Wests Tigers block Michael Maguire request over star duo Jackson Hastings, Adam Doueihi
Wests Tigers star Jackson Hastings has gone to extraordinary lengths to support Michael Maguire after a request from the coach was blocked by the club.
Jackson Hastings paid for his own flight to the Gold Coast after Wests Tigers knocked back a request from coach Michael Maguire to have Hastings and Adam Doueihi join the team in Queensland.
It is understood Tigers management raised concerns over the message it would send to other sidelined players if they had just Hastings and Doueihi fly with the team.
Maguire had hoped two of his best players in Hastings, who will return from suspension in round six, and the injured Doueihi, who is also one of the club captains, would sit beside him in the coach’s box on Thursday night.
He also wanted the pair on the Gold Coast to assist with preparations and ensure they had a role to play despite being sidelined.
But the request was knocked on the head by Tigers management amid concerns that it may send the wrong message by flying two players to the Gold Coast and leaving other squad members in Sydney.
That did not stop Hastings though who showed his commitment for the side by putting his hand in his own pocket to ensure he could still play some role to assist the struggling side.
Many believe Hastings and Doueihi should be the team’s first choice halves pairing given halfback Luke Brooks’ indifferent start to the season.
Doueihi has earmarked round 14 to make his long-awaited return from knee surgery.
In an interview this week, Maguire rubbished suggestions he has lost the dressing room.
“I can see every day the attitude the players have. There’s no issue in that regard with morale,” he said.
“We’re in a better spot than people think. We have eight first-graders sitting on the sideline and that doesn’t help. The challenging part of coaching in the NRL is getting through the tough periods when your roster has been decimated and you need depth to fight through it.
I had this in another thread but will leave it here instead:
I just saw a thing on Facebook saying Hastings has paid his own way to the Gold Coast because the club refused Madge's request to fly he and ADup for the game. I get there may be some reasoning behind an 'all go or all stay' mentality but this says two things to me.
1) The club have no concept of how damaging this can be to public perception and possibly Madge. My understanding is he wanted them in the box with him because - I assume - he values contributions they might make. Clearly they can't have 9 injured players in the box so not forking out a couple of hundred dollars speaks volumes about 'who we are'.
2) Hastings continues to impress with his attitude. He could easily have kicked stones but he was willing to take his wallet out to support the team. Again I say, ditch the 5 skippers and make him captain when he returns. This guy is a LEADER, the one thing we're really lacking on the field.
I'd like to think the entire story isn't true or has been mis-communicated but knowing what we've done in the past I expect it's true and wholly expect it to give the News Ltd rags more fodder for kicking us.
Talk about clickbait articles. Some people have no shame
If true this is pretty laughable. I mean seriously, cough up a few hundred bucks..
More Murdoch muck.These journos,for want of a better word,have the West’s Tigers pot boiler on simmer.The clowns should be writing for Home andAway,or Days of Our Lives......Flush!!
The bigger issue here if this story is true is how does this get out to the media. Minor issues such as these need to be kept quiet and in house
I’m not sure why we’re ganging up on the media here. The club made this issue by being ridiculous.
We’re an amateur club in a professional comp. Embarrassing
I’m not sure why we’re ganging up on the media here. The club made this issue by being ridiculous.
We’re an amateur club in a professional comp. Embarrassing
There’s a process here and we just need to follow it.
You’re 100% correct, amateur hour has gripped us for 22 years.
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I’m not sure why we’re ganging up on the media here. The club made this issue by being ridiculous.
We’re an amateur club in a professional comp. Embarrassing
Surely you jest Avo!West Tigers ganging up on the media.....now that’s an oxymoron.
I’m not sure why we’re ganging up on the media here. The club made this issue by being ridiculous.
We’re an amateur club in a professional comp. Embarrassing
Surely you jest Avo!West Tigers ganging up on the media.....now that’s an oxymoron.
Lol I was more referring to the fact that we complain about the media reporting on us in a bad way when the reality is we bring it on ourselves. We’re cannon fodder and deservedly so. That’s not to say I’m a fan of the media, the vast majority of the journos are awful.
Im no fan of Madge at all, but if he wants two guys in the box with him then I think that’s a reasonable request. Having a player buy a plane ticket to watch his own team play is bush league stuff. So embarrassing and unprofessional from a team that is already considered the joke of the comp.
This club needs to be gutted from the top down.
@avocadoontoast To be fair to the Tigers, does every other club bring all 30 contracted players to Interstate away games? I would be surprised if they did. It just feels like the DT is trying to blow up something from nothing.
@avocadoontoast To be fair to the Tigers, does every other club bring all 30 contracted players to Interstate away games? I would be surprised if they did. It just feels like the DT is trying to blow up something from nothing.
That’s not the point though. The coach asked for two players to sit in the box with him and the club said no, so one of the players has had to pay his own way.
can you think of another NRL team that would do that? Or even another professional sporting team?
One question ...how did the media find out about this ......
The answer will set you free .....
@avocadoontoast To be fair to the Tigers, does every other club bring all 30 contracted players to Interstate away games? I would be surprised if they did. It just feels like the DT is trying to blow up something from nothing.
Someone at the tigers told this story to the dt. I think that is the major problem. Madge wanted 2 to go up but someone sheens said no. Now it is all over the media.
Did AD pay as well or only hastings?
@avocadoontoast To be fair to the Tigers, does every other club bring all 30 contracted players to Interstate away games? I would be surprised if they did. It just feels like the DT is trying to blow up something from nothing.
That’s not the point though. The coach asked for two players to sit in the box with him and the club said no, so one of the players has had to pay his own way.
can you think of another NRL team that would do that? Or even another professional sporting team?
I agree. The coach needs to be supported. He obviously sees the value of bringing two senior players to assist with the preparation.
