Wests Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis has refused to guarantee the future of Michael Maguire as head coach and concedes that change may be necessary to turn around the club’s fortune.
Tigers head of football Tim Sheens has begun a mid-year review into the club’s season and his recommendations will ultimately play a decisive role in Maguire’s future.
The Tigers have won only six of their past 23 games under Maguire and currently sit in 15th place on the ladder, having won only three games this season.
The club resisted the temptation to sack Maguire at the end of last year but his future is again in the spotlight as Sheens prepares to determine whether he is the right man to take the club forward.
“Tim Sheens has been engaged by the club as the director of football,” Hagipantelis told SEN radio on Tuesday morning.
“He is today arguably the most qualified man in the game of rugby league. As a club we put a lot of stock in Tim Sheens.
“He has just found an opportune time now … where he can just do a little health check and have a look at where we are sitting.
“From the board’s perspective it is business as usual today – there are no emergency board meetings, no panicked phone calls, no late night zoom hook-ups.
“Tim said he is going to look at how things are at the moment. He will come back to the board at the appropriate time with some recommendations.
“I am a firm believer in the old adage that you don’t buy a dog so you can bark yourself. Tim has been brought in for that role so he will let us know what if anything needs to be done so this club can get back on track.”
Asked whether he could guarantee Maguire’s future, Hagipantelis said: “As of today, 31 May 2022 Michael Maguire is the contracted head coach of the Wests Tigers and there is nothing before me to indicate that will change.
“But will I guarantee anyone’s employment whether it be the head coach, or head of commerce, or the CEO’s role? No, I will not give that guarantee.
“The issuing of guarantees has certain legal ramifications. At the moment we are somewhat disappointed with where we are sitting at the moment on the table.
“Do we need to make some changes? I suspect we do. We will leave it to the great man to come back to us.
“The board puts a lot of stock in Tim Sheens and his recommendations.”