It is no secret that the Wests Tigers have performed well below standard over the last few years, and with only 26 wins from 68 matches since the start of the 2019 season, there is increasing pressure on one man: the Wests Tigers head coach, Michael Maguire.
Forty-seven-year-old Maguire has coached 68 games with the Tigers, with a lacklustre winning percentage of only 38 per cent, and this poor record has sparked an internal review of the club.
Maguire, who played for seven years with the Canberra Raiders and Adelaide Rams as a centre, winger, and fullback, has faced increased pressure this season and currently awaits the findings from the internal review to see if he keeps his job.
Outside of the Wests Tigers, Maguire has shown clear coaching ability, coaching the Wigan Warriors and South Sydney Rabbitohs before the Tigers, as well as a small stint as the New Zealand coach.
At Wigan, Maguire showed his potential early on by winning the Rugby League Week coach of the month in February of his first season, as well as guiding Wigan to the League Leaders’ Shield in 2010, while topping the table with Wigan for the first time in ten years.
Madge also took the Warriors to their first Super League grand final in seven years in 2010, as well as winning the Coach of the Year 2010. Wigan won the 2010 Super League grand final and the 2011 Challenge Cup final before Maguire announced his resignation to go and coach the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
In his first two years coaching the Bunnies, Maguire took them to two consecutive finals series, both times missing out on the grand final by one match, and in 2014 won the NRL premiership against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
It was no surprise to many that Maguire was able to take Souths this far as his previous coaching record had shown he was capable of such achievements; however, it was a downward trend from here, with Maguire being terminated from his role as the Souths head coach at the end of the 2017 season, even though he had two seasons left to run on his contract.
After the 2018 NRL season, Maguire was named as the Wests Tigers head coach from 2019 until the end of 2021, with his contract being extended until the end of 2023 in December of 2020. Madge started his coaching tenure with the Tigers well, finishing ninth in 2018, but it has been downhill from there, with consecutive bottom-six finishes in 2020 and 2021, leading to an internal review of the club.
Despite his record at the Tigers, Maguire has clearly shown he can coach, with a similar, if not better coaching record than the current Penrith Panthers coach, Ivan Cleary, before his return to the Chocolate Soldiers.
Cleary, who coached at the Warriors and had a first stint at the Panthers before the Tigers, coached the Tigers for two years in 2017 and 2018 before being sacked and succeeded by Maguire. Cleary, who struggled at the three teams he coached beforehand, was offered another go at the Panthers where they made the grand final in 2020, and looks to do the same in 2021.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Cleary had only a 42 per cent winning percentage at the Tigers, which is similar to Maguire, moved back to the Panthers where he currently has a 73 per cent winning percentage, with a much better playing list and experience. Surely this is not a coincidence.
Granted, a coach has a big part in how the team plays and their ability to win, but so do the players. Wests have only had one State of Origin representative each year from 2017, including Harry Grant, who was on loan from the Melbourne Storm.
Compare this to Cleary’s 2021 Penrith Panthers side who had seven representatives in the Origin series. How is Maguire supposed to be competitive against teams such as the Panthers when the Tigers are clearly under-represented in terms of elite and above average quality players?
As seen in the Fox Sports documentary series Tales from Tiger Town, Maguire knows what he is doing and deserves a real shot with a team that is lower down as he can surely bring them up with the right personnel around him, those being other coaches, and more experienced, and better players.
Despite Maguire being under so much pressure and the extension that he signed on at the end of 2020 being questioned, Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis has backed Maguire by saying the embattled coach was essential in providing “stability” to the joint-venture outfit, defending the Board’s decision to extend him.
Senior players such as James Tamou and Luciano Leilua have also come out in support of Madge saying that they believe he is the long-term coach that the Tigers need.
With the input of senior players likely to play a role in a decision on the coach’s future, many pundits also worry that there may not be another coach on the market of Maguire’s clear ability and footy understanding.
Other than Panthers assistant Cameron Ciraldo, there are not many candidates who look like they may be putting pressure on Maguire’s job. Ciraldo, who looks to be the clear replacement for Maguire, has shown the want to coach and the knowledge to coach as well.
