Trouble in tigertown

[Navjot]

INTERNAL infighting and a management squabble over the future of chief executive Scott Longmuir is threatening to derail the Wests Tigers' promising start to the season.
Longmuir's position as CEO has been the subject of much discussion in recent days after an apparent falling-out with coach Tim Sheens and a long-time board member. The CEO does not have a contract with the Tigers and we're told his position is anything but secure. Longmuir stepped into the role late last season when the experienced Steve Noyce was forced into resigning before being poached by the Roosters. Obviously, Longmuir was reluctant to discuss the situation when we phoned him for a comment, but we understand he could be out the door within a fortnight. "I'm not the right person to be asking about my job - all I can say is other people judge my performance - not me,'' Longmuir told us. "Business is very strong at the moment. We're meeting all our key performance indicators. I don't see what the problem is. I certainly don't have a problem with Tim Sheens - and you'd have to ask him if he's got a problem with me. Source Sunday Telegraph.bec and buzz 5/4/09.


Im surprised this hadnt rated a mention here yet, i know its the telecrap but reading this article got me thinking maybe longmuir might have had his 20 cents worth to sheens about things and performances etc.. Well at least i know now who runs the club Teflon Tim, maybe he might take on both coach and ceo roles as well as the aussie gig to boot, its teflons way or the highway.

 

[Magpies Forever]

"Business is very strong at the moment. We're meeting all our key performance indicators. I don't see what the problem is. I certainly don't have a problem with Tim Sheens - and you'd have to ask him if he's got a problem with me."

Does anyone else think this quote is weird, if true? If true, it may indicate Longmuir is as much is cookoo land as Sheens. What performance indicators is he talking about? If he is talking about anything except the actual football team itself, such as our social activites maybe so, but surely if he thinks the football team is travelling well he is as much in avoidance as Sheens.

Let me see, even as a not disinterested observer:

WT-
* cannot sign a 25th squad member.
* club open to ridicule in trying to sign Adam Dykes- just confirms to so many players (and player managers) that WT are a club trying to do things on the cheap and not really prepared to pay good money for good players.
* openly say in Oct 08 that they are signed off on squad and now only seeking a prop- with no success to date.
* at, near or over (who knows anymore) salary cap with only 24 players to such a level they had to bid farewell to Fulton to ESL to push them back under. Next year will be worse with the massive money they have had to shell out to keep Farah and Marshall.
* coaching staff seem totally immune to any accountability in their actions and running the club / team more as a private club for themselves.
* recruitment a perennial joke for years now with no action.
* favouritism and nepotism seem to be increasingly rife with form, or lack of it, not taken into account with selection.
* the debacle last year of Head being recruited and Sheens not wanting to play him- had to be dragged kicking and screaming by the teams poor performance to actually play him and at the first opportunity dropped him again. Head is not the best 1/2 option going round but, by christ, he was better than anything we did have then.

If Longmuir didnt / doesnt have a problem with Sheens- can someone ask him "why not?". Does Longmuir consider the performance of the clubs key team (ie the coaching and recruitment / retention team to be satisfactory?

 

[Eddie.]

I would gain alot of respect for Scott Longmuir if he gave Sheens a few timely performance indicators. Unfortunetly it will probably cost him his job.

Sheens runs the club and thats why clowns like Simmons and Gentle are still around. Yes men, who wouldn't challange his authority.

 

[Nuts]

What did it for me, and convinced me Sheens doesn't give a crap, is the Ben Teo sitution. Teo was a bloke who clearly did not want to be at the club and was (sorry is) one of the most pea-hearted individuals to ever pull one a Tigers jersey. It got to the point when on of his team mates abused him behind the goal posts after one of his usual non-attempts at tackling - so to Sheens credit he hooked him and put him reserve grade the following week - only to put him straight back into the side the next week - Sheens continued to play a bloke that clearly did not give a sh!t and did not want to be playing for us!! Says it all really!!

 

[Nuts]

What did it for me, and convinced me Sheens doesn't give a crap, is the Ben Teo sitution. Teo was a bloke who clearly did not want to be at the club and was (sorry is) one of the most pea-hearted individuals to ever pull one a Tigers jersey. It got to the point when on of his team mates abused him behind the goal posts after one of his usual non-attempts at tackling - so to Sheens credit he hooked him and put him reserve grade the following week - only to put him straight back into the side the next week - Sheens continued to play a bloke that clearly did not give a sh!t and did not want to be playing for us!! Says it all really!!

