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Found this on the Official Forum - Ink posted it actually. Not sure where it came from
Good read
What are your thoughts on the following.....
Sheens being a "Professor of the game"
The "Dean of Faculty"
"The Tigers and Sheens are a neat fit, like a comfortable pair of shoes"
23 January 2008
Tigers back in the hunt
TIM Sheens is the game's longest current serving coach.
And his coaching CV would qualify him to be a professor of the game.
If rugby league was taught at university, Sheens would be the dean of the faculty, along with another of the game's finest coaches former mentor and league philosopher, Warren Ryan.
The 58-year-old has coached a staggering 520 matches in the world's most demanding rugby league competition for a winning percentage of 50.58 per cent.
And there is no thought of the five-time grand final coach and four-time premiership winner calling it a day.
In fact, Sheens just signed a new two-year deal with the Tigers, extending his tenure until the end of 2010.
The Tigers and Sheens are a neat fit, like a pair of comfortable shoes.
The Tigers are back in training after the Christmas and New Year break readying themselves for the NRL season which starts on Sunday, March 16, against St George Illawarra at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Tigers will also play South Sydney at the SCG in the heritage round from April 18-21.
2008 is the centenary of rugby league in Australia and both Balmain and Western Suburbs were foundation clubs.
Sheens, who has put the polish on many teams since he began at Penrith in 1984 at the highest level, said he is approaching the season just like any other it's business as usual.
"In many respects, the centenary year of rugby league is about the past players," Sheens said.
"This year, there will be plenty of media interest in the game. It is my role and the people around me at the Wests Tigers to take the heat out of the media interest in the game from our players."
Sheens started coaching the Tigers in 2003.
Two years later, they won an unexpected premiership, with a young team spiced with experienced campaigners holding aloft the grand final trophy.
They played an exhilarating brand of attacking footy, where the emphasis was on use of the footy brain, rather than muscle.
In the last two years the Tigers missed the finals, the loss to Newcastle in the final game of the 2007 season on a Friday night at the Olympic stadium, seeing the team finish one place outside the top eight.
"It was disappointing to lose against Newcastle and miss the finals, but there is an upside to this," he said.
"We were disappointed no doubt but we have a young team and they will learn from it."
Sheens said the past is the past and he and the Tigers squad are looking forward to this season.
"With the centenary year of the game there will be a lot of hype and like all clubs, we can use that, but we have to control it," Sheens said.
Sheens loves talking footy and says his passion for it has never diminished.
The Tigers' main recruits this year include halfback Matthew Head and dependable forward Corey Payne (St George Illawarra), winger Nick Youngquest (Penrith).
The youth policy implemented by Sheens and CEO Steve Noyce to develop and foster young talented players and retain them has been a primary focus. "We have done our recruiting and there are a few players we are trialling in the lower grades," Sheens said.
Sheens said the Tigers have a squad which is still fairly young and a smattering of experience for this season.
"We are hoping the injury gods will be kind to us this season," he said. "In recent years we have had had several longterm injuries and players such as Benji Marshall have had a couple of injury disrupted seasons.
"Benji is training and coming along well."
Sheens said Marshall and John Morris look like occupying the halves positions for the first part of the season.
Matthew Head is settling in, but is still overcoming career-threatening knee and shoulder injuries.
The Dragons released the playmaker early last year and Head joined British Super League club Hull.
"Matthew is a very clever player and he is still going through rehab as part of his training," Sheen said.
"He may not be ready for the first few games of the premiership and may play in the Western Suburbs Premier League team.
"But, there is still time before the season starts to see what happens."
Prop Bryce Gibbs is another key player who will be missing for the opening month of the season with a foot injury.
Sheens said the NRL rule change reducing the number of permitted interchanges from 12 to 10 will have a influence on the game, but not a significant alteration to the way teams play.
Sheens believes instinctive players like Benji Marshall, Robbie Farah, Brett Hodgson and speedster Chris Lawrence will be still operate the same way as they have in the recent seasons.
"I don't think the rule change will change the style of play which teams employ," Sheens said.
"The way the game is played nowadays you have to be in a position to score points and we have plenty of points in our team."
Sheen said the hotter weather in the early rounds of the season would have a greater affect than the interchange reduction.
"Overall, I don't think the rule will have a dramatic impact, rather a more subtle affect," he said.
Sheens nominated ball playing forward Ben Te'o, Keith Galloway, Todd Payten, Liam Fulton and young halfback Tim Moltzen as players who have impressed in pre-season training and he anticipates they will have good seasons.
