Was Scott Longmuir right?

G

galahs

New member
Wests Tigers chief executive Scott Longmuir has stood down after falling out with coach Tim Sheens and factions within the NRL club.

The Tigers released a statement confirming Longmuir’s departure after the club’s board had met late Thursday.

**Longmuir was understood to be seeking more accountability from the club and in an internal email published by News Limited newspapers he admitted he had “ruffled a few feathers” by attempting to take the Tigers in a new direction.\
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He complained about poor structures within the the club and appeared at loggerheads with Sheens about whether to run the Tigers as football club or as a business, Longmuir firmly in favour of the latter.\
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Sheens was understood to always have the numbers if it came down to one or the other having to leave.**

But the club statement said Sheens was well aware of what needed to be done on and off the field.

“Media reports suggesting that Tim Sheens was shying away from accountability could not be further from the truth,” it said.

“Anyone who knows Tim knows that he does not accept anything other than full commitment from everyone within his team and knows the standards he sets for himself.

“There isn’t anyone associated with Wests Tigers that has been anything but disappointed with the end of season performances of our team over the last three years.

“Everyone is on notice that 2009 is an important year and everyone across the organisation is accountable for their individual performance and their contribution to the team’s performance.”

It went on to acknowledge the contribution Longmuir made to the club since he took up his initial role of general manager of sales and marketing in 2006.

“Scott was an integral part of securing not only the off-field but on-field success of the club over the period of his tenure including his role in establishing strong sponsorship growth for the organisation and more recently, the securing of Wests Tigers star players Captain Robbie Farah and Kiwi international Benji Marshall.

“The board wishes to publicly thank Scott for his outstanding contribution and the many achievements and wishes him every success in his future endeavours.”
 
Interesting read… I also wonder what would have happened if the 2010 roosters final and 2011 warriors final went diff ways
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@wtfl1981 said:
Interesting read… I also wonder what would have happened if the 2010 roosters final and 2011 warriors final went diff ways
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Click to expand...

But they didn't…..remember
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Personality rift tearing Wests Tigers apart PDF Print E-mail
Written by eagle_predator
Thursday, 09 April 2009 13:17

THE personality rift that is tearing Wests Tigers apart has been revealed, with CEO Scott Longmuir and coach Tim Sheens at war over whether the joint venture should be run as a football club or a business.

The full details of their explosive fall-out are contained in a detailed email sent by Longmuir to all 10 Tigers' directors in response to the board's reservations about his future.

The email was obtained by The Daily Telegraph yesterday and exposes a series of "raw honesty meetings" between the feuding pair after the Australian Test coach was ambushed with new key performance indicators last month.

Read it here: The email that reveals the rift between Sheens and Longmuir

"Tim said what he really thought about a lot of issues and made his feelings known about me," Longmuir wrote of their meeting on March 30.

"Tim is frustrated at the moment with our financial model and some of our football operational issues.

"I think these have built up over a long period of time. I think I have copped some of that as well.

"One of Tim's comments was that we are a 'football club, not a business'. I have always worked under the direction that the Wests Tigers is a business.

"If it is only a football club then I will take a completely different tack with my approach . . ."

Sheens' indignation and personality clashes with office staff forced the board to convene a meeting two weeks ago at which Longmuir's future was discussed.

How should football clubs be run? Vote in our poll below

The directors considered sacking Longmuir just six months into the job then and there, but resolved to give the NRL's newest club CEO a chance to explain his position on Sheens.

Wests Tigers: Sheens tells coaching staff if it's one out, it's all out

On March 31 Longmuir sent the long email to every board member and other club staff.

Although his response cited record corporate support, crowds and merchandise sales; it is unlikely to win Longmuir a further stay of execution when the board reconvenes tonight.

**The Daily Telegraph understands that Sheens has the diplomacy and the numbers - particularly on Balmain's half of the joint venture - to win out. While Western Suburbs-aligned chairman Kevin Hammond and other figures are supportive of Sheens being asked to respond to new KPIs and explain his vision, the over-riding feeling among insiders at the club is that Longmuir's manner is too abrasive.**

The Daily Telegraph can also reveal that Longmuir's popularity in the office has been damaged by a personality clash with his personal assistant, whom he inherited from previous CEO Steve Noyce. In his email, Longmuir discloses moves to retrench one employee that were about to be finalised until his position came under review. He has also "restructured" the duties of recruitment manager Warren McDonnell, another long-standing employee.

"It seems in the quest to put a more business-like structure around the football department . . . resentment now exists," Longmuir wrote.

"This discontent is getting plenty of forums with certain board members. This has obviously isolated me because the previous CEO supported me in achieving change in the sales and marketing area.

