Paul Kent believes mediocrity from the Tigers’ front office has infected the football department and the team is no closer to turning things around because they can’t score points.
The Tigers went close to their first win of the season in their 22-16 loss to the Sea Eagles in Round 8, but the longest finals drought in the NRL stretching back to 2011 is certain to continue into 2024 after seven straight losses to start the year.
“A lot of people are saying they are getting better or more competitive or they are nearly getting that win,” Braith Anasta said on NRL 360.
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However, Kent believes the Tigers still don’t know how to break down teams and score enough points to win games in the NRL.
“They still can’t score,” Kent said on NRL 360.
“They were brave yesterday. They went out and tried their hardest to win the game and they get up the field OK.
“But once they get in the opposition 20-metre zone and it is try-scoring territory they don’t know what to do.
“They go from one sideline and then they go all the way along. Blokes will walk past and look at each other. Blokes are not moving. Blokes are just standing there wondering what the ball runners are going to do.
“For all the talk about what we are going to see out of their attack this year they are pretty ordinary. They can’t score.”
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Brent Read believes the Tigers are in desperate need of a chief playmaker to turn close losses into wins.
“It showed to me again that they desperately need a chief playmaker,” Read said.
“It is why they went so hard for Mitchell Moses. It is why they made a play at Mitchell Pearce. They need a General. It is so obvious.
“If Daly Cherry-Evans plays for the Tigers yesterday they win that game.
“That is the issue for them. They don’t have somebody who can take control of that team and get them over the line when the game is close.”
Kent believes the Tigers only got close to Manly because the Sea Eagles played with a different mindset than what they showed against the Storm because they thought a win was a given.
“They brought Manly down to their level yesterday,” Kent said.
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“Manly I think were guilty of showing the Tigers no respect. I don’t mean that as a personal thing, but just as a football team.
“They just thought they could push passes and score easily. Manly played real low percentage football.
“If they were playing a top eight side like Melbourne last week, a lot of their decisions would have been different.
“They were complacent and pushing passes and going for risky kicks. They thought, it’s the Tigers we are going to win and it nearly bit them because the Tigers stayed in the contest.
“But if the Tigers actually knew how to generate points I think they could have had a real crack at it.”
Anasta questioned if the Tigers’ on-field struggles are related to what goes on off the field at the club.
“Does it go deeper than just on the field?” Anasta asked.
“The club is a shambles,” Kent replied.
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“I wrote in the paper that the club has lost the plot.
“The problem with the Tigers if you want to start and really boil it down is there is a lack of accountability that starts at the top of the club and works its way down.
“What we have seen with the spin in the last couple of weeks in a couple if game performances is the spin that has dominated and infected the club for so long and it is now starting to reach itself into the football program.
“Now Tim Sheens is saying a few weeks ago, we won the second half. How many competition points do you get for that?”
Phil Rothfield believes the time has come for Tim Sheens to take a back seat in the coach’s box.
“Who is putting spin on their performances?” Rothfield asked.
“Tim Sheens is the one who fronts up every week.
“My thoughts are Tim Sheens has had eight weeks to get this roster together and they play Penrith this week, which could get really ugly.
“I’m wondering if it is time now for Tim Sheens not to hand over to Benji, but to just pull back a little bit and give Benji a little bit more control of game plans and tactics.”
However, Read believes Justin Pascoe has had ample time to turn the club around and has failed in his duty.
“Buzz, you said Tim Sheens has had eight weeks to turn that team around, well Justin Pascoe has had eight years to turn that football club around” Read said.
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“They haven’t made the finals in those eight years. It is easy to point the finger at Tim.
“If you are pointing the finger at Tim after eight weeks, what about the bloke who has been there for eight years.”
But Kent believes Sheens is the only person at the Tigers willing to face the music and called for accountability from the front office.
“The Tigers put Tim Sheens in as General Manager of Football and when someone proposed that he should maybe take over as head coach, they should have said no Tim you are staying where you are,” Kent said.
“One of the real hidden truths in the game at the moment is you need a strong General Manager of Football who can actually set the club up.
“This club I believe they put Sheens in as a buffer between the football program and the decisions made at head office.
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“You couldn’t get them out of the papers after that and they all withdrew and put it all on Sheens.
“Sheens came in and finally sacked Michael Maguire. You know how many times the Tigers have won since they sacked Michael Maguire? one. Maguire was sacked for losing three games and they have won one since and apparently it is OK now.
“I’m not nullifying Tim Sheens from blame it is all hands on deck there, but what I am sick of is the buck passing.
“These guys that say, it ain’t my fault talk to them. Then the next guy goes, it’s not my fault talk to them. The next guy says, we had a pretty good go on the weekend and won the second half. You don’t get competition points for having a go.”
