Wests Tigers bosses have been blasted over their latest mishandling of a big club decision and accused of making the “same stupid mistakes”.
The Tigers signed recruitment manager Scott Fulton from Manly without consulting head coach Tim Sheens or any of his staff.
Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis defended keeping Sheens in the dark on the basis that he was adding to the football staff instead of making changes.
Watch every game of every round of the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
FOX LEAGUE PODCAST – REECE ROBSON Listen HERE >
“This is a bizarre decision to be made and I find it strange Lee thinks everyone is picking on the club and everyone is attacking the football club,” former Tigers player Braith Anasta said on NRL 360.
“If you’re going to continue to make decisions like this and continue to act like this in a leadership role, continue to have lack of trust in the head coach and continue to make these decisions, you’re going to have criticism from the outside looking in. You’re going to have people going, ‘What the hell is going on?’.
“Instead of crying poor me and thinking you’re the victim all the time, stop making the same, stupid mistakes.”
Greg Alexander asked Hagipantelis on SEN that given it was a football recruitment decision and part of the football staff, why was no one in the football staff asked about it.
“That was a legitimate question and for reasons no one understands, Lee Hagipentalis explained that because it was an addition they didn’t need to do that because they were just adding to the staff,” Paul Kent said.
“They said they did their due diligence on Scott Fulton. They didn’t talk to the first grade coach. Who have they spoken to about him? Or the future first grade they’ve already appointed for 2025 (Benji Marshall).”
“This contradicts everything they have been putting out in the first eight weeks to cover their backsides about the fact that this is a football and non-football matter where they’ve basically differentiated [the two].
“He’s tried to explain it a little bit today by saying, ‘We added to it, we haven’t removed anybody’, but Ronald McDonald will get moved on. He will still be at the club, he will have a job but he won’t have the job he has now. He will be removed from the NRL operation of that club. People have been moved on.
“You talked about confidentiality. If you can’t trust your first grade coach how are you going as a club? If you can’t trust running a football appointment past your first grade coach how are you going as a club?”
MORE NRL NEWS
TEAMS ANALYSIS: Blues face big Origin setback; Wayne’s wait over as debutant
‘I’D BE SHOCKED’: Storm star’s frank reply as NRL considers shock 18th expansion
‘IT’S A COACH’S JOB’: Griffin’s big weakness exposed after shock call on ‘scapegoats’
EARLY MAIL: Key Dogs forward ‘still in doubt’ as forward pack shuffle looms
Paul Crawley added: “Can you imagine if that happened at any of the successful clubs in our game? Throw any coach into it, tell me of any coach that would say that is fair play. It’s ridiculous. Despite any way they want to paint it, it’s a complete show of disrespect to the first grade coach. That’s what it is.”
David Riccio went a step further and revealed another NRL coach said he would have quit over it.
“It doesn’t show a lot of trust within the organisation,” Riccio said.
“I spoke to one first grade coach today who said if he was the head coach of the Wests Tigers he would hand in his badge today. He would walk.”
Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!