"So in effect I'm swimming against

the tide at the moment." Longmuir also acknowledged his approach could lead to "robust debate", but expected staff to "get on with it".

"I am also trying to run a business, and I can be aggressive in the pursuit of this," he wrote.

"In business it is hard to have a father/son type of loyalty.

**"I think you have to be loyal to performance but people deserve respect."**

Longmuir refused to comment on his e-mail when contacted by The Daily Telegraph last night.

Neither Sheens nor Hammond returned calls.
 
The email sent by Wests Tigers CEO to the board

The Daily Telegraph
April 09, 2009 12:00AM

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THE following is an edited version of an email send by Wests Tigers CEO Scott Longmuir pleading his case to the Tigers board and the club's hierarchy.

IN reply to a letter from David Trodden:

As you know, since my appointment I have undertaken a review of the football operations.

My purpose in doing this is to ensure that we have a clear direction with regard to our football strategy. This would be standard procedure in any business.

This is certainly implemented in most AFL clubs. I implemented this change in the sales and marketing area in my previous role. As a result of an attempt to get more strategic with our direction for our footy program I have ruffled a few feathers, as they say. There are accusations of poor morale; therefore my role is now the subject of a board review.

When trying to implement change it is not uncommon in corporate life that this scenario will eventuate. This happened when I made changes in the sales and marketing area when I was GM. Upon joining the sales and marketing team, there was a poor business structure. Change was needed and I was supported by the CEO in making those changes. The team is now fully sufficient and staff morale is good.

Below are some of the problems that existed within the marketing area:

PROTON wanting to pull out.

SPONSORS were promised things in their contracts offering items that were never fulfilled like new websites.

AN IT system that continually broke down.

HUGE staff turnover problems in sales.

COMMERCIAL invoices for sponsorship, merchandise etc that were months behind being sent out, placing pressure on cash flow. THE financial SAP system in place at the time had no relevance to the business and resulted in chaos in the financial area.

As a result of structural change and based on a great team effort the organisation has achieved some outstanding results in that area.

There has been record corporate support, major sponsor renewing for second and third terms as a result of the high customer services provided, record merchandise sales, record crowds, community initiatives highly regarded by everyone, record membership.

There were no shareholder funds required for almost 14 months; the business, despite tough economic times continues to be strong.

Coming into the football area, I identified that there were some similar challenges that I experienced in the marketing area. No clear direction on what we are trying to achieve in the most important part of the business. There was a lack of strategic direction, structure and a business-like approach.

I don't want to pick the teams, but I do want to see a strategic plan that defines the role that everyone has to play in achieving what we need to achieve, it's only then that people can be allowed to work towards these goals without being micro-managed.

That's all I want from Tim and the football department. Unfortunately this type of information has been hard to extract in a written format. Warren has recently completed a review which will be presented in the next few weeks.

It seems in the quest to put a more business-like structure around the football department to assist them in achieving their goals and that of the organisation, resentment now exists. This discontentment is getting plenty of forums with certain board members.

This has obviously isolated me because, as I said, the previous CEO supported me in achieving change in sales and marketing. So I'm swimming against the tide at the moment.

I would like to say that I always endeavour to be respectful of the stakeholders. I have no baggage with anyone on the board and I do not favour any side. I have always said that the only way that we can go forward is for Wests Tigers to be the entity that represents both Balmain and the Magpies. This will be the only way we can be successful.

Therefore, I make my recommendations in the best interests of the Wests Tigers. I will always express my opinion in this regard. I expect robust debate about things and then get on with it.

With a lot of these situations it also presents an opportunity for people to be honest about their feelings, which can achieve a positive outcome and allow people to move forward. I'm hoping this will be the case with this situation.

I had one of these raw honesty meetings with Tim yesterday. Tim said what he really thought about a lot of issues and made his feelings known about me. I wish he would have done this before he went to anyone else to at least give me the opportunity to respond. Tim is frustrated with our financial model and some of our football operational issues. I think these have also built up over a long period of time. I think I copped some of that as well.

Kind Regards, Scott
 
People are still blind to the egomaniacal power that Sheens has connived himself to possess though a weak and divided board over the years, and uses to the detriment of the club
People have known this for years

Here we have a bloke that identified problems in the office , took actions and rectified them….similarly in football operations - cop a knife in the back

WAKE UP PEOPLE!
 
