Former Super League boss dealing with captaincy crisis
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Greig Cowie/BPI/Shutterstock 10080713c Head Coach Tim Sheens of Hull KR in a snow shower, inspects the pitch Hull KR v Hull FC, Betfred Super League, The KCOM Craven Park, Hull, UK, 01 Feb 2019 Hull KR v Hull FC, Betfred Super League, The KCOM Craven Park, Hull, UK, 01 Feb 2019 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTXHUNxGRExMLTxCYPxROMxBULxUAExKSAxONLY Copyright: xGreigxCowie/BPI/Shutterstockx 10080713c
Tim Sheens left Hull KR in 2019 mid-season due to a reported ‘loss of the dressing room’ and the veteran coach could be in a similar situation at current club Wests Tigers with a leadership battle set to ensue.
Sheens left Rovers and after a brief stint at Widnes he returned to Australia to assume a role with Wests in 2021 where he worked in player development.
Following the clubs ‘Wooden Spoon’ season last year where they finished bottom of the NRL ladder, Sheens has been promoted to first team coach on a two-year contract in what is being described as a succession plan before club legend Benji Marshall takes over.
The 2022 season saw Wests run with a huge six captains, one being former Super League star Jackson Hastings on top of a five man leadership group of James Tamou, Luke brooks, Tyrone Peachey, Adam Doueihi and Ken Maumalo.
Three of those, including Hastings, have left the club and therefore the club has a major leadership void.
Sheens has told Wide World of Sports that he’ll make a call on the armband in the new year during pre-season.
“There have been a fair few changes to the roster but we have several players more than capable of doing the job,” Sheens explained.
“I will talk to the players and management and get their input before making a call next month.”
It could be a case that Sheens works outside of the 2022 leadership group and assigns a new captain however Lebanon international Doueihi is the favourite, despite his red card for dissent at the World Cup.