Subtle detail from Wests Tigers coach box during gutsy loss to Parramatta shows massive change underway at the club
- Benji Marshall was seen wearing a gameday headset
- Speculation is mounting that he could replace Tim Sheens
- Marshall will be head coach of Wests Tigers in 2025
- Tigers now 0-6, on course for another wooden spoon
Things seem to be changing for the Wests Tigers after their brave 28-22 defeat on Easter Monday at Accor Stadium.
Still chasing their first win of 2023, the struggling joint venture club won many admirers for their persistence – yet fell short against Parramatta.
In a possible sign of things to come, assistant coach and club legend Benji Marshall was spotted wearing headphones, barking instructions at the players as they nearly orchestrated a famous come from behind win.
Head coach Tim Sheens sat behind Marshall in the coach box and watched the action.
On Saturday, Sheens declared he was ready for the long haul, with Marshall as head coach in 2025.
Changes seem to be coming for the Wests Tigers after their brave 28-22 loss on Easter Monday (pictured, head coach Tim Sheens)
In a possible sign of things to come, assistant coach and club legend Benji Marshall was spotted wearing headphones, (pictured) barking instructions at the players, with Sheens behind him in the coach box
But if the defeats continue for last season’s wooden spoonbills, there is speculation that Sheens will hand over control ahead of schedule.
NRL360 co-host Paul Kent believes Sheens is training both Marshall and fellow assistant coach Robbie Farah.
“I think Tim Sheens is sitting back and basically just sorting things out,” Kent said Monday.
“He’s come in thinking he needs to train these young guys to eventually succeed him as head coach and I don’t see anything wrong with him on several counts, just hand it over and give them a little bit of control.
When Tim Sheens was with the Raiders, he called in players like Laurie Daley, Ricky Stuart and Mal Meninga to help him with the game plan for the week.
“He wanted input from them about what they see.
He puts a lot of trust in the people around him. He did it when he was back with the Raiders and now he does it with the Tigers with his assistant coaches.
On Saturday, Sheens declared he was ready for the long haul, with Marshall taking over as head coach with the Tigers in 2025.
“The other person in the Tigers box is David Furner. His contribution would be significant and what Furner says would be significant and Sheensy, who coached him as a player, would have a lot of faith in him.”
The Tigers face the Sea Eagles, Panthers, Dragons and Rabbitohs in their next four games – which, alarmingly, could mean they’d fail to pull off a win for the State of Origin period.
TAB offers bettors a $29 chance that the Tigers will be winless this season.
Eastern Suburbs was the last team – in 1966 – to go through a season without singing the team victory anthem.