Good read
What are your thoughts on the following.....
Sheens being a "Professor of the game"
The "Dean of Faculty"
"The Tigers and Sheens are a neat fit, like a comfortable pair of shoes"
23 January 2008
Tigers back in the hunt
TIM Sheens is the game's longest current serving coach.
And his coaching CV would qualify him to be a professor of the game.
If rugby league was taught at university, Sheens would be the dean of the faculty, along with another of the game's finest coaches former mentor and league philosopher, Warren Ryan.
The 58-year-old has coached a staggering 520 matches in the world's most demanding rugby league competition for a winning percentage of 50.58 per cent.
And there is no thought of the five-time grand final coach and four-time premiership winner calling it a day.
In fact, Sheens just signed a new two-year deal with the Tigers, extending his tenure until the end of 2010.
The Tigers and Sheens are a neat fit, like a pair of comfortable shoes.
The Tigers are back in training after the Christmas and New Year break readying themselves for the NRL season which starts on Sunday, March 16, against St George Illawarra at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Tigers will also play South Sydney at the SCG in the heritage round from April 18-21.
2008 is the centenary of rugby league in Australia and both Balmain and Western Suburbs were foundation clubs.
Sheens, who has put the polish on many teams since he began at Penrith in 1984 at the highest level, said he is approaching the season just like any other it's business as usual.
"In many respects, the centenary year of rugby league is about the past players," Sheens said.
"This year, there will be plenty of media interest in the game. It is my role and the people around me at the Wests Tigers to take the heat out of the media interest in the game from our players."
Sheens started coaching the Tigers in 2003.
Two years later, they won an unexpected premiership, with a young team spiced with experienced campaigners holding aloft the grand final trophy.
They played an exhilarating brand of attacking footy, where the emphasis was on use of the footy brain, rather than muscle.
In the last two years the Tigers missed the finals, the loss to Newcastle in the final game of the 2007 season on a Friday night at the Olympic stadium, seeing the team finish one place outside the top eight.
"It was disappointing to lose against Newcastle and miss the finals, but there is an upside to this," he said.
"We were disappointed no doubt but we have a young team and they will learn from it."
Sheens said the past is the past and he and the Tigers squad are looking forward to this season.
"With the centenary year of the game there will be a lot of hype and like all clubs, we can use that, but we have to control it," Sheens said.
Sheens loves talking footy and says his passion for it has never diminished.
The Tigers' main recruits this year include halfback Matthew Head and dependable forward Corey Payne (St George Illawarra), winger Nick Youngquest (Penrith).
The youth policy implemented by Sheens and CEO Steve Noyce to develop and foster young talented players and retain them has been a primary focus. "We have done our recruiting and there are a few players we are trialling in the lower grades," Sheens said.
Sheens said the Tigers have a squad which is still fairly young and a smattering of experience for this season.
"We are hoping the injury gods will be kind to us this season," he said. "In recent years we have had had several longterm injuries and players such as Benji Marshall have had a couple of injury disrupted seasons.
"Benji is training and coming along well."
Sheens said Marshall and John Morris look like occupying the halves positions for the first part of the season.
Matthew Head is settling in, but is still overcoming career-threatening knee and shoulder injuries.
The Dragons released the playmaker early last year and Head joined British Super League club Hull.
"Matthew is a very clever player and he is still going through rehab as part of his training," Sheen said.
"He may not be ready for the first few games of the premiership and may play in the Western Suburbs Premier League team.
"But, there is still time before the season starts to see what happens."
Prop Bryce Gibbs is another key player who will be missing for the opening month of the season with a foot injury.
Sheens said the NRL rule change reducing the number of permitted interchanges from 12 to 10 will have a influence on the game, but not a significant alteration to the way teams play.
Sheens believes instinctive players like Benji Marshall, Robbie Farah, Brett Hodgson and speedster Chris Lawrence will be still operate the same way as they have in the recent seasons.
"I don't think the rule change will change the style of play which teams employ," Sheens said.
"The way the game is played nowadays you have to be in a position to score points and we have plenty of points in our team."
Sheen said the hotter weather in the early rounds of the season would have a greater affect than the interchange reduction.
"Overall, I don't think the rule will have a dramatic impact, rather a more subtle affect," he said.
Sheens nominated ball playing forward Ben Te'o, Keith Galloway, Todd Payten, Liam Fulton and young halfback Tim Moltzen as players who have impressed in pre-season training and he anticipates they will have good seasons.
