Richest Tigers go cold on team

THE Wests Tigers staged the comeback of the year to beat Manly on Saturday night after being abandoned by their two highest paid players at halftime.

Five-eighth Josh Reynolds and front-rower Russell Packer both walked out of Brookvale Oval with their team trailing 20-12 at the break.

In an incident that will infuriate fans at the underperforming club, Reynolds ($850,000 a year) and Packer ($750,000) left the players’ dugout at halftime and headed straight to their cars.

A furious club legend Steve Roach questioned whether coach Michael Maguire would want to pick them in future.

“I can’t believe it,” Roach said. “It shows no respect for your teammates and a lack of respect for the jersey. When you’re in a squad and not playing, you still turn up.

“You can’t just give up and go home. I know how hard Madge is — he might not want to pick them again.”

The players’ pathetic excuse to Maguire on Sunday morning was that they were feeling cold. Injured utility Michael Chee Kam also left the venue.

Trailing 32-18 with just 12 minutes to go, the Wests Tigers scored three late tries to grab a stunning victory that the absent players presumably listened to on their car radios.

Their disappearance caught Maguire by surprise; in the excitement of a desperately needed victory, the coach had no idea they had left.

It was only through footage from Fox Sports cameras in the Wests Tigers dressing room at full-time that he realised they had gone home.

He then rang the two players to find out why.

“Look there’s no hard and fast rule they have to be at games,” he said. “Russ was our 19th man and Josh came to be around the boys.

“They didn’t really give me a reason — they just said they were cold and wanted to go home.”

Other players outside the Wests Tigers starting 17 were in the dressing sheds at fulltime to celebrate the remarkable victory.

Player agent George Mimis, who looks after both Packer and Reynolds, said he had spoken to the players.

“I’ve spoken to Josh and Russell and they have nothing to say,” Mimis said.

“Neither of them have broken any club rules.”

Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis said the players would be asked for an explanation.

“The boys will be asked why and I’ll be interested to hear their responses,” he said.

“We’d like to present ourselves as a unified club. That involves players remaining there and cheering the team on for 80 minutes.”