League legend Andrew Johns says sacking coach Michael Maguire is not the answer to fixing the Wests Tigers’ woes.
Instead, Johns wants to see the embattled Concord club completely revamp its pathway programs to set the team up for long-term NRL success.
The Tigers have slumped to an 0-4 start to season 2022 and have now won only three of their last 15 games.
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They haven’t played NRL finals in a decade, and are the laughing stock of the competition once again.
Maguire narrowly avoided being sacked at the end of last season, but he is again under pressure to keep his job despite a heartbreaking last-minute loss to the Titans on Thursday.
Johns was then asked whether Maguire’s neck is on the chopping block.
“Well then you are just wall-papering over the cracks,” Johns said of sacking Maguire.
“A new coach comes in, there might be a reaction the first couple of weeks, but then the problems are still there.
“The solution is the model which Penrith did six or seven years ago – brought in all their local juniors, identified their juniors, coached the hell out of them a certain way, they all came through together, and it means something to them.
“They come through from the age of 14 or 15 and it means something to them.
“At the moment, I don’t see an identity or a DNA to the Tigers.”
The Tigers led Gold Coast 6-2 until the final minute of the game at Cbus Super Stadium, when a freak try stole victory for the lucky Titans.
There was 28 errors between the two sides and it was inarguably one of the most dour encounters witnessed in a long time in the NRL.
“One of the worst games I’ve seen in a long time,” Johns said.
“Both teams struggling for confidence, and both teams pretty much found a way to lose the game.”
Paul Gallen agreed.
“It was an A-grade game of footy, at best,” Gallen said.
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