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Heighington gives Tigers a boost
Brent Read From: The Australian September 08, 2010 12:00AM
CHRIS Heighington is ready to hand Wests Tigers another boost by signing a contract extension that will keep him away fom the Central Coast.
Heighington, whose deal runs until the end of next season, has already spoken of his desire to be a Tiger for life. He appears certain to get his wish with the club locked in talks with his management.
"Things are going fine," Tigers recruitment manager Warren McDonnell said. "It's just a matter of sitting down with him and finalising a few things. He enjoys the Wests Tigers and we love having him."
Heighington has been one of the NRL's most consistent players this year but his form has been disregarded by representative selectors. As a result, he is weighing up whether to pledge his allegiance to England, where his father was born.
Central Coast officials, hopeful of entering a team in the NRL in 2013, had earmarked him as their inaugural signing and captain. However, he appears certain to end his NRL career with the Tigers.
News of his likely retention shapes as a significant fillip for the Tigers as they prepare to play the Sydney Roosters in the finals series at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night.
"It's going to be tough but you look at the whole (top eight) and there's not a bad team in there," Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall said. "We're going to have to match them in the forwards because when they get good go-forward their halves play off the back of it.
"The less time we give Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce with the ball, the easier it will be for us.
"Everyone finds another gear when they are playing in the semis but I think we're ready to go."
While Marshall identified Roosters halves Carney and Pearce as dangermen, winger Lote Tuqiri believes the Tigers have their own Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon card in coach Tim Sheens.
Sheens is a five-time premiership winner. In coaching circles, no one has been in charge for more games. There's not much that surprises Sheens in September.
"Just with his experience and how many premierships he's won, he knows what to do at this time of the year," Tuqiri said.
"We had a good meeting with the whole squad and coaching staff yesterday going over what to do and what not to do over this week . . . if anyone will know he'd (Sheens) be the one.
"Plus the players here as well (that were part of 2005), they talk a fair bit about what we should do and it's good for the younger guys coming through."
The Tigers yesterday recalled Bryce Gibbs and Liam Fulton from injury for the game against the Roosters.
Brent Read From: The Australian September 08, 2010 12:00AM
CHRIS Heighington is ready to hand Wests Tigers another boost by signing a contract extension that will keep him away fom the Central Coast.
Heighington, whose deal runs until the end of next season, has already spoken of his desire to be a Tiger for life. He appears certain to get his wish with the club locked in talks with his management.
"Things are going fine," Tigers recruitment manager Warren McDonnell said. "It's just a matter of sitting down with him and finalising a few things. He enjoys the Wests Tigers and we love having him."
Heighington has been one of the NRL's most consistent players this year but his form has been disregarded by representative selectors. As a result, he is weighing up whether to pledge his allegiance to England, where his father was born.
Central Coast officials, hopeful of entering a team in the NRL in 2013, had earmarked him as their inaugural signing and captain. However, he appears certain to end his NRL career with the Tigers.
News of his likely retention shapes as a significant fillip for the Tigers as they prepare to play the Sydney Roosters in the finals series at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night.
"It's going to be tough but you look at the whole (top eight) and there's not a bad team in there," Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall said. "We're going to have to match them in the forwards because when they get good go-forward their halves play off the back of it.
"The less time we give Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce with the ball, the easier it will be for us.
"Everyone finds another gear when they are playing in the semis but I think we're ready to go."
While Marshall identified Roosters halves Carney and Pearce as dangermen, winger Lote Tuqiri believes the Tigers have their own Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon card in coach Tim Sheens.
Sheens is a five-time premiership winner. In coaching circles, no one has been in charge for more games. There's not much that surprises Sheens in September.
"Just with his experience and how many premierships he's won, he knows what to do at this time of the year," Tuqiri said.
"We had a good meeting with the whole squad and coaching staff yesterday going over what to do and what not to do over this week . . . if anyone will know he'd (Sheens) be the one.
"Plus the players here as well (that were part of 2005), they talk a fair bit about what we should do and it's good for the younger guys coming through."
The Tigers yesterday recalled Bryce Gibbs and Liam Fulton from injury for the game against the Roosters.
