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Wests Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis insists he has no regrets over the club’s mid-season axing of Michael Maguire and revealed he had apologised to corporate supporters and fans following another season of abject disappointment.
The Tigers finished the 2022 season with the wooden spoon, having won only a handful of games over the course of a tumultuous year that eventually cost Maguire his job.
In his place, the Tigers will start next season with Tim Sheens in charge, part of a succession plan that will eventually see favourite son Benji Marshall take the reins alongside long-time teammate Robbie Farah.
“We can’t put any positive spin on it,” Hagipantelis said.
“It was disastrous as far as results are concerned. I recently spoke at the Kelly Barnes award and proffered my apologies and regret to all of our stakeholders, including our corporate partners and fans and members.
“I think this year’s results were inevitable in the sense that it was the nadir of the last four years. If you look at the last four years we have gone 9th, 11th, 13th and 16th.
“We have now drawn a line in the sand – this is a line-in-the-sand moment. We have taken stock of who we are, what our identity is and what we have to do moving forward.
“There has been a massive injection of Tigers DNA into the club with Tim and Benjji and Robbie. What we need to do is take one step forward on what may be a long journey.
“But we have to work our way out of this and I am confident we will.”
Maguire was the biggest casualty of another underperforming year, although changes are also expected within the playing squad given the way things unfolded.
The Tigers have made an inquiry about Melbourne star Cameron Munster while Marshall has taken the lead role in player recruitment – it is understood he sent texts to the likes of James Tedesco and Mitchell Moses, asking their interest in potentially returning one day.
The biggest decision the club faces in the off-season is over the future of halfback Luke Brooks. Sheens wants him to stay but his future may be dictated by his own desire and whether he craves a fresh start.
The Tigers are preparing for a fresh start of their own, having made the decision in June to part ways with their coach. Asked whether he harboured any regrets over that call – the Tigers barely won a game after Maguire’s departure – Hagipantelis said: “Not for one moment. We had committed to the coaching structure as it was for the entire year.
“Unfortunately circumstances changed and our hand was forced in a sense. We decided we had to move in a completely different direction as far as our culture and identity were concerned.
“You couple that with the results as well and as a board we had no choice but to make what was a difficult decision. We just felt we had to make that decision at that time.”
The decision made, Hagipantelis believes there is reason for optimism. Api Koroisau and Isaiah Papalii will be key recruits next season while the Tigers blooded some youngsters at the back end of the year. Most optimism surrounds their new brain’s trust, which will officially take charge on November 1.
“There is a sea-change,” Hagipantelis said.
“I think Tim, Benji and Robbie are going to sit back and take stock over the next few weeks.
“There has been a lot of work done so far as our recruitment and retention has been done behind the scenes.
