Michael Maguire’s fate could be sealed as soon as this week with Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis admitting there is a disconnect at the NRL club between investment and results.
Hagipantelis stressed on Monday that a decision on Maguire had not yet been determined, but the reality is another year out of the finals means the future is bleak for the Tigers coach.
Players were interviewed last week by club officials before Sunday’s horror show against Canterbury, and a football department review is expected to be completed this week.
That will then be compiled for the next board meeting next month, but changes could come before then.
Hagipantelis admitted it would defy logic for there not to be changes in the club’s football department after another finals miss, but said they could be “intrinsic or extrinsic”.
Crucially though he claimed all other aspects of both the business and roster management had improved, with results the one clear exception.
“Off the paddock the club is as financially stable as it has ever been,” Hagipantelis told AAP.
“We have committed more resources and funds to the football department than ever in the history of the club.
“There has been a very active and aggressive recruitment and retention program.
“But the results on the paddock do not bespeak the investment that has been made.
“This year we have finished 13th, last year 11th and the year prior 9th.
“There is a disconnect then between what has gone in and what’s come out.”
Put to him that the assessment all but cleared other management such as CEO Justin Pascoe and left Maguire to bear the brunt, Hagipantelis responded: “I know what you’re asking but I am not going to comment.
“We all accept responsibility for the results of the club, we are all in this together.
“But as I say the results do not bespeak the level of commitment of investment that has been made.
“And that’s the question that has to be addressed.”
It comes despite Maguire being re-signed by the Tigers last December, with his deal extended from the end of 2021 to 2023.
Maguire for his part will make the argument that the club must continue to play the long game, having declared that was his stance over the weekend.
At the forefront of that is the development of Daine Laurie and Stefano Utoikamanu this year, while Adam Doueihi has also impressed.
But ultimately the Tigers could decide that Maguire is not the man to get the best out of the club’s next crop.
The Tigers have won just 38.2 per cent of games under Maguire in his three seasons in charge.
If they do look elsewhere for a coach, Cameron Ciraldo is one option given the way he has brought through Penrith’s current crop from under-20s.
However, the Panthers assistant knocked back a similar offer to take charge of Cronulla’s next generation in 2019.
Shane Flanagan is another coach out of work, and while he is now free to return to the NRL there is a thought his intense style is similar to that of Maguire’s.
Birdy
Roar Rookie
Albo, I just wonder if someone pumped a few beers into Ronnie if he wouldn't come out and blast the management. After all, they are the common denominator after a decade plus.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Ronnie Palmer has been around a lot of good footballer talent over the years. He knows this current bunch of Tiger cattle is not one of these talented squads. There are a few green shoots that may develop into a good team but I'm not sure Madge is the best to bring on the development needed ? Not sure he can work with teams of limited talent ? It has been proven that the Tigers cannot attract marquee players, just the usual "hand me downs" from other Clubs. So real improvements have to come from their junior development. The key then becomes identification, development & retention of the young talent. To date, a lot of the good local talent has already slipped through their fingers and moved on ( eg Teddy, Papenhauzen, Addo-Carr, etc). Right now, I would just retain the likes of Laurie, Douehi, Luciano Leilua, Utoikamanu, Blore, Garner , Madden , Liddle , Nofoaluma , Seyfarth & Jake Simpkin. The rest should be shunted, in favour of bringing in some youngsters to develop. I can't believe some of the players they have on long term contracts ? Zane Musgrove to 2024, Ken Maumalo to 2023, Asu Kepaoa to 2023 ? And they have now gone to the Super League to try their luck on Oliver Gildart & Jackson Hastings ? All I can say there is good luck !
Albo
Roar Rookie
Brooks showed great promise on debut at the SCG against St George in 2013. He somehow won the Dally M halfback of the year in 2018. But I am sure this just shows how poor a system of awarding points that is. He really has not improved one iota since 2013. The most frustrating footballer I have ever seen for continually taking the wrong options, or when he gets the odd correct option, then fails to execute with a poor pass or cut out option ? 8 years is long enough to prove he can manage a team on the park. He just can't ! Time to give Jock Madden a go .
