Monday Buzz: Only way forward for Wests Tigers is to sack head coach Tim Sheens
Tim Sheens has been back at the Wests Tigers for two years and in that time the already struggling club has gone hopelessly backwards, writes PHIL ROTHFIELD.
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Wests Tigers’ 74-0 loss to the Cowboys on Saturday night should be the end for Tim Sheens. He has been back two years and the team has gone hopelessly backwards.
They are now in worse shape than when Sheens sacked Michael Maguire last year and put Brett Kimmorley and then himself in charge.
The only criticism you aim at chairman Lee Hagipantelis and CEO Justin Pascoe is that they didn’t do their due diligence when Sheens put his hand up for the job over a lunch at Grappa restaurant.
He had been out of the NRL for 10 years and failed to get results in three jobs in the UK Super League.
Sheens was also responsible for hiring Warren McDonnell, who flopped in recruitment. This club is now a complete mess.
Benji Marshall needs to be fast tracked into the head coaching role.
Sheens needs to step away and allow newly appointed recruitment officer Scott Fulton to do his job without interference. That is the only way forward.
ORIGIN SET FOR SCHEDULE OVERHAUL
The NRL will review the State of Origin scheduling at the end of the season.
Dolphins super coach Wayne Bennett and senior club officials spoke over the weekend about the need to condense the series from eight weeks into three consecutive Wednesday nights.
Both commission chairman Peter V’landys and CEO Andrew Abdo said there would be a full review in consultation with the clubs, the players and major stakeholders at the end of the season.
The one major problem at this stage is Channel Nine and its broadcasting rights.
They have a contract with a locked in schedule.
Surely the NRL can never allow a network to hold so much power.
Origin will always be our showpiece event and a TV ratings extravaganza.
It just doesn’t need to be spread between May and July and ruin the competition for eight weeks.
HIGHLIGHT
The Wests Tigers were pathetic on Saturday night but take nothing away from the North Queensland Cowboys. In their last four games they have flogged the Wests Tigers 74-0, smashed Souths 31-6, beaten the Panthers 27-23 and belted Storm 45-20. They are a dead-set contender.
LOWLIGHT
I’ve seen some shocking bunker blunders over the years but few as bad as the decision to allow Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s try against Penrith from the most blatant knock-on.
LOWLIGHT II
The video umpire at Lord’s who took away one of the best out-field catches you will ever see from Mitchell Starc. It was a terrible decision.
SPOTTED
The son of Channel 7s rugby league reporter Michelle Bishop is a rising junior star who has been selected in the Australian Schoolboys team. Lachlan Bishop is a lively front-rower from Erindale High School in Canberra. The teenager has shown tremendous resilience to come back from two ankle reconstructions to make the schoolboys team.
SPOTTED
South Sydney Rabbitohs superstar Latrell Mitchell at Sydney Superdome on Saturday night to watch the NSW Swifts beat West Coast Fever in a Suncorp Super Netball preliminary final thriller.
SPOTTED
A horse called Freddie winning at Kilcoy in country Queensland at $4 on Sunday. Surely an omen the Blues are due in Origin III.
SPOTTED
Courier Mail chief rugby rugby league writer Peter Badel completed the Gold Coast marathon on Sunday in an outstanding time of 2.47, a personal best. His colleague Travis Meyn is a pretty fair runner too – he did the half marathon in 1.43, another personal best. They are certainly a lot fitter than some of their colleagues at the Tele.
360 VIEW
Catch you on NRL 360 on Fox League at 6.30pm with Braith Anasta, Gorden Tallis, Brent Read and Cooper Cronk to discuss the Origin teams and all the major topics from the weekend round.
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Originally published as Monday Buzz: Only way forward for Wests Tigers is to sack head coach Tim Sheens
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