew what he was looking for and the style they wanted to play.

“He established what the style of the club was going to be, how they would train the players in that style and if they did bring in a player if that player would suit that style.”

But the club does have one vacancy where Johns believes they cannot afford to wait another second.

“What they really need there, and one thing they can’t be patient with, is they need a leader,” Johns said.

“I don’t think there’s that many leaders around where clubs would be willing to let one go - but it doesn’t have to be someone on the market. They just have to find someone.”

MADGE SURVIVES BUT AXE STILL TO HIT TIGERS

Michael Maguire has been given a guarantee he will remain as Wests Tigers coach for the entirety of next season but only after being told an axe would be taken to his support staff.

Maguire, holidaying with his family in Queensland, woke on Tuesday morning unsure of his future. By Tuesday afternoon, the club had recommitted to their coach, who has two years remaining on his contract.

Maguire’s tenure was hanging by a thread but a 90-minute pitch to the football committee on Monday proved decisive after he agreed to make key changes to his staff and repair a disconnect between the football department and the rest of the club.

“It was an opportunity for him to address the concerns that were raised by the internal review,” chair Lee Hagipantelis said.

“Michael did so in a very genuine and convincing manner. The board meeting that was scheduled to occur afterwards was not required.

“The football committee wished to have further time to deliberate, which they did (on Tuesday morning) and the determination was made to affirm Michael’s engagement under the current contractual arrangements.

“It would have been inherently unfair not to give him the opportunity to address the concerns that were raised and he did so.”

When asked directly if the meeting saved his job, Hagipantelis replied; “Yes, he was very impressive. Very confident, very impressive, very committed.”

Wests Tigers' CEO Justin Pascoe (left) and Michael Maguire (right) in 2018. Picture: AAP/Brendan Esposito

Board members Rick Wayde, Simon Cook and Danny Stapleton plus chief executive Justin Pascoe are part of the football committee. Hagipantelis also attended the meeting with Maguire in an ex-officio capacity.

Maguire, Pascoe and head of football Adam Hartigan were also in the firing line but the trio will survive. Instead of big name scalps, the Tigers are planning to re-jig parts of their football department.

News Corp understands Maguire will preside over a comprehensive shake-up of the Tigers in a last-ditch attempt to convince club bosses he is the man to engineer a revival of the joint-venture club after a broom was put through his coaching unit.

There will yet be bloodletting at the Wests Tigers.

Right-hand man Wayne Collins is gone and is not the only one in the firing line. Football manager Jimmy Wright is also expected to go while high-performance chief Andrew Gray is expected to have a watered-down role of his own choosing.

Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis.

Maguire will liaise with the Tigers on constructing a new coaching team in consultation with 2005 premiership coach Tim Sheens, who will return in an increased role.

Maguire is adamant he can turn the Tigers around next season but there is an acknowledgment that something needed to change given the way the club has performed on his watch.

The Tigers finished ninth in Maguire’s first season in charge but have been on the slide since, culminating in this season’s embarrassing 13th-placed finish. They have also struggled to strike in the player market and the next challenge for Maguire and the club will be to strengthen their roster as they prepare to spend $1.6 million they have spare under the salary cap.

The club has been linked with a handful of players including Adam Elliott and Tariq Sims. One of the criticism of Maguire has been his inability to attract star names and he will have the off-season to prove people wrong.

“There will be changes to key personnel,” Hagipantelis confirmed.

Michael Maguire has survived the axe. Picture: Richard Dobson

“(The assistant coach appointment) will be a collaboration between Michael and the football committee to make sure the right candidate is engaged.

“There is no suggestion Michael will have six or eight rounds in 2022. As far as we’re concerned he has the entire season that is his. There will be no pressure the club will be putting on itself. Any pressure will be external. I am sure we are all big enough and more than capable of withstanding that.”

The club held fears that several high profile players would exit if Maguire was axed and the club was inundated by fans in support of Maguire.

The review has asked Maguire to close the disconnect between the football department and the rest of the club.

“He was very open to being inclusive and engaging, to receive whatever additional structural or procedural support was needed in the role,” Hagipantelis said.

“The club is doing so well off the paddock that it just felt there was a disconnect between that and the football department. There is an identity separation that the football department is dealt with separately, or regarded separately form the organisation itself. I have found in my own experience that creates division and is not healthy.”

The Tigers would have had to payout $750,000 to axe Maguire.

Balmain legend Steve Roach described the club as a “shambles”.

“I’m a mad Tigers fan but even I’m finding it hard to support them,” Roach said. “And

I know all my mates feel the same.”

Originally published as NRL 2021: Michael Maguire breaks silence after surviving as Wests Tigers coach