 

[Nuts]

"Business is very strong at the moment. We're meeting all our key performance indicators. I don't see what the problem is. I certainly don't have a problem with Tim Sheens - and you'd have to ask him if he's got a problem with me."

Does anyone else think this quote is weird, if true? If true, it may indicate Longmuir is as much is cookoo land as Sheens. What performance indicators is he talking about? If he is talking about anything except the actual football team itself, such as our social activites maybe so, but surely if he thinks the football team is travelling well he is as much in avoidance as Sheens.

Let me see, even as a not disinterested observer:

WT-
* cannot sign a 25th squad member.
* club open to ridicule in trying to sign Adam Dykes- just confirms to so many players (and player managers) that WT are a club trying to do things on the cheap and not really prepared to pay good money for good players.
* openly say in Oct 08 that they are signed off on squad and now only seeking a prop- with no success to date.
* at, near or over (who knows anymore) salary cap with only 24 players to such a level they had to bid farewell to Fulton to ESL to push them back under. Next year will be worse with the massive money they have had to shell out to keep Farah and Marshall.
* coaching staff seem totally immune to any accountability in their actions and running the club / team more as a private club for themselves.
* recruitment a perennial joke for years now with no action.
* favouritism and nepotism seem to be increasingly rife with form, or lack of it, not taken into account with selection.
* the debacle last year of Head being recruited and Sheens not wanting to play him- had to be dragged kicking and screaming by the teams poor performance to actually play him and at the first opportunity dropped him again. Head is not the best 1/2 option going round but, by christ, he was better than anything we did have then.

If Longmuir didnt / doesnt have a problem with Sheens- can someone ask him "why not?". Does Longmuir consider the performance of the clubs key team (ie the coaching and recruitment / retention team to be satisfactory?

In response:

* Absolutley disgraceful
* Adam Dykes!! Can it get any worse!!!
* We have plenty of props - Danny Galea, Corye Payne, Bronson Harrison - oh thats right we let him go beacuse he is a sh*t front rower!!
* we only need 24 players, We don't even need to play with 17 - it is only beacuse of those stupid NRL rules that we do, hell, only needed 15 in Townsville in 40 degree heat and 100% humidity - oh that's right we got beaten by 20+
* Recruitment?? I have forgotten what that is!!
* Form, Accountability?? 'see above'
* Head isn't the best halfback going around and I will not deny that - but like you said - he was better than anything we did have. But then again Sheens had a rabbit up his sleeve - shifting one of the game's best hookers to half back - what a master stroke - oh hang on - didn't he try that the year before - I wonder at what round he will try it again this year??

 

[matty-ducati]

failure to sign a full squad is enough for me esp when he comes out saying we are close to signing the 25th player. He has a lot to answer too for such a short time at the club as CEO

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Adam Dykes, thats solid gold!

 

[Magpies Forever]

The bit I like with Dykes was that, apparently after being shown around the place and introduced to people, he made the decison it wasnt worth the hassle of trying to get fit and the strain on his body for 1 more season. Cheapstakes!!!!!!! For godsake, bit the bullet and end the farce I dont care if they promote 1 of the State Cup players- put an end to the search before we become a open joke in the League.

 

[Magpies Forever]

