Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis has asked fans of the embattled club to “keep the faith” after their embarrassing 74-0 loss to the Cowboys, while he also dismissed suggestions Benji Marshall will take over as coach in 2024.
The Tigers are last on the ladder with just three wins and on track to claim their second wooden spoon in as many years following one of the darkest days in the club’s history when they were put to the sword by the Cowboys in Townsville.
Fans savaged the club on social media, with some calling for heads to roll in upper management while others blamed the players and coaching staff.
Hagipantelis has promised “significant change”, saying “we are about to embark on a very aggressive recruitment program”, with the Tigers seeking new halves with Adam Doueihi injured and Luke Brooks set to join Manly next year.
“Keep the faith,” he told SEN Radio.
“I appreciate the disappointment. I’m not immune to accessing social media and seeing people vent their spleen in the most colourful terms. They’re all entitled to tell us what they feel and what they think. We take that all on-board.
“We are as bitterly disappointed with where we stand as all our fans and stakeholders are. We are committed to a certain pathway forward.
“The result was embarrassing and unacceptable. We will own it, but there’s nothing that I can possibly say that would adequately placate the disappointment that we all feel, particularly by our supporters.
“It just wasn’t good enough and it was completely unexpected. I did not see that coming.”
Saturday’s ugly loss led to a report that club legend Benji Marshall would be rushed in next year to replace coach Tim Sheens, but Hagipantelis said that was incorrect.
“Benji will be parachuted into the head coaching role but in 2025,” he said.
“We remain absolutely committed to the path that we’re on. Tim will be the head coach in ’23 and ’24. Benji fulfils the role of the assistant coach, and that will continue.
“It’s not to be unexpected that as Benji progresses and continues to learn his craft, he will assume a more senior posture, and we’ve seen that already and he’s exceeded our expectations at this point.
“He will continue to progress through his apprenticeship and then he’ll take over the head coaching role. It couldn’t be expected that there’ll be some magical transition on the 1st of November, 2024.”
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