Once again Galahs you death riding is getting old buddy…
You want Sheens to go, You want Humphries to go, You want Mcdonnell out...
Soon you'll wanna sack Cuzzo.
All of this is for one reason and one reason only... Because none of them care about the Magpies as much as you!!
I (And many others) are sick to death of your constant unsubstantiated rants....
You come on here pretending to be un-bias, But a quick view oiver at the looney bin knows as the Wests Supporters Forum one is quick to discover you hate Balmain (For no other reason than a childish schoolyard jealousy) You are constantly willing Wests Tigers to fail so you can say I TOLD YOU SO... Bring back the magpies.!!
Mate, Passion or no passion.... Wests Tigers has the best interests of Wests Tigers at heart... not yours, not the Magpies... Why would they? Charity starts at home brother!!
Yes, We can all sit down and say... WHAT WENT WRONG?? With our squad how did we go so poorly....
How did we get that squad Galahs, How did we pay for it Galahs? Because (For the first time in yours and my life) OUR club is successful (To an extent) in the front end.
I am sick to death of you implying Warren McDonnell gives away Western Suburbs kids Careers away to Kids from Keebra, Or Fiji, Or NZ... What a joke!!
Where is Tedesco, Noafoluma?? Securly signed up to the WT's for the next few years.... If you can tell me some big name kids resembling the talent of these boys that have gone elsewhere I'm more than prepared to listen.... But you can't...
you make it sound like every kid to ever play out there deserves a WT's contract!! Your outside your mind....
We got what we got... You got what you got.... WT's owe WSDRL nothing, And the ultimate goal is success at NRL level. Something the Original clubs never experienced in our life times. Our club is successful... Our chance was missed in 2010, and our cleanout was due then... We put it off, It didn't work!!
Time to start again.... I also don't agree with everything that happens on and off the field... But walking around skwarking my head off in disillusion that i am owed something that i am not by people I don't even know isn't going to fix anything.
Get off your high horse my friend... It's only football!!
You're in or your out... If you're out, (Like you so often claim to be...) Then off with you. Go over to the Black and White forum and keep complaining about Razor, magic and the Phantom Ice Machine!
Your constant negativity towards absolutely everything WT's is quite frankly BORING!!
 
Chatting to Scott about 18 months after the fact and he will be the first to tell you he regrets how he went about trying to bring in the changes.

He tried to treat senior coaching and admin figures like he would treat a 2nd year intern and bend them to his way and it backfired. Stands by the ideas but admits he screwed up the implementation.
 
MANY WT fans want Sheens & Humphries gone… First grade success is the number one goal for WT but there is a path from top to bottom that must be in place to make it happen.

Dismissing one's passion and ongoing fight for wests identity in WT is one thing, playing down the importance of the part that the wests group play in the JV is another.

Take away the following underneath the WT first grade team and what do you have propping it up?

- strong leagues club at ashfield
- strong leagues club at campbelltown
- strong junior base for WJL and group 6

Not much to go by...

A broke balmain leagues club and small junior league base?

We are all fans here... Remember where we all came from and remember what keeps us going.
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@batboy said:
Once again Galahs you death riding is getting old buddy…
You want Sheens to go, You want Humphreys to go, You want Mcdonnell out...
Soon you'll wanna sack Cuzzo.
All of this is for one reason and one reason only... Because none of them care about the Magpies as much as you!!
I (And many others) are sick to death of your constant unsubstantiated rants....
You come on here pretending to be un-bias, But a quick view oiver at the looney bin knows as the Wests Supporters Forum one is quick to discover you hate Balmain (For no other reason than a childish schoolyard jealousy) You are constantly willing Wests Tigers to fail so you can say I TOLD YOU SO... Bring back the magpies.!!
Mate, Passion or no passion.... Wests Tigers has the best interests of Wests Tigers at heart... not yours, not the Magpies... Why would they? Charity starts at home brother!!
Yes, We can all sit down and say... WHAT WENT WRONG?? With our squad how did we go so poorly....
How did we get that squad Galahs, How did we pay for it Galahs? Because (For the first time in yours and my life) OUR club is successful (To an extent) in the front end.
I am sick to death of you implying Warren McDonnell gives away Western Suburbs kids Careers away to Kids from Keebra, Or Fiji, Or NZ... What a joke!!
Where is Tedesco, Noafoluma?? Securly signed up to the WT's for the next few years.... If you can tell me some big name kids resembling the talent of these boys that have gone elsewhere I'm more than prepared to listen.... But you can't...
you make it sound like every kid to ever play out there deserves a WT's contract!! Your outside your mind....
We got what we got... You got what you got.... WT's owe WSDRL nothing, And the ultimate goal is success at NRL level. Something the Original clubs never experienced in our life times. Our club is successful... Our chance was missed in 2010, and our cleanout was due then... We put it off, It didn't work!!
Time to start again.... I also don't agree with everything that happens on and off the field... But walking around skwarking my head off in disillusion that i am owed something that i am not by people I don't even know isn't going to fix anything.
Get off your high horse my friend... It's only football!!
You're in or your out... If you're out, (Like you so often claim to be...) Then off with you. Go over to the Black and White forum and keep complaining about Razor, magic and the Phantom Ice Machine!
Your constant negativity towards absolutely everything WT's is quite frankly BORING!!
Click to expand...

