Maguire gets nod but must cut staff
MICHAEL Maguire has been given a guarantee he will remain as Wests Tigers coach for the entirety of next season but only after providing assurances he would take the axe to his support staff.
Maguire, holidaying with his family in Queensland, woke on Tuesday morning unsure of his future. By Tuesday afternoon, the club had recommitted to its coach, who has two years remaining on his contract.
Maguire’s tenure was hanging by a thread but a 90-minute pitch to the football committee on Monday proved decisive after he agreed to make key changes to his staff and repair a disconnect between the football department and the rest of the club.
“It was an opportunity for him to address the concerns that were raised by the internal review,” chair Lee Hagipantelis said.
“Michael did so in a very genuine and convincing manner. The board meeting that was scheduled to occur afterwards was not required.”
When asked directly if the meeting saved his job, Hagipantelis replied: “Yes, he was very impressive. Very confident, very impressive, very committed.”
Board members Rick Wayde, Simon Cook and Danny Stapleton plus chief executive Justin Pascoe are part of the football committee. Hagipantelis also attended the meeting with Maguire in an ex-officio capacity.
Maguire, Pascoe and head of football Adam Hartigan were also in the firing line but the trio will survive.
It is understood Maguire will preside over a comprehensive shake-up of the Tigers and put a broom through his coaching unit in a last-ditch attempt to convince club bosses he is the man to engineer a revival of the joint-venture club.
There will yet be bloodletting at the Wests Tigers and after dodging the bullet himself, Maguire will turn executioner.
Right-hand man Wayne Collins is gone and will not be the only one in the firing line. High-performance chief Andrew Gray is expected to have a watered-down role.
Maguire will liaise with the Tigers on constructing a new coaching team in consultation with 2005 premiership coach Tim Sheens, who will return in an increased role.
The Tigers finished ninth in Maguire’s first season in charge but have been on the slide since, culminating in this season’s embarrassing 13thplaced finish.
They have also struggled to strike in the player market and the next challenge for Maguire and the club will be to strengthen their roster as they prepare to spend $1.6 million they have spare under the salary cap.
“There will be changes to key personnel,” Hagipantelis confirmed. “(The assistant coach appointment) will be a collaboration between Michael and the football committee to make sure the right candidate is engaged.
“There is no suggestion Michael will have six or eight rounds in 2022. As far as we’re concerned he has the entire season that is his. There will be no pressure the club will be putting on itself. Any pressure will be external.”
The Tigers would have had to payout $750,000 to axe Maguire.