Wests Tigers coach Mick Potter has been assured he won't be judged solely on the performance of the team over the past month but his future is in limbo as officials wait for the NRL to take control of the club's board.
The NRL is hopeful of appointing three independent directors to what will effectively be a five-person board by the end of next week. Tigers chairman Mike Bailey said he would wait to see if that happened before a decision was made on who would appoint the coach for next season.
The Tigers' season is set to end after Saturday week's match against Cronulla at Leichhardt Oval. Directors will decide whether to retain Potter for a third season some time in the following week, but it is unclear who will be responsible for the call.
"Obviously when we get past September 6, which is our last day of playing, we will look at the situation in the week following," Bailey said. "It is not next week but the week after that that we do have to do something about the coaching situation, whether it is us or somebody else. All three of our top coaches are off-contract so decisions have to be made and decisions will be made not next week but the week after."
If Potter's contract is not renewed, one of his assistants – David Kidwell or Todd Payten – is expected to replace him. Fairfax Media has been told both have been advised to prepare to present to the board for the job. However, Bailey could not say with certainty whether the club would consider going outside the trio.
"We have been, to some extent, in a state of suspended animation for a while on the grounds that we think we have got a big decision to make, but should that be made now or should we hold back?" he said. "We would obviously like to know what is going to happen but it isn't in our hands to make that decision. We wish to have the new board in place. However, each time that we have been promised within the next couple of weeks, the next month or whatever, things have not necessarily happened.
"It is my understanding that interviews still need to be conducted with those involved and that is expected to take place early next week, so I guess we will have to wait and see what happens after that. I am not jumping up and down, I just beg caution. I hope it is going to happen next week but there is no guarantee at this stage that it will."
Since reports that Potter would be sacked emerged after a board meeting following the round 20 match against St George Illawarra, the Tigers have lost five consecutive games and conceded 198 points, scoring just 38.
It was reported on the eve of the 64-6 loss to North Queensland that support had swung behind Potter and he was likely to survive – as long as the team didn't lose its remaining four matches by 40 points.
However, Bailey said Potter's future would not be decided solely on the results of the last month and factors like the club's horrific injury toll were likely to be taken into consideration.
"I have been questioned about 'are you going to sack him because of bad performances this month' but the answer is that we will look at the entire season when we get to the end of the season," Bailey said. "That looks like coinciding with when the new board is coming on board but, at the same time, I am reluctant to say we can just push it over to them because I wouldn't put my house on the fact that the new board is going to be there next week."
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You never know how anyone will preform, but jeeze, it smacks of "lack of ideas" to appoint one of these three to the top job.