Cloud over Longmuir as boardroom split threatens to tear Tigers apart

Glenn Jackson | April 7, 2009
FEARS have been raised that Wests Tigers are headed down a path well-trodden by Manly in recent months, as ructions in the front office, at the centre of which is their chief executive Scott Longmuir, threaten to hurt the club off the field.
Relations between Longmuir and coach Tim Sheens, as well as star halfback Benji Marshall and other members of the club's football department, are believed to be strained, with the CEO fighting to save his job even though he has the support of the club chairman.
The Herald understands an extraordinary board meeting is likely be held within days, at which Longmuir could be sacked from the post he secured last year. Longmuir is believed to be barely on speaking terms with Sheens after the pair fell out over the club boss's plans for the football department.
The infighting was last night described by Balmain legend and former Wests Tigers director Ben Elias as like "rust in a car".
Longmuir last year took over from long-time chief executive Steve Noyce, who had a falling-out with board member Kevin Hammond, the current chairman, who is from the Western Suburbs side of the merger. Chairmanship of the merged club switches from Balmain to Wests representatives yearly.
Longmuir is believed to have aligned himself with Hammond, and there is now believed to be a clear split on the board, which still has Balmain and Wests alliances, over the chief executive's future.
The fact that the relationship between Longmuir and the coach and some players has become strained will make it difficult for the boss to keep his job, although Hammond last night maintained Longmuir's position was secure, saying "his track record speaks for itself".
"In any organisation or business where you have substantial change, and we have a new CEO in Scott … he'll have a different way of dealing with things," Hammond said. "That sort of thing can create issues and they need to be worked through, but there's no great catastrophe.
"He did a fantastic job as marketing manager and that's why he was given the job as CEO. Everything's going fine. Membership is up, we've got one of the most sound and stable sponsorship bases in the NRL. We've won two out of four, and the players and coaches are working hard to make sure things are going as well as they can be. The club is heading in the right direction."
Asked about the relationship between Longmuir and Sheens, Hammond said: "There's been some discussions between Tim and Scott about the direction of the business, and suggestions about how Scott wants to take the business forward."
Hammond did not deny the club planned an extraordinary general meeting, however he said if it eventuated it would be used to discuss "a couple of issues".
"It's nothing out of the ordinary," he said.
Longmuir did not wish to comment last night. The boardroom drama at the club has some striking similarities to Manly's recent problems, at the centre of which was bickering between the co-owners Max Delmege and Scott Penn. There, chief executive Grant Mayer, who initially tendered his resignation but whose job now appears secure, had a close working relationship with Penn, who did not have the boardroom numbers.
Longmuir is also believed to have asked Sheens to provide him with a report following each game detailing key performance indicators. Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler was similarly asked to provide KPIs to management, even though his side won the premiership last season.
The Tigers have won two matches from four so far this season, but their 42-22 loss to Penrith last Saturday night resulted in Sheens locking members of his coaching staff and Longmuir out of the team dressing room for 15 minutes.
Elias said he feared the problems would affect the team's performances on the field.
"I would be very very surprised if it doesn't quickly get sorted," Elias said. "It's like rust in a car. You want to cut the rust out before it spreads."
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/lhq...1238869906276.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Well, if they (the WT board) let Teflon get away with no accountability- eg KPI's- then they deserve all the crap in the world upon their heads. Teflon does not run WT (I hope).....................

 

[super_coach]

Imagine a CEO of the club asking Sheens to report to him, what a bazaar notion. Teflon is not answerable to anyone not even the big bloke upstairs. The board pay Teflon and his mates a bucket load of dollars more than most of us will ever see to prepare a football team each weekend it would be wrong of us to expect anything other than to see 17 weststigers players run around for 80 minutes or stand behind their goalposts for 60 minutes of those eighty minutes

 

[SaveTheChildren]

Longmuir sounds like he really could be the man for the job. Prepared to make Sheens accountable and risk his job to do so. Very impressive.

 

[TV Ted Ellery]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,25306150-14823,00.html

Wests Tigers CEO Scott Longmuir facing the sack over rift with coach Tim Sheens
By Josh Massoud | April 08, 2009 12:00am


/ The Daily Telegraph
A COLD war between Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens and club officials is set to claim the scalp of CEO Scott Longmuir as soon as tomorrow.
The Tigers are expected to hold an extraordinary board meeting of all 10 directors to resolve tensions between Longmuir and Sheens, with the rookie CEO tipped to be the sacrificial lamb because he does not have a contract.

The pair's working relationship disintegrated a fortnight ago, when Longmuir and chairman Kevin Hammond issued Sheens with a new job description, key performance indicators and detailed questions about the team's future direction.

Sheens - the new Australian mentor and most capped coach in NRL history (572 games) - was livid at being forced to comply with the prohibitive regime and justify his decisions.

The remaining nine directors are also unhappy with Hammond and Longmuir for imposing the new coaching guidelines without board approval.

Sheens remains contracted until the end of next season, but there are internal concerns about his inability to lead the Tigers to a single finals appearance in the three years since their historic 2005 premiership.

Longmuir and Hammond were acting on those concerns - which also surround player recruitment and team selections - when they addressed Sheens in writing last month.

Longmuir only assumed control from veteran chief executive Steve Noyce last November, but has shown no hesitation in stamping his mark amid a backdrop of political infighting between the joint-venture club's rival factions.

