from nrl.com
Angry Sheens denies Tigers unrest
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Ian McCullough AAP Fri, Jul 08, 2011 - 11:51 PM
A furious Tim Sheens has denied the exit of certain players at the Wests Tigers is undermining their NRL season after they crashed to a 22-6 defeat to struggling Parramatta on Friday night.
St George Illawarra angered the Tigers just hours before the kick-off by announcing they had signed utility back Tim Moltzen on a three-year deal.
Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys was livid, saying he had not agreed to release the 22-year-old from the final year of his contract.
Humphreys accused the reigning premiers of being "arrogant and disrespectful" but Dragons CEO Peter Doust said later he was confused by Humphreys' comments.
"Our intention to make this announcement was communicated to Wests Tigers in advance of the announcement even though it has always been our understanding and the standard practice within the game that the club signing a player makes any such announcement," Doust said in a statement released during the game.
"We do not understand the statement that our announcement is arrogant or disrespectful to the Wests Tigers club."
After the match, Sheens bristled when asked if the decision to let Moltzen, Wade McKinnon, Andrew Fifita and Bryce Gibbs exit the club, with Chris Heighington and Beau Ryan also rumoured to be on the way out, was the reason for his side's poor form and third successive defeat.
"You can say that if you like … I knew people would say that first thing ... but our preparation was great, the boys were happy with what we were doing," he said.
"There's no issues from the point of view of within the group between themselves, we're not talking about players unhappy with each other here.
"Players are leaving every club, I'll admit it's not the best thing in respect to a mid-season issue, but I can tell you now there's no way anyone in this group should or can use that as an excuse."
The Tigers looked disjointed in attack and, with speculation mounting that there were issues among the players, Sheens fired back to questions about whether there was a dressing room split.
"Bullshit, when you throw a poor pass on the last option without even looking, I mean you can't start talking about 'oh that's an issue with the club'," he said.
"That's an issue with you personally. Each player has got to take some responsibility, particularly the key players in the side.
"Last play options come down to what you do with the football in your hand. Are some of the ball players or key players leaving the club? And there was more mistakes from them than from anyone else."
Sheens claimed that the players were fully aware of Moltzen's planned departure and rejected suggestions that the timing of the announcement by the Dragons was the reason for the defeat.
"It's not as if they are being executed and being cut without contracts being paid. It's a professional game," he said.
"I refuse to blame that on losing footy games, we have to look internally at ourselves about our performance and our preparation.
"If we were playing that poorly we would have had 80 put past us in three weeks ... we have defended our backsides off."
Angry Sheens denies Tigers unrest
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Ian McCullough AAP Fri, Jul 08, 2011 - 11:51 PM
A furious Tim Sheens has denied the exit of certain players at the Wests Tigers is undermining their NRL season after they crashed to a 22-6 defeat to struggling Parramatta on Friday night.
St George Illawarra angered the Tigers just hours before the kick-off by announcing they had signed utility back Tim Moltzen on a three-year deal.
Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys was livid, saying he had not agreed to release the 22-year-old from the final year of his contract.
Humphreys accused the reigning premiers of being "arrogant and disrespectful" but Dragons CEO Peter Doust said later he was confused by Humphreys' comments.
"Our intention to make this announcement was communicated to Wests Tigers in advance of the announcement even though it has always been our understanding and the standard practice within the game that the club signing a player makes any such announcement," Doust said in a statement released during the game.
"We do not understand the statement that our announcement is arrogant or disrespectful to the Wests Tigers club."
After the match, Sheens bristled when asked if the decision to let Moltzen, Wade McKinnon, Andrew Fifita and Bryce Gibbs exit the club, with Chris Heighington and Beau Ryan also rumoured to be on the way out, was the reason for his side's poor form and third successive defeat.
"You can say that if you like … I knew people would say that first thing ... but our preparation was great, the boys were happy with what we were doing," he said.
"There's no issues from the point of view of within the group between themselves, we're not talking about players unhappy with each other here.
"Players are leaving every club, I'll admit it's not the best thing in respect to a mid-season issue, but I can tell you now there's no way anyone in this group should or can use that as an excuse."
The Tigers looked disjointed in attack and, with speculation mounting that there were issues among the players, Sheens fired back to questions about whether there was a dressing room split.
"Bullshit, when you throw a poor pass on the last option without even looking, I mean you can't start talking about 'oh that's an issue with the club'," he said.
"That's an issue with you personally. Each player has got to take some responsibility, particularly the key players in the side.
"Last play options come down to what you do with the football in your hand. Are some of the ball players or key players leaving the club? And there was more mistakes from them than from anyone else."
Sheens claimed that the players were fully aware of Moltzen's planned departure and rejected suggestions that the timing of the announcement by the Dragons was the reason for the defeat.
"It's not as if they are being executed and being cut without contracts being paid. It's a professional game," he said.
"I refuse to blame that on losing footy games, we have to look internally at ourselves about our performance and our preparation.
"If we were playing that poorly we would have had 80 put past us in three weeks ... we have defended our backsides off."