Despite this, many have argued that it would be silly to appoint a new coach in these trying times.
One reason is that appointing a new head coach is essentially a re-start at the club, which has clearly not worked. An alternative to this would be to get new heads into the club, like Tim Sheens, who looks set to take over as Wests Tigers coaching director, as well as other experienced people who are willing to take a bottom team through the ranks.
Another problem is the money that Maguire will have to be paid. Instead of sacking head coach after head coach, the Tigers could surround Maguire with industry professionals who have experience in assistant coaching, which would massively advantage him and the Tigers’ younger players, who are still developing and learning the game.
It would not be the smartest decision to sack, and then pay out a coach hundreds of thousands of dollars when the club is already struggling financially. It could set back plans for the new developments, as well as impact the off-field performance of the club.
The repetitive leaks from many at the club who are clearly not on Maguire’s side have been the downfall of the Tigers’ head coach. A club as fractured as this would be tough to work in. But instead of sacking the coach, who has shown the utmost respect and loyalty to the club, the players and club staff who have leaked these discussions should be reviewed and potentially moved on.
To be fair, the internal review may find that Maguire is not fit to coach the Tigers beyond 2022. Regardless, he has continued to respect the process and the club while many around him have broken his trust.
Such disrespect shown towards their coach may bring the vanquishing of the Wests Tigers’ culture for many more years to come, and may see Michael Maguire sadly depart from the NRL circle.
Gregory
Guest
Not bad Macca
DP
Guest
Steve Georgalis
Tony
Roar Guru
That's a good suggestion Fark. Hannay might be able to build a whole career as a caretaker. There's going to be plenty of opportunities
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
The big clue as to what's going on is appraising Cleary and Madge in the same fashion when they have very good rosters, not differently. Time and time again, clubs who are plodding along think the answer to the problem is to recruit a coach who has won a title or two ............... like Madge. Somehow all that happens, in most cases, is the reason they won a title or two is exposed as being largely due to their superior roster. Madge is really struggling to attract players and that is a terminal situation.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
Madge has proven he can coach. Some of the Tigers players haven’t proven they can play.
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Tony if Madge does get the chop then maybe they can call on the Specialist Nightwatchman Coach -Josh Hannay,Until they find someone crazy enough to take the gig.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Madge at the West/Tigers is defenatley not what Madge got when he started at the Bunnies and like Seibs also got at the Bunnies that’s for sure! Madge can’t get ‘blood out from stone’s’ as that is the biggest problem(s) at the West/Tigers, he needs support and especially players that will have a go as some at the West/Tigers have been sus for quite a few years. IMO 2022 won’t be much different from 2021 unless Sheens can get more blood from that magpie or tigers stone than Madge ever did?
Phil
Guest
The players you mentioned are a decent start. Tariq Sims should be his next target. Not sure how Jackson Hastings will fit in if the culture is the problem, although he does seem to have been on the straight and narrow during his UK stint. I am how ever looking forward to seeing where he plays. What are the chances of Brooks getting pushed to dummy half, to allow Hastings and Douehi to play in the halves ?
Craig
Guest
The Tigers gave Madge the long term deal because they finally appeared to realise that their problems were a long term fix, and sacking coach after coach wasn't the answer. Going back on that now will just set them back another couple of years. Madge deserves a shot at the 2022 season, with some money to spend after the ridiculous Mbye/Packer/Reynolds deals are now done.
Adam
Roar Guru
Jeez i wouldn't want to be a coach there! I reckon it might even be EASIER to fly to Pluto and back
Rick
Guest
The coach is not the problem. How man coaches does a club have to go through until the penny drops that the coach isn't the issue. How much more money can be wasted letting coaches go while having to pay out their contract? With $1.5 million available to spend the suggestion this money be put to use with experienced assistant coaches etc working with Sheens and Madge would be appropriate. The Tigers have a cultural problem that requires a clean out of the Board and the administration. That is where the problem is. Laurie, Douehi, Twal, Leilua, Blore and Mikael are a positive for the team.
