From Weidler’s column today:
Clouds remain over Sheens’ future
We were chastised by rival media for suggesting a few weeks back that
Tim Sheenscould be headed for an early exit from his coaching duties at Wests Tigers.
At that point we didn’t say it was locked in, but talk of Sheens not seeing out his two-year deal as head coach won’t go away.
Sheens is said to be perplexed by what is happening at the club, and he is angry that he has lost his right-hand man,
Warren McDonnell, his former head of recruitment. The significance of that is McDonnell was regarded as a non-negotiable when it came to Sheens taking the job.
A few weeks ago, Sheens was blindsided by a tweet we put out saying
Scott Fulton was heading for the Tigers. Sheens was not part of the negotiations that secured one of the sharpest recruiters in the business. The relationship between Sheens and Fulton will be worth watching.
Fulton’s signing was shrewd but for Sheens it’s a red flag, no matter how the club wants to spin it. Then there was a promise that the recruitment men could work together, given, the story went, that they had strengths in different areas.
Fulton has the full backing of Tigers chief executive
Justin Pascoe and chairman
Lee Hagipantelis — he was their most-prized recruit — so he is in a position of strength. Fulton was always going to survive the recruitment power struggle, and now he has the keys to the playing roster.
What will be interesting is how much say Sheens has. Sheens caught some at the club by surprise with his recent declaration that the club was going to offer much-maligned halfback
Luke Brooks a new contract.
Not everyone at the Tigers thinks Brooks is the solution and the future of the club. The Tigers had a crack at signing
Shaun Johnson in a clear indication that not everyone wants Brooks to stay. Sheens did not respond when contacted for comment.