Official: Three Life Members to lead coaching succession plan

hybrid_tiger said:
Do they?

Say we finish in the bottom two or bottom four for the next 2 years.

What happens?
Click to expand...

Who knows. I don't view the situation that simplistically though. I don't think Madge should have been sacked but he was.

It's first grade footy though and results matter. Madge got 3.5 years and we haven't performed. Sheens gets 2 years max and then it's Benji's turn. He gets 3 years.

We'll have to wait and see what happens.
 
hybrid_tiger said:
Do they?

Say we finish in the bottom two or bottom four for the next 2 years.

What happens?
Click to expand...
Thats what makes this interesting. The club has basicially laid out the 5 year plan or at least part of it. If the club changes course they are admitting a mistake.
Of course nothing will happen to yhe decision makers...
 
I don't mind this and its definitely left field . We are at the bottom and it can only improve. Whilst there are distinct differences, when the walker boys were brought into the Q Cup and Ipswich in Queensland (PS- I hate the Maroons especially this week), the experts and the media gave them a hiding. They went on to win a Q Cup premiership. The issue in my opinion is that the club needs to give this coaching team so cattle to work with. It's only been 24 hours and Papi reports have settled down, Koro has confirmed he is coming to the tigers, Gildart is heading to where ever, Liddle exit rumours are starting to roll, James T, Roberts and a few others have not been resigned yet, and whilst it is early days, I like what I see with these young props the tigers have blooded. For me a couple of things need to happen, the faster this season goes the less pain as it's been ugly and painful. A few smart signings including a quality centre, maybe keep Talau and Blore on the paddock, brooks to another club (nothing against him but its time please, Madden backup for D and Hastings) and we focus on 2023 with a new coaching team, a new attitude, some player depth and some pride in the jumper and results for club members. My glass is always half full.
 
Tim Sheens speaks exclusively to Phil Rothfield about the Benji Marshall coaching deal

Q: Why Benji?

A: We caught up for breakfast a couple of weeks ago at Concord. A cafe called Organica. He’d made it known to Justin Pascoe that he was keen to coach at some stage. We had a long chat. He was all in and prepared to give up everything else.

Q: Some see it as a publicity stunt. A big name to take some pressure off the administration.

A: Oh please. You really think that. It’s an insult to Benji and everyone else in our organisation. He is going to work his backside off to make this work. He’s always worked hard and that’s why he’s been successful. We genuinely think that in two years time he’ll be ready and that he’s the best option. Let’s see what the critics want to say then. Just give him a chance.


Q: Does he fully understand what he’s getting into?

A: Players sometimes don’t understand. They come to training, everything has been prepared for them, they do their work and then go home. That’s their day. The coaching staff works much longer hours. It can be a 24/7 job. Now and again you sneak in a day off. I wanted Benji to know exactly what he’s walking into. We spoke about his young family. All of that.

Q: Were you surprised he wanted to coach so soon after retiring?

A: I got the impression that while he was grateful to have all the media work, he wasn’t getting the satisfaction that he really wanted out of it. He wanted to be a coach.

Q: You obviously think he’ll make it?

A: I’m very confident he’ll make the transition. He’s got a couple of years. There will be some heavy schooling. He’s very intelligent, as is Robbie Farah. They’ll work off each other. Benji has had a long career in the spine and has a great knowledge of the game.

Q: You’ve had a bit to do with a few handy coaches. You gave Craig Bellamy his first coaching job, you coached Ricky Stuart, and more recently Todd Payten.

A: Toddy was a halfback in a front-rower’s body. I haven’t made any of them great coaches. I recognised they had potential. They’ve forged their own successful careers. It’s more than just knowing the game. They were destined to be good coaches.

Your demeanour, your personality, your presence, your ability to cope with pressure, the media, the highs and lows, and the challenges of making family sacrifices. Even at home your head can be stuck in football. If you’re going well, there’s pressure to keep it going. If you’re going bad, there’s pressure to fix it. The more I discussed all this with Benji, the more excited he got.

Q: It still can be seen as a gamble.

A: Benji has that special ability to be able to communicate with all the age groups from senior players to kids in the pathway systems. He’ll understand that not everyone will be as talented as he was. His personality is really important. He’s had that infectious manner since he came in as a 17-year-old. That will help us with recruitment.

Benji is very well respected and connected among players across the game. He’s so energetic. The apprenticeship over the next couple of years will be pretty heavy but he’s up for it. He’s played under me, Wayne (Bennett) and a lot of experienced coaches who have broadened his knowledge.


Q: What about yourself? It’s a big job. You’re coaching Benji and a footy team.

A: Benji’s not a boy. He’ll be contributing as an assistant coach. He’s had 300 games. He’s not coming in as a rookie.

