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A decade after they sacked him, the Wests Tigers are considering bringing Tim Sheens back as coach.
With interim coach Brett Kimmorley failing to turn their season around in the first month since Michael Maguire’s sacking, senior Tigers officials have approached Sheens to see if he would return to the role, according to a Sydney Morning Herald report.
Sheens famously guided the joint venture club to their only premiership success in 2005 after winning three Grand Finals from 1989-94 at Canberra.
He returned to Wests late last season to oversee football operations and compiled the mid-season review which led to Maguire’s contract being terminated despite having 18 months left to run.
The 71-year-old last month tried to lure Panthers assistant Cameron Ciraldo to the club to be their next full-time head coach but he turned them down.
Knights Immortal Andrew Johns said on The Footy Show on Sunday that there had been talk doing the NRL rounds that Wests Tigers club legends Robbie Farah, who is currently on the support staff, and Benji Marshall could team up to take over the head coaching duties.
The Tigers have the NRL’s longest finals drought after missing out every season since Sheens guided them to the playoffs in 2011.
They have churned through several coaches since his stint ended with Mick Potter, Jason Taylor, Ivan Cleary and Maguire all failing to achieve success.
Tim Sheens. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
NSW coach Brad Fittler is convinced Jacob Saifiti is ready for Origin despite controversy surrounding his selection ahead of Eels veteran Reagan Campbell-Gillard.
When Cowboys front-rower Jordan McLean was forced out of what would have been his debut when he suffered a hamstring injury at training on Thursday, many pundits thought RCG would be recalled after playing for NSW in Origin I.
However, Fittler elevated Saifiti from the reserves bench and drafted Sharks veteran Dale Finucane into the extended squad. Despite speculation that Campbell-Gillard was no longer tight with many of his former Panthers teammates in the Blues team, Fittle denied that was the case and that it was his decision to go with Saifiti.
The Newcastle forward will be getting his first taste of Origin in the series decider at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
Jacob Saifiti on the charge. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
His twin brother Daniel has already represented the Blues in five matches and Fittler is adamant Jacob will fulfil his role.
“I like Jacob Saifiti’s game. For a big bloke he moves pretty quick, and I think his aggressive game will suit us,” he wrote in his SMH column.
“I’ve been watching him a lot through his twin brother. I’ve spoken to Daniel a lot about Jacob. They’re very similar in a lot of ways they go about their footy. And you could see once Daniel made Origin, something happened to Jacob. He pulled his finger out and went about just being better, being more reliable.”
Fittler said Newcastle hardhead David Klemmer deserves credit for Saifiti’s rapid improvement with the former NSW and Australian representative mentoring his young front-row comrade.
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