Fingers are being pointed after the Tigers’ humiliating 74-0 loss to the Cowboys, with the NRL360 panel clashing over who is to blame for their situation.
The joint venture club is languishing in last place on the NRL ladder with the near future looking bleak following one of the lowest points in their history.
“It was an embarrassing and disgusting performance,” The Australian’s Brent Read said on NRL 360.
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“The Cowboys are in red hot form at the moment but honestly some of the defence was shambolic.”
NRL 360 co-host Gorden Tallis agreed and called out the team’s effort.
“Look at all those orange jerseys jogging to make tackles. They are jogging to make tackles,” he said.
“It wasn’t an ambush they knew this was coming. The Cowboys have found some form in the last month. The Tigers should have been ready for this.”
The conversation then turned to who is responsible for the Tigers’ plight. Veteran rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield said the blame lay with one man.
“I blame Tim Sheens in that he came back after a ten year NRL break and losing three jobs in England to take on this side and they’ve gone backwards ever since,” Rothfield said.
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“With Tim Sheens, he sacked Michael Maguire who I thought was doing a better job than Tim is doing now It was Tim’s decision to sack him.
“My problem with Tim Sheens at the moment is that he cannot accept that the only way out of this mess, is a massive, massive recruitment overhaul.
Rothfield believes that Sheens “is still angry about” former Tigers recruitment manager Warren McDonnell being moved on and the appointment of Scott Fulton to replace him.
Read, however, took aim at Rothfield’s assertion and said it was “too easy” to place all the blame on Sheens and thinks the front office needs to cop some heat.
“This problem goes well back before Tim. This club hasn’t played finals footy in ten years.
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“You can’t say it’s Tim Sheens’ fault, get rid of the coach.
“You said Tim Sheens sacked Michael McGuire. No, Tim Sheens recommended he be sacked. The board sacked him and the board makes the call.
To that, Rothfield responded “It’s the same thing.”
“The board had to go and privately sign Scott Fulton because Tim Sheens wanted to keep Warren McDonnell,” Rothfield said.
“The board was of the opinion recruitment is so bad they have to bring their own man in.
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“We are talking about a side that didn’t try the other night … Who is coaching this team and responsible for the on-field performance?”
Read again disagreed with Rothfield, instead pointing aim at CEO Justin Pascoe, who has been in the role at the club since 2015.
“It’s not just this year and there’s one bloke who has been there the whole time just about,” Read said.
“The fish rots at the top Buzz. The fish rots at the top.”
Attention then turned to assistant coach Benji Marshall amid reports the Tigers will parachute him into the head coach position in 2024.
“Benji is pulling most of the strings anyway,” Read said.
“Benji is the guy going out trying to recruit players. Benji is the one who reached out to Tyson Frizell. Benji is the one who was involved in the Mitch (Moses) chase. Benji was the one involved in the Shaun Johnson chase.
“If you look at the coaches box on game day Benji is the one with the headset.
“I think Tim is basically taking the bullets for him at the moment.
Rothfield then revealed he had heard of players complaints that there were “mixed messages” from Sheens, Marshall and Robbie Farah who is also on the coaching panel.
“I’m getting told that players are a little bit worried about mixed messages.. Sheensy saying this, Benji saying this and Robbie chmining in here.”
“The old saying too many chefs.”