He declined to comment when contacted by The Daily Telegraph last night, while Hammond and Sheens did not return calls.

Hammond, who is aligned with Western Suburbs, was also appointed chairman this year. Insiders say he and other Magpie directors have previously accused Sheens of ushering higher-profile players to Balmain over Wests when they are not playing NRL.

Since becoming coach in 2003, however, Sheens has shown the requisite diplomacy to maintain confidence from both halves of the board. His experience and record were deferred to under Noyce's watch. But Longmuir - previously the club's marketing manager - is desperate for a change in fortunes on the field to maintain strong sponsorship support off it.

While other Sydney teams rely on $4 million leagues club grants to compete, the Tigers have survived with relatively minimal funding from their three licensed affiliates - Balmain Leagues, Wests Ashfield and Wests Campbelltown.

About 40 candidates applied for the vacant CEO position when Noyce resigned after tiring of the boardroom bickering and Hammond's influence.

Longmuir was eventually promoted, but agreed to start without a contract because he was so determined to prove himself.

The lack of security is now threatening to bite Longmuir because the board can dump him at tomorrow's meeting without having to pay out a contract.

Insiders last night said that a replacement CEO was already being considered.

-------

I'm starting to really like Longmuir. Anybody within the organisation who stands up to that ego-maniac deserves admiration.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

They'll punt him before they'll punt Sheens.

 

[Magpies Forever]

I have absolutely no faith in the WT board and I reckon they will side with Sheens despite Longmuir and Hammond trying to do the right thing.

"The remaining nine directors are also unhappy with Hammond and Longmuir for imposing the new coaching guidelines without board approval."

That the board are standing on their high horses over them acting without their approval seems to be a good indicator of where their thinking lies.

If they back Sheens in this, where someone is actually trying to pull WT football team out of the mess they are in and actually instill accountability back into the team, the board deserves all the crap in the world upon their heads.

 

[Choppies]

From what I read in the Telegraph today it seems fair enough that a coach would have objectives that the CEO, board and fans would like to see achieved. The whole point of this game and league is to win. Why are some people at Wests trying to prevent this? I really don't understand how Sheens can appear to be so indestructable after 3 years of dissapointment and failure. Up until that article I don't think ive seen an article questioning Sheens as a coach.

 

[851]

From what I read in the Telegraph today it seems fair enough that a coach would have objectives that the CEO, board and fans would like to see achieved. The whole point of this game and league is to win. Why are some people at Wests trying to prevent this? I really don't understand how Sheens can appear to be so indestructable after 3 years of dissapointment and failure. Up until that article I don't think ive seen an article questioning Sheens as a coach.

No you havent,no questions on team selection,defence,halfback problems or poor form,now look what happens to super coach when someone wants answers.
It is a joke that Sheens has no criteria to fill,good for you Scott rattling the pig headed Sheens cage,maybe someone else will carry it on,I live in hope.

 

[Magpies Forever]

If the WT board thinks they can avoid the 'implosion / explosion' coming from Sheens (and Simmons) ego and resultant actions and inactions they are sadly mistaken.

If they do take action against Longmuir for doing the right thing in demanding accountability and fair judgement on the coaches actions and the teams results (god- how ironic!!!) do they really think the problems will just go away??????????? The water is building behind the dam wall fellas- recognise the pressure is building. If you allow Sheens to get away with this you are in for trouble sooner than you think.

Fan disquiet is building, tensions are erupting between Wests and Balmain board members, players must be increasingly disillusioned (except Teflons favourites). Something is going to blow guys................ You are a business concern and supposedly a professional one at that- you cannot allow an attempt to instill accountability to fail and paper it over. IT WONT WORK.

GET RID OF SHEENS AND SIMMONS NOW- and if showpony Marshall wants to walk then walk too. You cannot allow a coach to have such an obdurate and increasing malign influence over the club fortunes.

Are they really worth tearing the club apart for?

 

[N.C.]

Now's the time to take your concerns directly to WT.

membership@weststigers.com.au

Drop them a line. I've given mine the subject "Congratulations Mr Longmuir".

 

[Magpies Forever]

Now's the time to take your concerns directly to WT.

membership@weststigers.com.au

Drop them a line. I've given mine the subject "Congratulations Mr Lonmuir".

I've sent an email too supporting Longmuir.