https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-turn-anger-into-passion-says-tigers-boss/news-story/8b3d8e14924d35238909abc50c59011b
NRL: Turn anger into passion, says Tigers boss
Michael Maguire will take the reins at Wests Tigers after his Kiwi commitments
Michael Maguire will take the reins at Wests Tigers after his Kiwi commitments
Brent Read
Senior Sports Writer
@brentread_7
11:00PM October 28, 2018
1 Comment
Wests Tigers chair Marina Go has urged the club’s fans to channel their anger towards Ivan Cleary into passion for Michael Maguire.
Go, speaking after the Tigers confirmed they had released Cleary from the final two years of his deal and signed Maguire as his replacement, has sensed the widespread disappointment and bitterness among the club faithful with their former coach.
However, the silver lining has been the club’s signing of Maguire, a proven performer who has already achieved something that has eluded Cleary over his coaching career — a premiership.
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Go said the club had made a conscious decision to move on and she urged the supporters to do the same by embracing Maguire’s arrival — he will officially take the reins once he has finished his commitments with the New Zealand national side.
“There is bitterness from the fans,” Go said. “You see it on social media and read it in the forums. There is bitterness towards Ivan.
“We’re hoping that passion can be swapped — they will be able to swap that angriness with Ivan to passion for Michael. Some of them already have.
“The thing you love about your fans is they are deeply passionate and they feel everything. They were hurt by Ivan. They view this as rejection.
“Everyone’s response to this will depend on their particular relationships that they had with (Cleary). I can only comment on the way the board views this and there is disappointment.
“From our point of view, clearly in the end he didn’t want to do the thing he told us he wanted to do in the beginning — and that is why we appointed him — to build this club to something really special and it was always going to take more than three years.
“It would be different if there was an incident or we had a disastrous year, or something had happened in our club that he was unhappy with.
“If that is the case, he has never mentioned it to us and I have asked a million times. At the same time, an extremely successful coach has embraced the club and said I choose you.”
The Tigers tied Maguire down for three years — compensation from Penrith will help ease some of the financial burden — after also holding discussions with seven-time premiership winner Wayne Bennett.
Bennett originally approached the Tigers but talks were destined to reach an impasse over the Brisbane coach’s desire to see out the final year of his existing deal.
At the same time, the Tigers were in talks with Maguire, who was free of any club encumbrances. Maguire is also 24 years younger than Bennett and had the potential to be the long-term coach the Tigers craved.
“Timing was never, ever going to be right for us with Bennett,” Go said.
“What we could never reconcile with him was the timing and we were never going to force him to break his contract. To his credit, his position was he didn’t want to leave his club early.
“There was no negative to either of them. They were both great coaches. It is wrong to say he (Maguire) is our second choice. He was never our second choice. There were some things about Michael that were more compelling for us — that is the timing and the potential longevity of his appointment. We need somebody who is going to build this club.”
Cleary is expected to be announced as Penrith coach as early as today, allowing him to work alongside his son Nathan.
“This whole incident has made us realise the changed perception about our club,” Go said. “Years ago nobody wanted to come to our club.
“Be grateful we have been able to attain a really great coach. This is like a sliding door moment. You may look back at this and think ‘Wow, thank God that happened’. Our club has become optimistic.
“This is just a speed hump. I think we have to look at it like that.”