Tony
Roar Guru
Yes, most of that is too subjective for me DP. I played in an era when winning meant you were paid 50% more per game than losing. It probably didn't make anyone play any differently, but at least poor performance wasn't rewarded like it is now.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
I’d be for that, except the way some would react to refs or team mates if a game was a close loss. And how crazy they could become. I do think that incentives – such as making grade and other performance KPIs eg. # run meters, post contact meters, offloads, and some other stats could come into it. Or ‘outperform your opposite’. Problem comes if the standard is subjective.
kk
Roar Pro
One for the memory bank.
Birdy
Roar Rookie
I'd love to know Ronnie Palmers opinion on the whole thing, but I think he's smart enough to stay out of the schimozzle.
mushi
Roar Guru
Do we all know that the talent is there? He's 150+ games in. Change in career rather than teams.
mushi
Roar Guru
Research in other sports show incentive contracts aren't great, which lines up with real world outcomes. Encourages stat hunting. It would be worse in league given the poor stats.
Tony
Roar Guru
Interesting thought, although there may be too many subjective variables. I prefer win v loss, maybe with some other milestones for say semis ,grand final, premiership, etc.
zonecadet
Roar Rookie
What if they all started on a guaranteed minimum, say $150,000 and then performance milestones and millstones were applied at the end to top you up? Would have to be different ratings for different positions but similar in some aspects. Positives could be metres gained per game, offloads, try assists, tries etc. Negatives would be missed tackles (or tackle percentage as a scale), errors, sin bins, send offs,.... some guys would struggle to get over $200,000 in the end. Good for the Cap.
Randy
Roar Rookie
10 years and no finals in a salary capped comp says there is something seriously wrong at the club. Even the lowly Titans and Knights have made finals at least twice in that period....
Cam
Roar Rookie
I'd be nervous if I was a Tigers supporter and McGuire got the gig again in 2022. There just doesn't look to be any improvement in them in the 3 years Madge has had the clipboard and no suggestion things are likely to change anytime soon. There are some decent coaches looking for a job, they could do worse than Shane Flanagan, Paul Green or Josh Hannay.
Camo121
Roar Rookie
It cannot be a player problem because the players that were involved are all players signed or resigned by the coach . His coaching style must be under question given they have gone backwards every year that he has been there. You very seldom hear the leading coaches publicly bag his players like Maguire does that must effect the way they perceive him . They play nothing like the winning teams do under the new rules, not helped by a half back who has been average to poor all the time the coach has been there. Lastly no good players that have come on to the market want to go there that in its self says it all
Jimmy
Guest
You think it takes under 3 years to clear a roster? Also, McGuire is a part of bigger things in motion - establishing a multi-million dollar training facility, re-establishunt itself as a junior development club... Relocating? Just to win more games? I bet Tigers fans are glad it's McGuire and Pascoe in charge and not you!
kk
Roar Pro
Anorexia???
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Fair enough but I’d argue that it’s also pretty easy to give them credit for success. Maguire got plenty in 2014. I’d never be an advocate for chopping and changing coaches but after three whole years he’s had a fair amount of time to fix that dead wood in the roster and yet it’s worse now than when he started.
Randy
Roar Rookie
can't say I have watched any Tales from Tiger town but whatever McGuire is doing isn't working. The Tigers probably don't have a top 8 roster to be fair but when they are bad they are really bad and sadly I can't see them improving much next season, unlike the Broncos and Bulldogs.... although Dogs aren't that far from rock bottom so not hard to improve from that. I wonder if the Tigers need a fresh approach and consider relocating. Perhaps they could become the 2nd NZ team or Perth.
Tony
Roar Guru
I'm not so sure mate. Rugby league is a pretty simple game, but there's a lot of players in a lot of teams just going through the motions. I wonder how they'd react if they were paid on a win/loss basis?
Paul Monaro
Roar Rookie
Pleased for Barrett. I feel for Madge, but "lowly 13th, their worst finish in Maguire’s three years in charge". It will be a nervous time for him.