Wests Tigers boss Tim Sheens has reacted to his side’s third defeat on the spin with a cryptic, slightly bizarre media conference that took aim at the referees, previewed a major spine revamp just three weeks into the season and asked serious questions of the NRL’s warm weather policy.
He delivered a cryptic presser after the 26-22 loss to the Bulldogs at Belmore, ruminating on switching Adam Doueihi to fullback permanently, but refusing questions on a midgame spine reshuffle which saw David Nofoaluma hooked from his wing
He went on to complain about the conditions, but insist that he wasn’t making a public statement on them as well as highlighting, but refusing to specify, incidents that he felt went against his side.
“There’s a couple of incidents that I’m going to have a whinge about later that may have changed the game at the back end. I’ll bring it up with the referees,” he began.
When pushed by reporters, he refused to elucidate which incidents he was talking about, to widespread confusion.
“Both teams had plenty of errors, but if you’ve ever been in the arena, then you’ll understand what I’m talking about out there,” was his response. “It’s not easy in those conditions.”
The weather was incredibly warm, touching 34 degrees at kick off, and had it had been suggested all week that games might be moved to a later hour to accommodate the heat.
Sheens took issue with the NRL over not moving the game, though seemed to retract his criticism almost as soon as it had been issued.
“We look forward to the cooler weather somewhat but both teams suffered from it,” said Sheens. “We talk about the welfare of players – we’ve had to graduate them back to training because of the World Cup and then we stick them on at four o’clock in the afternoon in these conditions.
“I think you can get my feeling on it but I’m not going to make a major public statement about it. If we’d have won the game maybe I would have.”
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Cameron Ciraldo, the winning coach, said that his side had gone out of their way to prepare for hot days like this.
“We knew we were playing at these times all preseason so we trained at these times,” said the Bulldogs boss.
“That was really hot out there today, it was hard, but the drinks breaks were good and the extra half time helped the boys. We knew all preseason that we’d be playing in those conditions so we trained in them.”
The third topic on the agenda was a midgame shift that saw David Nofoaluma hooked. Sheens withdrew the winger, moved fullback Charlie Staines to the side with dropped Adam Doueihi to the back, with Brandon Wakeham coming on in the halves to partner Luke Brooks.
Brooks, who was wearing the 7, sparked into life and appeared to be more of a five eighth with Wakeham, a career halfback, on ground. Though the move worked well, Sheens refused to answer questions on why he had made it in the first place.
“I don’t want to make a call on it at the moment,” he said when asked. “I don’t want to talk about it, I am not going to justify what I did.”
But later added that the move that saw Doueihii go to fullback might be maintained into the future.
“We practised that all week, that was the thing. Adam didn’t train all week except the captain’s run yesterday, so it was always looking better with the two boys playing together.
“Things weren’t working for us so I pushed Adam back there. I’m not saying he was the superstar but he settles us down out the back there and he dominates the calls so he might get a bit more time there.”
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