Balmain legend Benny Elias believes the sacking of Michael Maguire has come 18 months too late, adding that his shouldn’t be the only head to roll.
Maguire ran the Tigers’ Tuesday morning training session, and was given his marching orders shortly after.
Speaking to Wide World of Sports after the sacking was announced by the club, Elias said it was “a decision that had to be made”.
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“It’s simple – the scoreboard is the balance book, and the balance book has red ink all over the joint,” Elias said.
“It’s a big decision, it’s a decision that had to be made, and I’m glad to see that the board has had the courage to do it.”
The Tigers board conducted a mid-season review last week where it was decided Maguire should not continue in the job.
Elias said Maguire “had the recipe, but he hadn’t been able to cook the meal properly.” He denied the job was a poisoned chalice.
“We’ve got everything that supports a successful club. We are extremely (well) facilitated. We have a massive junior rugby league development program, we’ve got terrific sponsors, we’ve just got to get the cattle right.
“If they get the players right … you’ll see a massive difference.”
Elias, who played 234 games for the Tigers in a 12-year career, didn’t say who else he wanted sacked.
“It needs a new culture – it needs a broom through the whole joint,” he said.
Brett Kimmorley will take over as interim coach. Elias said Tim Sheens, who was brought back by the Tigers in the off-season following a decade away from the club, should be the man to take over long-term.
Sheens, the Tigers’ premiership-winning coach from 2005, currently holds a head of football role, with the head coach reporting to him.
“He probably doesn’t want it, but I’d put him in there as the gatekeeper,” Elias said.
“We haven’t brought him back from England for for a cup of tea – he’s come back for a real purpose.
“He’s very apt and very capable of taking that over for the next little while.”
After 13 rounds, the Tigers sit 13th on the NRL ladder with just three wins to their name.
Maguire took over from Ivan Cleary four years ago but the team has slipped backwards on the ladder each season since.
The Tigers have not featured in finals since 2011.
Maguire is the second NRL coach to part ways with his club on Tuesday, after Nathan Brown was axed by the Warriors just a few hours beforehand.
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