Oliver Gildart has been dropped by Wests Tigers head coach Michael Maguire ahead of the club’s fixture against Parramatta Eels this weekend.
Wests have lost all five of their opening games of the 2022 NRL season and Gildart – alongside his wing partner Ken Maumalo – has felt the full wrath of Maguire.
Neither the former Wigan Warriors star nor the ex-New Zealand Warrior will be present whilst Jackson Hastings will return from a three-match ban.
Hastings was placed on report for a dangerous tackle on Tex Hoy in the first-half of Wests’ defeat to the Newcastle Knights, but the former Wigan Warriors and Salford Red Devils maverick enjoyed 180 running metres – the highest of any Tigers player.
Wests legend Benji Marshall was highly critical of the Tigers’ performance and head coach Michael Maguire responded in defiant fashion.
“There’s areas of that (lack of effort). Everyone’s got their opinion. We’ll have a look at how we played and what we need to do,” Maguire said of Marshall’s criticism to the Daily Telegraph.
Asked about changes so early in the year, he said: “I’ll have another look at the game and go from there.”
For Hastings, the tackle wasn’t received very well in the commentary box.
“That’s a dangerous one, that’s not a good one,” said Nine commentator Mat Thompson.
The halfback’s transformation in three-and-a-half years in Super League was incredible and the halfback earned the right to return home and take a much improved deal with Wests.