The Wests Tigers board and entrance workplace has been slammed and labelled a “circus” after the membership introduced as we speak that coach Tim Sheens will step down on the finish of the season.
As per the Tigers’ a lot publicised five-year-plan, Sheens was meant to steer the membership in 2023 and 2024 earlier than handing the reins to successor Benji Marshall for the next three years from 2025.
Marshall will now take over the top teaching function 12 months, successfully puncturing the Tigers’ five-year plan with Fox League’s James Hooper shedding some mild on Sheens’ choice.
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“Well send in the clowns Braith, the Wests Tigers have unveiled their latest circus act,” Hooper stated on NRL 360.
“The five-year plan that was devised over a lavish lunch at Grappa restaurant… has now been slashed to four years.
“It comes off the back of Sheens having some concerns about how much longer he could remain in that role as the Wests Tigers front person and head coach.
“His agent called (Tigers chairman) Lee Hagipantelis last week to outline the fact that Tim felt he was no longer in the right state to remain as head coach of the club so bang, Benji Marshall has been saloon passaged straight in.
“I spoke to Lee this afternoon and he was adamant that Sheens wasn’t pushed.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis added that Sheens, who held the membership’s head of soccer function in 2021, needed to reduce and “transition back” in to that place subsequent 12 months to which the Tigers nixed.
“The club has used this opportunity to fast track him out the door and keep him on as a potential ambassador or sounding board but Tim Sheens won’t have a hands on role at the Tigers next year,” Carayannis stated.
When Sheens arrived on the Tigers in 2021, it wasn’t anticipated he’d ever maintain a head teaching place on the membership, however after the sacking of Michael McGuire in June 2022, veteran journalist Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield requested Sheens on the aforementioned lunch just some weeks later if had any want to be a head coach once more.
Sheens beforehand coached the Tigers from 2003-2012, profitable a premiership in 2005. He hadn’t been again within the NRL till returning to the merger membership in 2021 earlier than turning into head coach once more for the 2023 season.
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“When Buzz asked the question, I almost fell of my chair when Tim said yes,” Carayannis stated.
“I couldn’t comprehend how they were going to go back to Tim.”
NRL 360 co-host Braith Anasta was scathing of his former membership for the method behind hiring Sheens as head coach, taking purpose at Hagipantelis and Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe.
“Hoops, you spoke to Lee Hagipantelis today. We tried to get Justin Pascoe on the show and for your Tigers fans, Pascoe didn’t even get back to us just so you know,” Anasta stated.
“You talk about Sheens not being experienced enough now with the modern day game or not being ready and all of this. Haven’t the leaders of this club got something to answer for? Can they keep making these poor decisions and go round and round in circles. It’s a circus.
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“People are critical of us for coming on this show and talking about them but they continue to sdo the same thing over and over again. What did Lee have to say for himself?”
“It’s been a road to nowhere going back to when Tim Sheens was sacked the first time,” Hooper stated.
“I’ll give Lee credit where it’s due, he fronted up and he did answer the tough questions, but I do think Lee in a lot of respects is a bit delusional, he’s got some Stockholm syndrome.
“In reality that board is a protected species sanctuary, Pascoe as CEO is a protected species, Lee is a protected species, and he admitted that in the interview I had with him this afternoon, he said ‘look we are a private entity, we don’t answer to anybody.
“Of course they want to have success but they don’t know what it looks like or how to get there. They are throwing darts in the dark hoping they hit something.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
