https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/f69c56116a7a445b884587fe825e00e7
‘Get on board or get going’: Kent blasts Tigers’ player revolt over Maguire’s ‘I need men’ comment
Mark St John
Mark St John from Fox Sports
@markdfstjohn
July 11th, 2021 3:04 pm
Paul Kent has launched a stinging attack on the Tigers players after reports some stars have turned on coach Michael Maguire after a comment he made after the loss to the Rabbitohs.
Maguire said in his press conference that he needs men at the club, which ruffled a few feathers amongst the playing group.
“They lost to the Storm 66-16 on the Sunshine Coast and it was a very similar story to their opening half against the Bunnies at Leichhardt Oval,” James Hooper said on Triple M.
“So the players can point fingers and blow up and blame Madge and try and throw off everywhere else, but in relation to the comment that he said about “I need men” like we are all adults.
“Boo hoo, cry me a river like who cares? Get over it.”
Gordon Tallis believes the Tigers club need to support their coach, so that things like player revolts don’t happen.
“The people around him need to support him,” Tallis said.
“So when the players go and whinge to the assistant coach, to the trainers, to the board members, to the CEO it falls on deaf ears.”
“Managers and media are the main ones,” Hooper interjected.
“Too bad because they keep doing it, so who do they have Tim Sheens, Michael Potter, Jason Taylor, Ivan Cleary. There is four in what 10 years?” Tallis said.
Kent called on Maguire to find the players responsible and move them out of the club immediately.
“The best thing Michael Maguire can do is find out who the players are and move them on,” Kent said.
“A lot of good coaches who stick around for a while they identify very quickly who the cancers are in the joint. The guys who bitch and moan.
“When you see players in a dressing room starting to get into their little groups that is when you have got to be wary.
“Once they start doing that and if you don’t know what they are talking about and if they are having a bitch and moan about your coaching or whatever they are the guys you have got to move on.”
Tallis called on the senior players to squash player revolts before they happen.
“I think you need strong leadership and the senior guys just go, listen guys shut up this is what we are doing,” Tallis said.
“I didn’t agree with all my coaches, but whatever he said he is the boss. That’s it he is the boss and whatever he tells you to do you do it.
“Just shut up and get on with it and after training you can say hey Mate why did we do that? But you never do it on the spot.”
Kent believes the Tigers don’t have enough players that want to win a premiership and they need to move on those that are merely just happy being NRL players.
“I’ll tell you a couple of facts about the Tigers, one they don’t have good enough players to win the comp,” Kent said.
“Two they don’t have tough enough players to win the comp. Three the administration hasn’t been strong enough in terms of standing up to the players because the club is just continually rotating through coaches.
“They have identified Michael Maguire as a coach who has won premierships at two different competitions with two different teams.
“He has got the ability to do it, so they have identified him as the guy that can do it for them so now they have got to stay the course as well.
“What they have got to the players is get on board or get going. It is as simple as that.
“To continue to let this club bitch and moan through another season of non-performance and let’s remember no club has gone longer without making the finals than this Tigers club.
“They haven’t made the finals since 2011 so the fact is they are not doing the right job. I don’t think there is enough Tigers players who want to win a comp.
“I was talking to a coach the other day and he said there is not enough winners here. They are just happy to play first grade.
“This is an issue that has been identified by a few other clubs.
“There is not enough players at the Tigers who are burning to win a comp. They are happy playing first grade.
“They like being known as first grade players who brush pass the line when they go to the nightclub. They get a couple of drinks vouchers when they get into the nightclub and all the pretty girls come up and ask them for a dance.”
“It’s a lifestyle for them,” Tallis said.
“Exactly Gordon, but for the great ones they want to win,” Kent said.