Q: Why are you doing it, Tim? You could have made it a lot easier for yourself and stayed on as head of football and appointed a Shane Flanagan or Paul Green.

A: We decided to go with someone with Wests Tigers DNA. I only made the decision on Thursday. I’ve thought long and hard about it.

Q: You’re 71, Tim. Where does the energy come from?

A: I’m not that old. Are we going to start talking about ages? You’re an old journo. That doesn’t mean you’re finished up. I’ve just walked 30 kilometres up Mount Victoria with Simmo (Royce Simmons). I love doing what I’m doing. I love the challenges and having experience can give you an edge. That’s the way I look at it.

Q: It’s a big commitment, Tim. The Wests Tigers isn’t an easy job.

A: You think I don’t realise that? You’re up at 6am each day and you’re normally among the last to finish. Of course it’s hard work but that’s the case in most jobs if you want success.

Q: It’s an important part of your job to shut down the constant leaks.

A: These things sort themselves out. We’re an easy shot at the moment because we’ve slid to the bottom. We’ve got to claw our way back. We start having some success and there’s nothing to leak.

Q: What message have you got for Wests Tigers fans who have had little to cheer about?

A: Our plan is to build in the next three years into the club we want to be. That’s consistently playing finals football and not just bouncing out in week one.

Over three years our good 17-year-olds will become 20, and our good 19-year-olds will become 22. We’ll be in the market for good senior players like Api Koroisau and Isaiah Papali’I. I’m not going to put a date on anything but we’ll get the football club into a strong position. Our results recently are not acceptable even for a one-off year let alone over a long period of time.


Q: Is Luke Brooks part of your long-term plan?

A: I’d like to see Brooksy stay. Under Benji’s influence it will be very interesting. In 2018 he was Dally M halfback of the year. He nearly won the whole award. You don’t just lose that talent. It’s up to us to help him find that form again. Benji has that ability to get through to people. He always has. As he’s got older he’s become a great mentor. I really think they’ll work great together.


Q: What about your front office? The board and the CEO Justin Pascoe are always copping flak.

A: I can tell you we’re in really good shape in administration and I’ve worked for a lot of organisations. We have all the resources we need and the new centre of excellence. When I came back late last year I couldn’t believe how strong we were financially.

I remember in 2005 we had a burst water pipe at training. We could hardly afford a plumber. Our physio Andrew Leeds grabbed some tools and fixed it himself. We still had weights in pounds, not kilos.

The year we won the comp we played $600,000 under the salary cap because that’s all the money we had. We still had a loan we were paying back to the NRL.

Justin and Lee (Hagipantelis) cop a lot of flak, but a lot of it’s unwarranted. The football department now is financially in great shape.

Q: Good luck. I hope you can turn it around.

A: Well, we haven’t put our cue in the rack for this year. We’ll give some more young players some opportunities. We’re out there to win every week and to improve. It’s been tough but it’s actually a really exciting time for the club.
 
tig_prmz said:
The more I think about it, the more stupid and short sighted I find this.

Think of the modern day coaches. They have to wear all hats. They do a heap of external courses to learn about sport science, learn about man management, learn about finances to help with salary cap management. Learn agout coginitive behavioural therapy, controlling emotions- they do SO MUCH external stuff!They should go overseas to England, to USA and look at how the big EPL and NFL clubs manage their rosters.

They need to know absolutely everything there is to theoretically know about elite athletes and the funtioning of a football club.

I don't think Benji has done anything like that. I don't think he's ever even coached an U8s side.

I think it's almost impossible that the people who have made this decision have actually thought it through. Even if it works, I will not call it a genius move because they couldn't possibly have had enough time to think this all through.

I used to say that we are moving forwards but a lot slower than other clubs. This is not one but several steps backwards. I'm ready to call it a fluke even if we are to make top 8 even once in 5 years.
Click to expand...

I think you'll find Sheens hasn't even done that stuff....
It's all 80's round these parts!!
 
tigre said:
Tim Sheens speaks exclusively to Phil Rothfield about the Benji Marshall coaching deal

Q: Why Benji?

A: We caught up for breakfast a couple of weeks ago at Concord. A cafe called Organica. He’d made it known to Justin Pascoe that he was keen to coach at some stage. We had a long chat. He was all in and prepared to give up everything else.

Q: Some see it as a publicity stunt. A big name to take some pressure off the administration.

A: Oh please. You really think that. It’s an insult to Benji and everyone else in our organisation. He is going to work his backside off to make this work. He’s always worked hard and that’s why he’s been successful. We genuinely think that in two years time he’ll be ready and that he’s the best option. Let’s see what the critics want to say then. Just give him a chance.


