7 replies to this topic

[R L Winger]

Coach Tim Sheens quits Wests Tigers after 10 years in charge

www.heraldsun.com.au...g6-1226480601339

Tim Sheens has quit as Wests Tigers coach following a revolt from his players.

He reached a settlement with the club yesterday to walk away after 10 years at the helm.

Sheens told Tigers players and officials yesterday afternoon he was no longer going to be involved at the club, and speculation immediately turned to him possibly switching to the New Zealand Warriors.

It is understood Sheens reached a compromise payout agreement regarding the final two years of his contract.

A Tigers board meeting last night to decide Sheens' future was cancelled and the club is believed to be holding off on a formal announcement to allow Sheens to sort out a deal with the Warriors.

Under the terms of Sheens' contract, he was to be paid the full amount of his $450,000-a-year deal if he was sacked. But the club baulked at a parting payment of $900,000.

While Sheens told several players and officials of the news yesterday, it's understood that he chose not to tell club captain Robbie Farah and star Benji Marshall.

Sheens is also thought to have told his longtime colleague Brian Hyder that the football manager too won't be at the Tigers next season.

In recent days the pressure to oust Sheens became apparent as leading players openly expressed displeasure over the departures of club favourites Beau Ryan and Chris Heighington to the Sharks.

Sheens and the Tigers came to an agreement over the payout terms, while a new deal with New Zealand would likely cover the shortfall if it eventuated.

Sheens is keen to retain the Kangaroos job, presenting the curious situation where he could have to coach against a Kiwi side packed with his Warriors players should he take the Auckland job.

[R L Winger]

Tigers cut Sheens from head coaching role

Video below

www.nrl.com/tigers-c...053/default.aspx

He didn't quit and he wasn't sacked, yet after ten years at the helm, Tim Sheens will no longer be the coach of Wests Tigers.

The man who steered the Tigers to their only NRL title in 2005 was on Tuesday told the coaching position was no longer his as Sheens paid the price for the club's dismal 2012 campaign.

Sheens has been offered the opportunity to remain at the Tigers in an as yet undefined role - a hefty payout of close to $900,000 seemingly a key factor in the cash-strapped club not wanting to cut him outright.

Claims of a player revolt and the board's desire to go in a new direction would seem to make a new Tigers position for Sheens untenable, the club perhaps hoping he can pick up a role elsewhere to potentially limit the extent of any payout.

Sheens has been linked with the vacant Warriors job but David Kidwell has recently emerged as favourite to take up the role.

But Tigers chairman David Trodden remains adamant the man who has coached more NRL games than anyone else still had a future with the club.

"We would love to see him continue in a senior role with our club, but to be fair to Tim this has all happened quite suddenly," Trodden said.

"There was a consideration that we had come to a point in time when it was appropriate for the organisation to try something different in the NRL coach role for 2013."

Told it seemed as if Sheens was being forced out, Trodden said:

"I think (that's) really disrespectful of Tim and disrespectful of the people in this club who hold him in high regard," Trodden said.

"We want him to be involved in this club because he's been the most influential figure in this club during the course of its history."

While speculation over Sheens' future has been a hot topic ever since the club failed to make the top eight, Trodden insists the decision to restructure the Tigers' football operations was only determined on Tuesday afternoon.

While the failure to make the finals was a catalyst for the review, Sheens' fate was seemingly sealed when players voiced their displeasure over the cleanout of the squad - particularly the departure of popular pair Chris Heighington and Beau Ryan to Cronulla.

Chief executive Stephen Humphreys was non-committal when asked if the playing group could still work under Sheens.

"All of us at Wests Tigers including all of the players and the senior players have nothing but the highest regard for Tim," Humphreys said.

"There are lots of roles in our club that may or may not involve being around the NRL squad."

Trodden praised Sheens' role in turning a dysfunctional joint-venture into a premiership contender during his ten years at the club.

But his term was also blighted by a failure to turn promise into success with the 2005 title a beacon within a reign which featured seven missed finals campaigns.

Humphreys said a sub-committee had been formed to find a new coach, and while no one had been approached about the position, Manly assistant Matt Parish is considered a frontrunner for the role.

Former St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown - who is set to start his role as St Helens coach later this year - has also been mentioned as a contender, as has Melbourne assistant Kevin Walters.

[DiddyDave]

Who said Sheens is favourite to take over at the Warriors? I don`t think the Aussies would like their national coach domiciled in NZ and equally the Warriors will be desperate to get the right bloke in who has the least amount of distractions. In any case,Sheens has indicated that he has no intentions of moving across the ditch,so this is a none event.

[Blotto]

It is a messy divorce between Sheens and the Tigers, I do have some sympathy for him as this season a lot of events were not of his making, but he did struggle to get round the problems and patently failed. The Tigers will still be in the mire if they get the wrong Coach and Tiger Fans should be worried that Matt Parrish, Kevin Walters have had their names put forward, though Daniel Anderson may be the choice. From a personal point of view Mick Potter would be a good choice as well.

[thirteenthman]

It is a messy divorce between Sheens and the Tigers, I do have some sympathy for him as this season a lot of events were not of his making, but he did struggle to get round the problems and patently failed. The Tigers will still be in the mire if they get the wrong Coach and Tiger Fans should be worried that Matt Parrish, Kevin Walters have had their names put forward, though Daniel Anderson may be the choice. From a personal point of view Mick Potter would be a good choice as well.

Matt Parish is highly thought of in Aus isn't he? Not quite the same in Salford, I imagine. As for Kevin Walters, well at least he wouldn't have to deal with any "frenchies" as he respectfully described half of the Catalan Dragons squad. As the Warriors are discovering, there is a bit of a dearth of available coaching talent right now.

[G Las D]

Sheens is keen to retain the Kangaroos job,

Given the Kangaroos squad strength I'm sure Sheens would be keen to stay as head coach.
His time at the top is over IMO. Those in charge should ring the changes there too.
Hang on though - leave him there - it'll give Kiwis and others a much better chance with him in charge.

[philipw]

Won't be Parrish-he's off to Parramatra to work with Sticky

[longboard]

It doesn't appear that Wests and Sheens have sorted things out yet. Wests want him in an upstairs role..... nothing to do with the huge cost of paying him off, as indicated above. Good coach. May well sit and wait.