Michael Maguire was supposed to be a dead man walking. The Tigers coach has now spoken publicly for the first time since his re-appointment.
Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire has released a statement to end his silence surrounding the saga of his coaching future at the club.
The Tigers on Tuesday night confirmed he will stay on as the club’s head coach after a review of their football operations, in a huge twist in the ongoing saga at the NRL club.
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Despite a 13th-placed finish that ended with an embarrassing 38-0 defeat to the last-placed Canterbury Bulldogs in the final round of the season, and rumblings of a rift with senior players in the dressing room, Maguire’s position has been officially declared safe.
In a lengthy statement, the former South Sydney premiership-winning coach said he simply wants to move on from the messy saga, which included reports last month he was a dead man walking.
The 47-year-old signed a two-year contract extension in December taking him through to the end of the 2023 season, but all bets were off after watching the side slip down the ladder in the second half of the year.
The man at the centre says he never questioned himself or the process of ending the team’s 10-year wait to return to the finals.
“I’m happy to keep working with every member of the organisation on our vision to turn around the fortunes of this proud club,” he wrote in a statement sent to News Corp and other reporters.
“My belief never wavered that in the fullness of time the club will be a rugby league force.
“Our recruitment policy won’t deviate – we will look to bring players in that complement our team and salary cap position. We want players to join our club that have the passion to help the club return to its winnings ways, along with our juniors growing a stronger foundation.”
Despite speculation surrounding the return of Tim Sheens to the club as a coaching coordinator, Maguire has brushed aside any suggestions the pair could clash over their roles.
“I’m looking forward to working with Tim to build a strong and sustainable roster,” Maguire said.
“As a coach, self-improvement is always a path that I am hungry for. The game evolves, our competitors evolve, we need to take the squad to a higher level every day, because that’s what it takes to compete at a top four level all the time. You need to continually put yourself into that space to play and win a grand final.
“That’s what I’m focusing on.
“I’d like to thank everyone that’s given me support throughout this period. I’m looking forward to November 1, start of preseason, when I get all my players back along with some new faces.”
As a result of the review, the Tigers have also made several structural and procedural changes.
“While we always understood this review and process would take time, it was the responsibility of the football committee to ensure all information was considered to make the right decisions for the club moving forward,” Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe said.
“Michael has been with the club over arguably its most challenging time with the Covid-19 pandemic, has overseen significant change both on and off the field throughout his tenure and on behalf of all at the Wests Tigers, I’d like to thank him for his effort so far.
“We are firmly committed to building a high performing club. With our strong financial position, increased investment and recent success of our pathway teams, the new Centre of Excellence and continued work on a South West academy, the arrival of Tim Sheens and his experience in NRL systems, this club is posed to reap the rewards of several years of hard work.”
Maguire was announced as the Wests Tigers coach in October 2018, but has failed to lead the club into the finals in his three seasons at the helm.
In 2019, the Tigers narrowly missed out on the finals with a ninth-place finish, but have regressed since, with 11th and 13th finishes in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Maguire arrived at the Tigers after he was cut loose by the Rabbitohs in 2017.
Michael Maguire’s full statement following football department review
“After all the speculation, I’m pleased to move forward with the Wests Tigers. A lot has been said publicly. I wish for this statement to put an end to the public period of examination and a return to the quiet work of crafting a winning team,” Maguire said.
“I’m happy to keep working with every member of the organisation on our vision to turn around the fortunes of this proud club. My belief never wavered that in the fullness of time the club will be a rugby league force.
“Our recruitment policy won’t deviate – we will look to bring players in that complement our team and salary cap position. We want players to join our club that have the passion to help the club return to its winnings ways, along with our juniors growing a stronger foundation. I’m looking forward to working with Tim to build a strong and sustainable roster.
“As a coach, self-improvement is always a path that I am hungry for. The game evolves, our competitors evolve, we need to take the squad to a higher level every day, because that’s what it takes to compete at a top four level all the time. You need to continually put yourself into that space to play and win a grand final. That’s what I’m focussing on.
“I’d like to thank everyone that’s given me support throughout this period. I’m looking forward to November 1, start of pre-season, when I get all my players back along with some new faces. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy some quality time with my family, see you all in 6 weeks. Thanks, Madge.”
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