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Ciraldo in box seat after Tigers sack Maguire with Kimmorley taking over as interim coach

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7th June, 2022
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Wests Tigers have pulled the trigger on the end of Michael Maguire’s time as coach, announcing the termination of his contract, effective immediately and Panthers assistant coach Cameron Ciraldo is the early favourite to be the full-time successor.

The club issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon to say Maguire had been told his services were no longer required and former NSW and Australian halfback Brett Kimmorley, who had been working with the club in a pathways role, would be taking over for the rest of the season.

Wests Tigers director of football Tim Sheens addressed the media on Tuesday to explain why Maguire was punted with 18 months left on his contract.

Ciraldo is considered the frontrunner to replace Maguire in a full-time capacity although Penrith are unlikely to grant him a release midway through this season.

Shane Flanagan, who played for Wests, and fellow premiership-winning coach Paul Green are on the lookout for permanent roles and could also come under consideration.

Former Cronulla coach John Morris could also be an option, having previously played for the Tigers.

St Helens coach Kristian Woolf, Cowboys assistant Dean Young and Roosters assistant Jason Ryles are other mentors believed to be caught up in the current coaching merry-go-round.

Penrith coach Cameron Ciraldo

Cameron Ciraldo. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

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Sheens would not discuss names, but indicated he wants someone adept at working with the club’s array of promising juniors as well as guiding senior players. That is something Ciraldo has become renowned for at premiers Penrith.

“Of course (Ciraldo’s) name is going to be speculated,” Sheens said. “At the end of the day the usual names will be thrown around. We’re talking about a development coach here who is prepared to work with young ones as well as give the senior ones a go.”

Maguire’s exit came as Penrith engage with Ciraldo’s management on a contract extension to stay at the club for next year. The Panthers know Ciraldo will be in great demand given both the Warriors and Canterbury are also searching for replacements after axing their coaches.

But they want to hold on to their defensive mastermind until he believes the right club is there to jump to. And the Tigers believe they can be an attractive option with the talent in their pipeline.

While Sheens was all but resigned to the club missing the finals for an 11th straight season after winning just three of their opening 12 games, he insisted the future was bright.

Pleading for patience from long-suffering fans, he pointed to the fact Western Suburbs had won the under-17s Harold Matthews Cup this year, while the under-19s were also finalists.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 07: Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire watches on during the Wests Tigers NRL training session at St. Luke's Park North on December 07, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

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“We need someone for at least three or four years to take control of that and bring the kids through,” Sheens said. “We’re going to have highs and lows as they gain experience.

“We’ve got a couple of good guys coming in next year. We just need to make sure there are spaces there for our good kids to develop into.”

Ciraldo was briefly approached by the Tigers at the end of last year as part of an earlier review into the joint-venture’s poor performances, before they decided to stick with Maguire.

Sheens was not in Australia with the club then, but said time had run out on Maguire after the poor start to this season and with the need to ramp up recruitment for 2023 and beyond.

“It’s not only results, it’s about our future,” Sheens said. “I couldn’t see or recommend that Michael would be here in three or four years’ time.”

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 24:  Tigers NYC coach Brett Kimmorley gives instructions from the bench during the round 20 NRL match between the Wests Tigers and the Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium on July 24, 2015 in Sydney, Australia.  (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Brett Kimmorley. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Maguire could be as an option for the Warriors, with his axing coming just hours after Nathan Brown was pushed out of the Auckland-based club.

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A premiership-winning mentor with South Sydney in 2014, Maguire already has a connection with New Zealand rugby league as coach of the Kiwis.

Under Maguire, the Tigers have finished ninth, 11th and 13th in previous seasons and this year have struggled to a 3-9 record to sit in 12th position. They are due to take on Manly this Sunday at Campbelltown.

The Tigers have struggled to attract marquee recruits in recent years with the likes of Josh Addo-Carr, Latrell Mitchell and Tevita Pangai jnr negotiating with the club only to sign elsewhere.

They added Jackson Hastings this season and he has been a shining light at halfback but other recruits like Joe Ofahengaue, Oliver Gildart, James Tamou and James Roberts, over the past couple of years have failed to fire.

Maguire was spotted at the Tigers’ Concord headquarters on Tuesday where he had run training before meeting club executives. Players fronted the media unaware of the chaos that was about to ensue. 

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