Defiant Tim Sheens claims Tigers ‘are on the right track’ despite embarrassing loss to Roosters

Tim Sheens has rubbished the suggestions the Tigers ‘gave up’ in their shellacking against the Sydney Roosters and defiantly insisted the NRL’s cellar-dwellers were still heading in the right direction.

An already dismal season reached a new low for Wests, who on Saturday were thrashed 72-6 by the Roosters at the SCG and remain rooted at the bottom of the NRL ladder with two games left. 

The defeat was the largest in the club’s history since the 1999 merger between Wests and Balmain, prompting Phil Gould and a number of NRL greats to openly question the Tigers’ players desire to compete.

‘It was terrible. I mean it’s terrible from the Tigers,’ Gould said on Nine in the aftermath of the Tigers’ capitulation. 

‘I can’t see why a professional footballer or a professional football team doesn’t always have something to play for.

‘I mean the Wests Tigers are back there at the tail of the field, you want something for your fans to come out of this and show a little pride and resilience. […] But you can’t give up at this end of the season and allow teams to run roughshod over you like that.’

But Sheens, who will swap his role as Tigers head of football for that of head coach next season, rejected the suggestion players had downed tools.

‘The assumption is we have given up – sure we have,’ he told the Daily Telegraph.

‘It was obviously disappointing for everyone in the club, the players and certainly the fans. But it’s about moving forward – we have to keep moving forward.’

Wests have won just four of their 22 games so far this season and face the prospect of ending the campaign with the wooden spoon, unless they can win one of their remaining two matches.

Despite their ongoing struggle, Sheens insisted the Tigers weren’t feeling sorry for themselves and philosophically suggested this season’s travails were part of a steep learning curve.   

‘We are going to keep going – that’s what you’ve got to do,’ he said.

‘I wouldn’t call it a hiccup but these punches in the face have to be taken sometimes.’

Sheens, who led the Tigers to their last premiership in 2005, will take charge for the next two seasons with club legend Benji Marshall set to replace him at the helm for the following three years.

Wests recently moved into their state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence and have signed up New South Wales star Api Koroisau and New Zealand international Isaiah Papali’i for next season.

And the incumbent Tigers coach insisted both developments outlined the club was fully committed to swiftly climb up the ladder starting from next season.

‘We are still headed in the right direction, the way I want it,’ he added. 

‘You have to work your way out of these types of things and everyone who has been in sport understands that.’

Meanwhile, interim Tigers coach Brett Kimmorley also firmly refuted the suggestion his players had given up, but conceded it was hard to motivate teams that had nothing left to play for.  

‘I don’t think anyone gives up, I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t care about their performance,’ he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

‘But as a player, if you get to this point of the year and you’re trying to win a comp, it’s the best time of your career. […] When you’re at the bottom of the ladder, you’re not fine-tuning, you’re not motivated by that same mindset. 

‘There’s always going to be a massive difference of how they’re feeling and their motivation.’