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NO 'GRUDGE MATCH' IN EYES OF TIM SHEENS
By Wayne Cousins
7/03/2012 5:02:34 PM
Friday night’s clash between Wests Tigers and Manly might be a ‘grudge match’ in the eyes of the media but not for Tim Sheens.
Facing the media at Concord Oval today, Sheens – like a classic gunslinger in an old western movie – stood his ground and picked off his opponents one by one.
Just swap his Wests Tigers cap for a cowboys hat and you get the picture.
After some soft questions on how his men coped after the heat of Leichhardt on Sunday to the task ahead for young props Aaron Woods and Matt Groat, came the inevitable question on new back-rower Adam Blair facing Manly for the first time since that Brookvale Oval match last year.
Reporter: ‘You’ve kept Adam away from the media this week. What are you going to say to him about this game?
“I’ve said nothing to him. We haven’t even discussed it quite honest. We haven’t even discussed Manly as a team yet,’’ Sheens said. His first bullet travelled some distance.
“It is the same as last week (about Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Fifita). It is all just paper hype. It fizzled out last week and it will fizzle out this week.
“You (the media) pushed it last year when we were going up there (Gosford) that Manly and us didn’t like each other and that fizzled out as well.
“It’s just paper talk for you guys (the media) to come up with a story from us. It is football, it is business as usual for us and for Manly, it is the same. It is a valuable two points and I’m more focused on that rather than worrying about what happened last year.”
Up stepped another cowboy. ‘Are Wests Tigers are now too thin at full-back following the loss of James Tedesco and the releasing of Mitch Brown’?
“I don’t think so. Joel Reddy can play there, Beau Ryan can play there. I’ve got a couple of good kids in the lower grades who can play and Tim Moltzen can go back if I had too,’’ Sheens stated bluntly, his body not moving an inch.
“So I don’t think we are thin there at all. No”
Next cowboy: ‘How would Tom Humble go as Tedesco’s replacement?
“Well, I picked him there so I think he will go alright.”
Not long after, Sheens walked off. Not into the sunset like those western flicks. Rather back down the corridor to his office. The ‘Sheriff’ of Concord had spoken.
By Wayne Cousins
7/03/2012 5:02:34 PM
Friday night’s clash between Wests Tigers and Manly might be a ‘grudge match’ in the eyes of the media but not for Tim Sheens.
Facing the media at Concord Oval today, Sheens – like a classic gunslinger in an old western movie – stood his ground and picked off his opponents one by one.
Just swap his Wests Tigers cap for a cowboys hat and you get the picture.
After some soft questions on how his men coped after the heat of Leichhardt on Sunday to the task ahead for young props Aaron Woods and Matt Groat, came the inevitable question on new back-rower Adam Blair facing Manly for the first time since that Brookvale Oval match last year.
Reporter: ‘You’ve kept Adam away from the media this week. What are you going to say to him about this game?
“I’ve said nothing to him. We haven’t even discussed it quite honest. We haven’t even discussed Manly as a team yet,’’ Sheens said. His first bullet travelled some distance.
“It is the same as last week (about Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Fifita). It is all just paper hype. It fizzled out last week and it will fizzle out this week.
“You (the media) pushed it last year when we were going up there (Gosford) that Manly and us didn’t like each other and that fizzled out as well.
“It’s just paper talk for you guys (the media) to come up with a story from us. It is football, it is business as usual for us and for Manly, it is the same. It is a valuable two points and I’m more focused on that rather than worrying about what happened last year.”
Up stepped another cowboy. ‘Are Wests Tigers are now too thin at full-back following the loss of James Tedesco and the releasing of Mitch Brown’?
“I don’t think so. Joel Reddy can play there, Beau Ryan can play there. I’ve got a couple of good kids in the lower grades who can play and Tim Moltzen can go back if I had too,’’ Sheens stated bluntly, his body not moving an inch.
“So I don’t think we are thin there at all. No”
Next cowboy: ‘How would Tom Humble go as Tedesco’s replacement?
“Well, I picked him there so I think he will go alright.”
Not long after, Sheens walked off. Not into the sunset like those western flicks. Rather back down the corridor to his office. The ‘Sheriff’ of Concord had spoken.