Benji Marshall backs Tim Sheens to make SHOCK return to coaching and take over struggling Tigers

Benji Marshall has backed Tim Sheens to make a sensational return to coaching and take over the struggling Wests Tigers, a decade after leaving the club.

The Tigers slipped to 15th on the ladder after a dismal 22-2 loss to fellow strugglers Warriors on Sunday and remain without a permanent coach after Michael Maguire was sacked last month.

Maguire lost his job after Wests lost nine of their first 12 games this season and failed to make the finals in each of his three campaigns in charge. 

Benji Marshall believes Tim Sheens is the right man to take over the struggling Wests Tigers

Wests revealed last week that Panthers assistant Cameron Ciraldo turned down the chance to take the vacant position, preferring to remain at Penrith instead.

And Marshall believes Sheens should consider returning to the coaching box and act as a mentor to interim coach Brett Kimmorley, who has lost each of this three games in charge.

‘I think Sheensy should do it,’ Marshall told the Daily Telegraph.

‘Especially with the kids he’s got. He’s the best I’ve seen with kids and just teaching them the basics of the game.

Sheens won three premierships as a coach with Canberra (above) and one with the Tigers

‘It’s not a bad idea and he could mentor someone along the way. I’ve got no doubts he could still coach an NRL side and if he’s interested he should go for it.

‘He’s the same age as Wayne [Bennett] and look what he’s done. If he’s still got the passion and the desire, why wouldn’t he coach?’

Currently the Tigers football chief, Sheens won four premiership as a coach, the last of which came in 2005 when in charge of a Tigers side featuring Marshall.

The 71-year-old left Wests in 2012 and hasn’t coached in the NRL since, with his next two jobs coming at Hull KR and Widnes in England. 

Marshall has backed Sheens to return to coaching in the NRL for the first time since 2012

Maguire is one of three NRL coaches to have lost their job this season, along with Trent Barrett and Nathan Brown.

The former walked away from the Bulldogs in May, while the latter was sacked by the Warriors the following month. 

Maguire, Brown and Barrett are part of a trend that has seen 80 coaching changes in the NRL in the past 12 years. 

Marshall was part of the Tigers team that won the NRL Grand Final in 2005 under Sheens

The Warriors alone have accounted for nine of those changes, while Wests and Canterbury both went through seven coaches each. 

The Knights and the Titans have also changed coach seven times and the latter could be about to pull the trigger again, with Justin Holbrook widely expected to be the next casualty of the NRL coaching carousel.

The Titans have lost 10 of their last 11 games and are bottom of the ladder after a 38-12 trouncing against Newcastle on Friday.