Cam
Roar Rookie
Cleary went from 42% win record at the Tigers to 73% at the Panthers because he had a better roster? Yes and no. Certainly at the end of 2019, many pundits had the Panthers in the bottom 8 and quite a few good judges had them winning the spoon. They were below average in 2019 and with just Nathan Cleary as their sole Origin rep heading into 2020, those bottom 8 predictions were justified. So how did Cleary unlock a winning formula at the Panthers, but couldn't do the same at the Tigers and Warriors? Who knows. Probably for the same reasons Madge couldn't do for the Tigers what he did for the Rabbits. Or Why Bennett, coming off a premiership with the Dragons, couldn't get Newcastle winning. Or why Seibold was great at Souths but tanked at the Broncos. Some coaches just fit better into certain clubs and rosters at a particular point in time. Ivan Cleary didn't fit the Gus Gould run Panthers in 2015, but once Gus was moved on, Cleary and the squad flourished. There are so many moving parts within a squad 30, plus a wider support group of almost double that number, I reckon you a wheelbarrow full of luck if changing head coaches.
Danielle Smith
Editor
Great first article Hamish. Welcome! The Tigers have a bad habit of sacking coaches and having to pay them out. Hopefully this doesn’t happen again for Madge, but it’s not looking good. I would love to see him stay on as coach, have the backing/support/guidance of Tim Sheens, and hopefully be able to buy some quality players to build his squad. And I’m not a fan of Pascoe, I don’t think he is right for the club.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Which hurt more I wonder the 66 put on them by the Storm, the 50 on by the Sharks or the final game 38 to 0 by the spooners… 700 odd points given up to the opposition Dogs were better there, players just aren’t with him.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Winning a premiership with another club a number of years ago is no prerequisite to keep your current job. If it was Paul Green wanted not have gotten punted from the Qld coach (sorry, it was a "mutual agreement"), Des Hasler would still be at the Bulldogs, Ricky Stuart wouldn't be at his 3rd club after the Roosters. As mentioned previously, the game seems to have moved on from the defensive minded coaches who came through under Bellamy - Maguire, Seibold, O'Brien, Arthur. O'Brien got Newcastle to the finals, but did it with the easiest draw imaginable and they still couldn't score. Arthur has no new ideas and is lost if Plan A (which is the same game plan every week) doesn't work. Clubs have to cut their losses and move on. The Tigers should do this with both Maguire and Brooks. The issue is who takes over. Ciraldo is an obvious choice, and with no NSW Cup or Qld Cup, there are no other options
Nat
Roar Guru
I'd agree with that. I'm a bit on the fence though, when I look at 2014, essentially he had a young squad around a superb 1 & 13. He brought on Reyno, D Walker, Keary and a few more still playing. Wests don't have that GI/Sam influencial player but their list, down past the top 30, have accrued a decent amount of NRL games now to the point where one really good addition elevates them into finals comfortably. The otherside of that fence, he recruited both BJ and Jet into the same side at the same time. Ray Charles seen how that was going to finish.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Fair point, but playing position lotto with your best players, blowing up and dropping F-bombs - seemingly - at the drop of a hat, running ineffective negative defensive lines, shooing your best player and club legend out the door, putting most of your best players offside..... fits in with the "much of" part IMO.
matth
Roar Guru
Good first article. welcome to the jungle. Madge’s future will hinge (or should) on whether the club sees player development and recruitment heading the right direction. Unfortunately I don’t necessarily see Madge as a development coach.
mushi
Roar Guru
Not sure with the "much of" part. The number of coaches with a winning record at the tigers is the same as the number of people that have made unassisted return flights to pluto.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Good article Hamish, however, I can't agree that he deserves to keep the gig. Tigers have been very ordinary and he must shoulder much of the blame. I don't think the Tigers should change coaches as they need stability and to let the playing group know that kicking stones isn't the future. Having said that, Madge does need to work on his style and connection with this group. He hasn't got the best out of them and next year with Sheens breathing over his shoulder won't be easy. Madge has a year to change things and he needs to start with himself.