Q: Does he fully understand what he’s getting into?

A: Players sometimes don’t understand. They come to training, everything has been prepared for them, they do their work and then go home. That’s their day. The coaching staff works much longer hours. It can be a 24/7 job. Now and again you sneak in a day off. I wanted Benji to know exactly what he’s walking into. We spoke about his young family. All of that.

Q: Were you surprised he wanted to coach so soon after retiring?

A: I got the impression that while he was grateful to have all the media work, he wasn’t getting the satisfaction that he really wanted out of it. He wanted to be a coach.

Q: You obviously think he’ll make it?

A: I’m very confident he’ll make the transition. He’s got a couple of years. There will be some heavy schooling. He’s very intelligent, as is Robbie Farah. They’ll work off each other. Benji has had a long career in the spine and has a great knowledge of the game.

Q: You’ve had a bit to do with a few handy coaches. You gave Craig Bellamy his first coaching job, you coached Ricky Stuart, and more recently Todd Payten.

A: Toddy was a halfback in a front-rower’s body. I haven’t made any of them great coaches. I recognised they had potential. They’ve forged their own successful careers. It’s more than just knowing the game. They were destined to be good coaches.

Your demeanour, your personality, your presence, your ability to cope with pressure, the media, the highs and lows, and the challenges of making family sacrifices. Even at home your head can be stuck in football. If you’re going well, there’s pressure to keep it going. If you’re going bad, there’s pressure to fix it. The more I discussed all this with Benji, the more excited he got.

Q: It still can be seen as a gamble.

A: Benji has that special ability to be able to communicate with all the age groups from senior players to kids in the pathway systems. He’ll understand that not everyone will be as talented as he was. His personality is really important. He’s had that infectious manner since he came in as a 17-year-old. That will help us with recruitment.

Benji is very well respected and connected among players across the game. He’s so energetic. The apprenticeship over the next couple of years will be pretty heavy but he’s up for it. He’s played under me, Wayne (Bennett) and a lot of experienced coaches who have broadened his knowledge.


Q: What about yourself? It’s a big job. You’re coaching Benji and a footy team.

A: Benji’s not a boy. He’ll be contributing as an assistant coach. He’s had 300 games. He’s not coming in as a rookie.

Q: Why are you doing it, Tim? You could have made it a lot easier for yourself and stayed on as head of football and appointed a Shane Flanagan or Paul Green.

A: We decided to go with someone with Wests Tigers DNA. I only made the decision on Thursday. I’ve thought long and hard about it.

Q: You’re 71, Tim. Where does the energy come from?

A: I’m not that old. Are we going to start talking about ages? You’re an old journo. That doesn’t mean you’re finished up. I’ve just walked 30 kilometres up Mount Victoria with Simmo (Royce Simmons). I love doing what I’m doing. I love the challenges and having experience can give you an edge. That’s the way I look at it.

Q: It’s a big commitment, Tim. The Wests Tigers isn’t an easy job.

A: You think I don’t realise that? You’re up at 6am each day and you’re normally among the last to finish. Of course it’s hard work but that’s the case in most jobs if you want success.

Q: It’s an important part of your job to shut down the constant leaks.

A: These things sort themselves out. We’re an easy shot at the moment because we’ve slid to the bottom. We’ve got to claw our way back. We start having some success and there’s nothing to leak.

Q: What message have you got for Wests Tigers fans who have had little to cheer about?

A: Our plan is to build in the next three years into the club we want to be. That’s consistently playing finals football and not just bouncing out in week one.

Over three years our good 17-year-olds will become 20, and our good 19-year-olds will become 22. We’ll be in the market for good senior players like Api Koroisau and Isaiah Papali’I. I’m not going to put a date on anything but we’ll get the football club into a strong position. Our results recently are not acceptable even for a one-off year let alone over a long period of time.


Q: Is Luke Brooks part of your long-term plan?

A: I’d like to see Brooksy stay. Under Benji’s influence it will be very interesting. In 2018 he was Dally M halfback of the year. He nearly won the whole award. You don’t just lose that talent. It’s up to us to help him find that form again. Benji has that ability to get through to people. He always has. As he’s got older he’s become a great mentor. I really think they’ll work great together.


Q: What about your front office? The board and the CEO Justin Pascoe are always copping flak.

A: I can tell you we’re in really good shape in administration and I’ve worked for a lot of organisations. We have all the resources we need and the new centre of excellence. When I came back late last year I couldn’t believe how strong we were financially.

I remember in 2005 we had a burst water pipe at training. We could hardly afford a plumber. Our physio Andrew Leeds grabbed some tools and fixed it himself. We still had weights in pounds, not kilos.

