SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 25: Tigers head coach Michael Maguire looks on during a Wests Tigers NRL training session at St. Luke’s Park North on May 25, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
An internal review is reportedly already underway at the Wests Tigers, and a dismal finish to the season won’t have helped coach Michael Maguire’s cause.
It’s understood Maguire’s job is far from certain, with The Sydney Morning Herald reporting a decision will be made on his future soon after the completion of the review.
Reports suggest the decision will be made before the next board meeting, which is scheduled for the end of September.
The news follows a Sunday drubbing at the hands of the last-placed Canterbury Bulldogs. Destined to pick up the wooden spoon, the Bulldogs put 38 points on the Tigers, holding a team scoreless for the first time since 2013, and scoring more than 30 points of their own since the back-end of 2018.
In fact, it has been 70 games since the Bulldogs last scored 30 points against the St George Illawarra Dragons in Round 24.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 21: Jake Averillo of the Bulldogs is tackled by Royce Hunt of the Sharks during the round six NRL match between the Cronulla Sharks and the Canterbury Bulldogs at Bankwest Stadium on June 21, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
According to the report, the club has already received a number of expressions of interest for the head coaching job to replace Maguire.
Chairman Lee Hagipantelis told the publication over the weekend that difficult questions must be asked.
“The results do not reflect the financial commitment and investment that this club has made to the football department, nor the potential of what we believe to be a very exciting young roster,” Hagipantelis said.
“Difficult questions need to be asked, but more importantly they must be answered.”
Maguire has previously been given the full support of the board despite their struggles, with the club finishing in the bottom four this season.
It’s the tenth season in a row the Tigers have been unable to make the top eight, with club figures understood to be hoping the arrival of Tim Sheens in the coming months will have an impact on the team.
Despite the conjecture around his job, Maguire told the post match press conference yesterday that he was the right man for the job, also pointing at injuries as a key problem yesterday, as well as the fact recruits in Jackson Hastings and Oliver Gildart are on their way to join the club in 2022.
SALFORD, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 10: Jackson Hastings of Salford Red Devils celebrates scoring his try with his teammates during the Betfred Super League match between Salford Red Devils and London Broncos at AJ Bell Stadium on February 10, 2019 in Salford, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
“We had 12 blokes sitting on the sideline so we will be a different team next year but what we have got now is a lot of experience with these younger guys going forward and understanding what it takes to play first grade,” Maguire said.
“When you look at all those younger blokes, I know we’ve got Jackson and Oliver Gildart coming, the younger boys and bringing back in 10 of our players that are sitting on the sideline at the moment, we’ve got the makings of what it takes to move forward in the competition and grow the team.”
Source:: ZeroTackle
