Player power ended Jason Taylor’s tenure as Wests Tigers coach, and that’s just one of many problems Ivan Cleary has to conquer as the replacement.
The job is a poisoned chalice. The club has had four coaches in the last six years, and just one premiership in 2005 in 17 years as the amalgamation of two proud and passionate foundation clubs in 1908 – the Western Suburbs Magpies and Balmain Tigers.
An amalgamation that should never ever have been considered.
So far under coaches Wayne Pearce (2000), Terry Lamb (2001-2002), Tim Sheens (2003-2012), Mick Potter (2013-2014), and Jason Taylor (2015-2017), the Wests Tigers have won 186 of their 424 games for a 43.8 per cent success rate.
Nothing to write home about.
The 46-year-old Cleary in two stints as Warriors coach from 2006 to 2011, and the Panthers from 2012 to 2015, has a 121 win record from 249 games for a 48.59 per cent success rate.
And to prove how tenuous a coach’s life can be, Cleary won the Dally M Coach of the Year award in 2014 at the Panthers only to be sacked the next season.
So it’s vital for Ivan Cleary to do well at the Wests Tigers.
Hopefully he told the unimpressive Wests Tigers board it was his way or the highway before he signed on the dotted line, and that he would be in sole charge of his support staff, selections, retentions, and new recruits.
Anything less and he might as well drink from the poisoned chalice today and get it over with.
Next cab off the rank today would be to sit across the desk with skipper Aaron Woods, James Tedesco, Mitchell Moses, and Luke Brooks to sign on the dotted line sooner than later.
All four gave the impression they wouldn’t sign until the coaching drama was settled, and that time has arrived.
But full-back Tedesco has been mentioned as a Dragon which has Josh Dugan spitting chips, while the other three have been linked to the Bulldogs.
Tedesco summed up the general feeling that all he wants is to be a member of a winning side that has genuine premiership aspirations.
That begs the question will the quartet give Cleary the space to make them happy, or not take the risk and head for greener pastures?
It all boils down to how good a salesman Cleary is, and he’s already under intense pressure not of his making – he has inherited the mess, but the salary as well.
One thing for certain, without that quality quartet Cleary hasn’t a hope in hell of realising his positive prediction yesterday that the Wests Tigers will make the finals this season.
But they are at the bottom of the table with one win, and have the Cowboys to deal with at Townsville this round.
Any fair-minded rugby league supporter will wish Ivan Cleary well, the NRL can’t afford to have any club just making up the numbers.
And right now that’s all the Wests Tigers are worth.
damo
Guest
Oh boy, he's not 'being' paid because he's already 'been' paid! It's ok mate, I had a long day at work too & it took me a moment to read your comment before I laughed out loud & realized that you probably meant something else entirely! Semantics, last bastion of people who like facts, the bloody smartarses! Very factual & I'm sure JT is comforting himself by putting "paid out ahead of term" rather than "sacked" on his CV.
Jock Cornet
Guest
Get rid of the 4 losers and just replace him with Cronk.
tigranes
Guest
Harry who would sign Luke Brooks?
Jacko
Guest
I wouldnt sign all 4. Brookes is a poor mans Cronk is he not...get the real Cronk and get rid of Brookes. keep the other 3
Jacko
Guest
And he got sacked lol
Gonzo
Guest
He has been been paid in advance...of course that's a pay out....silly thing to say! Anyone who can argue that the board is competent has no idea....they are extremely amateur at all levels. Marina Go who at a state of origin night a few weeks ago walked up to Laurie Daley and asked who was he and what did he do for a living? If a board member doesnt know there product on a business level that company would not survive....and as it's showing they don't know there product and they are hanging on just...incomponent board,and anyone who thinks otherwise has no idea!!!
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
Considering he had a contract until the end of the season, he's been paid for work he now isn't going to do. Arguing he's been paid out is just playing semantics. So for season 2017, the club will effectively be paying for two head coaches. This from a Board that knows (presumably?) that the club is already paying a small fortune for a series of ex-coaches hired and fired by previous administrations. The faces may change, but the incompetence continues...
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Taylor is not getting paid. he has been paid out. He will no longer receive a cent from the club
Kramer
Guest
Nope..current board put Taylor in as coach, sacked Taylor as coach,got rid of there captain and current NSW hooker, could not be bothered to tell there new captain they sacked the coach...on and on and on . No one in particular like the current board has no idea.
Lidcombe Oval
Guest
I would give the 4 players a deadline to sign - no singing withdraw offer and go into the market place - lot of quality players off contract at end of 2017
Tigerboy.
Guest
Just a couple of points. 1-Ivan Cleary was sacked by Phil Gould because Gould's overly ambitious 5 year plan never materialized. Gould conveniently dismissed the fact that Cleary had up to 13 players at various stages during the season out through injury. 2- The West Tigers presently have only 8 players contracted for next season, plenty of salary cup left to recruit. QUESTION-can somebody please explain to me how Gould has been able to sign an entire roster on long-term contracts, when the salary cap hasn't been decided beyond 2017????.
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
Is there a new board since Taylor's termination?
Birdy
Guest
All the media reports at the time of the merger were that the Balmain Parra merger was a done deal and Canterbury Wests merger talks were well advanced. Then suddenly the Wests Balmain merger was announced. As for the board, you normally get more accurate gossip in and around the club than grom the media. Therefore I'll stick with the thumbs up from Dawn Fraser, Blocker and Sirro in recent TV interviews. Bring on '18 Happy with any finish around 10th this year.
Sean
Guest
he got to 4th in his 3rd year. The next year penrith had about a dozen or more injuries. They were worse than the titans are at this stage. At the end of the year there were 12 players unable to play...
no one in particular
Roar Guru
As a result of the current board? Zero
chivasdude
Guest
All I will say is..."good luck Ivan". I think he is a good coach. He was very good with The Warriors taking them to 3 finals series including the '11 GF. For a side that is so "up and down", that is an impressive record. At Penrith, he was part of the re-building of the team and did well to get them to 4th in '14...before he was sacked by Gus the next year. That is the NRL for you. As I have observed before, the focus should be to retain Teddy and Woods. Then Moses. Brooks? I could take him or leave him, but the reality is that we cannot afford all 4 and re-build the pack. We need a couple of hard headed professionals for the pack. The culture needs to change and a couple of hard heads will help this. The team has never felt particularly professional, and that needs to change.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
Mmmmm it is quite remarkable that he is touted as a coach of greatness,when he would appear to have an average record. I'm sure Brian Smith must look on quite humorously,considering he coached teams to ( I think ) 5 grand finals without success yet he doesn't seem to attract such accolades.
HarryT
Guest
How do we know that any of the 'big four' will re-sign with the club? The big clubs will out bid the Wests Tigers for the ones they want and the rest will move on to improve their game and to get away from a club that has been a basket case for too long. Any notion of loyalty to club was obliterated when their friend and club stalwart was dumped last year.
souvalis
Guest
15 th, 10th, 4th, 11th...punt...Cleary had far more talent to work with in his career at Penrith,yet came up with zip..unfathomably treated with greater admiration than his record deserves..but that's moot to the bottom line,if your horse can't run it doesn't matter who trains it,it's not going to win...
Hard Yards
Roar Rookie
Hilarious.