The year we won the comp we played $600,000 under the salary cap because that’s all the money we had. We still had a loan we were paying back to the NRL.

Justin and Lee (Hagipantelis) cop a lot of flak, but a lot of it’s unwarranted. The football department now is financially in great shape.

Q: Good luck. I hope you can turn it around.

A: Well, we haven’t put our cue in the rack for this year. We’ll give some more young players some opportunities. We’re out there to win every week and to improve. It’s been tough but it’s actually a really exciting time for the club.
Click to expand...
if this doesn't rile you up I don't know what will. everyone on board. LFG.
 
Kaito said:
We've tried x5 coaches before...
None have worked out. I'm happy
to give the old boys a go - who
cares about what happened 10+
years ago or who got fired when.
Click to expand...

Apparently everyone cares what happened 10 years ago (Well, Technically its like 17 years ago)
Because that's the only reason any of these blokes have been given such an important job.

It's a comedy club
 
Demps said:
The 360 interview did it for me.

"I'm backing myself & we are backing ourselves."

That's something I've always said about myself in my professional life.

That's a winners mentality.
Click to expand...
Madge backed us. Delus
Spartan117 said:

HOW VETERAN JOURNALIST’S QUESTION SPARKED WESTS TIGERS’ COACHING PLAN INTO ACTION​


BY LACHLAN GELEIT

t’s official. Tim Sheens will coach the Wests Tigers in 2023 and 2024 with club greats Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah his assistants.

From 2025, Marshall will take over from Sheens in a coaching handover where he’ll take the reigns for at least three seasons until the end of 2027.

With the Tigers’ coaching plan locked in for the next five years, the club has put to bed speculation about which direction they’ll take in the future, but how it came about is an equally interesting story.

As the decision came from left-field, it’s been revealed that the plan was hatched at an inner-west Sydney restaurant a few weeks ago.

While the meeting was planned to simply be a lunch at Grappa restaurant in Leichhardt between Tigers powerbrokers and journalists, it soon evolved into something far more important.

Present at the table was News Corp’s Phil Rothfield, Michael Carayannis, Brent Read and David Riccio, plus club CEO Justin Pascoe, Chairman Lee Hagipantelis and head of football Tim Sheens.

According to Riccio, the idea of having Sheens return to a coaching role was originally floated by Rothfield.

“This unfolded about three weeks ago now,” Riccio said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.

“I was invited to a lunch with Tigers Chairman Lee Hagipantelis, CEO Justin Pascoe, head of footy Tim Sheens, myself, Phil Rothfield, Michael Carayannis and Brent Read was there as well.

“It was generally just to catch up, it was a Tuesday afternoon, midway through the Origin series, halfway through the year and we do it a lot with a lot of the clubs.

“Clearly the Tigers are a hot talking point, they needed a coach at the time.

“‘Sheensy’ was sitting at one end of the table and it was Buzz (Rothfield) who raised the question, ‘Sheensy, would you consider stepping in?’, and Tim certainly didn’t deny his interest.”

Riccio says the guests were initially surprised by Sheens’ willingness to take on the job, but that the club clearly took on the idea in recent weeks to workshop how a succession plan could work.

“I must say, it took the table by surprise, notably Justin Pascoe who needed some convincing that the Sheens/development model with Benji Marshall needed some workshopping,” Riccio said.

“Clearly that has happened over the last few weeks and Benji, the club’s greatest player, will become the club’s next head coach after Tim Sheens.

“It was an interesting lunch.”

Interim coach Brett Kimmorley will remain in the head role for the remainder of the 2022 season.

The Tigers next face the Panthers at CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

How veteran journalist’s question sparked Wests Tigers’ coaching plan into action

“‘Sheensy’ was sitting at one end of the table and it was Buzz who raised the question.”
www.sen.com.au www.sen.com.au
Click to expand...
yep. Our decisions are based on playing up to the media
 
Kaito said:
Some of you whingers need
to logout & take a breather lol

We've tried x5 coaches before...
None have worked out. I'm happy
to give the old boys a go - who
cares about what happened 10+
years ago or who got fired when.

These 3 care about the club and
will help to recruit & retain players
and also provide better optics in
relation to the media. We've got
nothing to lose, only was is up.
Strap in buckeroos, giddy up haha
Click to expand...
100%
 
Like any strategy If it doesn’t work you change course… no results in 4 years maybe that’s the time to change strategy. They seem invested in making this work. As of right now it’s seems the best strategy.

Maybe we do get quite good and a more experienced coach gets them a championship.

Maybe we tank and stay bottom feeders.

Maybe Benji nails it and it’s 05 all over again.

Nothing is certain.

Strategies always change due to multiple factors.
 
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