Hahahaha….attack the posts ....not the poster.
Your comments have nothing to do with this thread
What a rant....amazing a username can get under ones skin so
 
@smeghead said:
Chatting to Scott about 18 months after the fact and he will be the first to tell you he regrets how he went about trying to bring in the changes.

He tried to treat senior coaching and admin figures like he would treat a 2nd year intern and bend them to his way and it backfired. Stands by the ideas but admits he screwed up the implementation.
Click to expand...

He had a tough gig to put it mildly

Trying to work out what will work and what doesn't can be very hard around so many dominant egos

If he goes in too light the powers that may be eat him alive Go too hard and its the Ides Of March and a kangaroo court

I know sometimes it may seem like the simple way , but letting them find your plans and implementing them through subtle messages and letting them think its "their" plan can be the least destructive way of handling it

But then again Sheens has been round the block a few times ….
 
@batboy said:
Once again Galahs you death riding is getting old buddy…
You want Sheens to go, You want Humphreys to go, You want Mcdonnell out...
Soon you'll wanna sack Cuzzo.
All of this is for one reason and one reason only... Because none of them care about the Magpies as much as you!!
I (And many others) are sick to death of your constant unsubstantiated rants....
You come on here pretending to be un-bias, But a quick view oiver at the looney bin knows as the Wests Supporters Forum one is quick to discover you hate Balmain (For no other reason than a childish schoolyard jealousy) You are constantly willing Wests Tigers to fail so you can say I TOLD YOU SO... Bring back the magpies.!!
Mate, Passion or no passion.... Wests Tigers has the best interests of Wests Tigers at heart... not yours, not the Magpies... Why would they? Charity starts at home brother!!
Yes, We can all sit down and say... WHAT WENT WRONG?? With our squad how did we go so poorly....
How did we get that squad Galahs, How did we pay for it Galahs? Because (For the first time in yours and my life) OUR club is successful (To an extent) in the front end.
I am sick to death of you implying Warren McDonnell gives away Western Suburbs kids Careers away to Kids from Keebra, Or Fiji, Or NZ... What a joke!!
Where is Tedesco, Noafoluma?? Securly signed up to the WT's for the next few years.... If you can tell me some big name kids resembling the talent of these boys that have gone elsewhere I'm more than prepared to listen.... But you can't...
you make it sound like every kid to ever play out there deserves a WT's contract!! Your outside your mind....
We got what we got... You got what you got.... WT's owe WSDRL nothing, And the ultimate goal is success at NRL level. Something the Original clubs never experienced in our life times. Our club is successful... Our chance was missed in 2010, and our cleanout was due then... We put it off, It didn't work!!
Time to start again.... I also don't agree with everything that happens on and off the field... But walking around skwarking my head off in disillusion that i am owed something that i am not by people I don't even know isn't going to fix anything.
Get off your high horse my friend... It's only football!!
You're in or your out... If you're out, (Like you so often claim to be...) Then off with you. Go over to the Black and White forum and keep complaining about Razor, magic and the Phantom Ice Machine!
Your constant negativity towards absolutely everything WT's is quite frankly BORING!!
Click to expand...

Everyone is PO'd atm and the responses in this thread indicate Galah's has a point. Grind your axe somewhere else
 
When the poster actually does something other than critisize the team that he supposedly passionately follows…
Then maybe you will have a valid point, His constant trolling for old articles and fingerpointing is beneath even the most passionate of supporters!!
 
@batboy said:
When the poster actually does something other than critisize the team that he supposedly passionately follows…
Then maybe you will have a valid point, His constant trolling for old articles and fingerpointing is beneath even the most passionate of supporters!!
Click to expand...

Why not adress the info in said articles, rather than re-hash old arguments?

IE: Attack the post.

He's withing his rights to post what he likes within forum guidelines.
Youre within your rights not to click on his thread
 
@batboy said:
When the poster actually does something other than critisize the team that he supposedly passionately follows…
Then maybe you will have a valid point, His constant trolling for old articles and fingerpointing is beneath even the most passionate of supporters!!
Click to expand...

You're bringing up rubbish that doesn't even relate to this thread. Grind your axe somewhere else
 
For me the missing part of the puzzle….now I understand why Humphreys was put in the job...3 years later smoke & sheens still rules the Board..and until both disappear we have no chance ...excuse the pun but a leopard never changes it spots...Looking at what is happening now.. Sheens is trying to 'go back to the future' and create another 2005 ... Trouble is it is now 2013 whilst I agree there needs to be player change ..unless someone on the Board has the balls to do it ( sorry if I offend you Dawn) we are in for seriouspain
 
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