Tim Sheens

Tim Sheens
Sheens as coach of the Australian national side in 2009
Personal information
Nickname Shifty[1]
Born (1950-10-30) 30 October 1950
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height 178.5 cm (5 ft 10.25 in)
Position Prop
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1970–82 Penrith Panthers 166 11 0 0 33
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
198487 Penrith Panthers 98 43 4 51 44
198896 Canberra Raiders 219 148 3 68 68
199701 North Queensland Cowboys 103 27 4 72 26
200312 Wests Tigers 249 122 0 127 49
201619 Hull Kingston Rovers 0 0 0 0
Total 669 340 11 318 51
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1991 NSW City 1 0 0 1 0
1991 New South Wales 3 1 0 2 33
200608 NSW City 3 2 1 0 67
200915 Australia 31 26 1 4 84
Source: Rugby League Project

Tim Sheens (born 30 October 1950) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. Head coach of the Australian national team since 2009, he has also been the head coach of National Rugby League (NRL) clubs, the Penrith Panthers, Canberra Raiders, North Queensland Cowboys and Wests Tigers. As a player, Sheens was a prop forward with Sydney's Penrith club in the 1970s and 80s before he retired and became their coach. He then coached the Raiders, taking them to victory in the 1989, 1990 and 1994 premierships. With the Tigers he won the 2005 premiership. Sheens also set a new record for most games in Australian rugby league premiership history and also coached the New South Wales Blues for the 1991 State of Origin series. In June 2015 he accepted a role with English Super League club Salford Red Devils to become Director of Rugby leading to his eventual resignation as the coach of the Australian National Team in October later that year. In September 2016[2] it was announced that he would join then Super League club Hull Kingston Rovers and he formally stepped down from his role at Salford as they confronted Hull KR in the relegation decider. Salford won that game but Sheens confirmed his decision to coach Hull KR in 2017[3] in the Championship.

Playing career

Born to a well known rugby league family of the Penrith area,[4] Tim Sheens was educated at St Dominic's College in Penrith but spent his last two years of school at St Gregory's College, Campbelltown, where he was the school captain and first-grade rugby league captain in 1968.[5]

Sheens had a lengthy playing stint with Penrith, playing 166 first grade games from 1970 to 1982 and scoring 11 tries. Starting his career as a backrower, he finished as a ball-playing prop.[6] In 1974 he was named as the Panthers' Player of the Year,[7] but had his jaw broken in the inaugural Amco Cup final against Western Division.[4]

By 1982, Sheens had played a club record 258 games in all grades, but was unable to come to terms with the club for another season.[6] Sheens was soon coaxed out of retirement though, playing one season with the Campbelltown City Kangaroos in 1983, captaining that club to the Group 6 Rugby League premiership that season.

In October 2006, in recognition of his contribution as a player, Sheens was named as one of the Penrith Panthers "Team of Legends".[8]

Tim Sheens' brother, Bob, was also a first grade NSWRFL player for Eastern Suburbs.

Coaching career

Although his first ever game as first-grade coach was a 24–12 loss to St George, Tim Sheens has a track-record of reforming under-performing teams to premiership victory. He brought Penrith to their first finals series ever in 1985 and he coached the Canberra Raiders to their first premiership in 1989. In the post season he travelled with the Raiders to England for the 1989 World Club Challenge which was lost to Widnes.

Sheens won further premierships with Canberra in 1990 and 1994. However, his time with the North Queensland Cowboys (1997–2001) was less successful and, after board discussions, a period of stress-leave and while News Limited launched a take-over of the club,[9] he resigned from North Queensland on 25 May 2001.[10]

In 2002, Sheens accepted the coaching position with the Wests Tigers for the 2003 season, replacing Terry Lamb. The feat of the Wests Tigers winning the 2005 Grand Final against the Cowboys has been largely attributed to Sheens.

Sheens has coached four premiership winning teams, making him second only to Wayne Bennett among current coaches. Sheens was awarded the Dally M Coach of the Year in 1984, 1990 and 2005.

As NRL Premiers Wests traveled to England to play against Super League champions Bradford Bulls in the 2006 World Club Challenge. Sheens oversaw the Tigers' 30-10 loss.

In December 2007, Sheens' contract with the Tigers – due to expire at the end of the 2008 season – was extended to 2010.[11]

On 3 May 2010 Sheens became the first coach in Australian rugby league history to reach 600 games. In 2011, Penrith Panthers offered Tim the job as head coach for the club. However, on 29 April 2011, Tim decided to stay coach for the Tigers and extended his coaching contract for until 2014. On 25 September 2012, after days of speculation about Sheen's future due to a poor recent season, the Tigers announced Sheens would not coach the team in the 2013 season, but offered him other roles at the club.

On 23 June 2015 Sheens become director of rugby league at the English rugby league club Salford Red Devils.[12]

Representative coaching

At the representative level, Sheens coached the 1991 ARL City Origin team to a 22–12 win over Country. In the same year, as coach of the NSW State of Origin team, he led the side to a 2–1 series loss to Queensland. In 1997 Sheens coached the NSW super league side[13] to a 23 to 22 win over Queensland in a Tri series competition involving NSW Queensland and New Zealand.

Sheens returned to the NRL representative arena in 2006 when he succeeded Graham Murray as coach for City Origin, a post he retained in 2007 and 2008.[14] In 2006, City lost to Country, 12 points to 10 but won in 2007, 12 points to 6. The 2008 match was a 22–22 draw, with City retaining the trophy.[15]

In February 2009, Sheens was appointed coach of the Australian national rugby league team following the resignation of Ricky Stuart.[16] Sheens coached the Kangaroos to their first win in his charge, defeating the Kiwis on 8 May 2009.[17]

He coached the Kangaroos in their successful 2013 Rugby League World Cup campaign. The Aussies conceded just four tries in the entire tournament (all to England in their opening match). He gave Australia revenge against New Zealand in the final after losing to them in the 2008 Final.

Sheens resigned as the Kangaroos head coach on 3 October 2015 to take up a full-time position as director of English Super League club Salford Red Devils.[18] In September 2016[2] it was announced that he would join Hull Kingston Rovers for season 2017 and beyond.

Coaching record

Tim Sheens – Coaching Results by Season[19][20]
Team Year Games Wins Losses Draws Win % Finals Series
Penrith 1984 24 12 11 1 50%
1985 26 14 11 1 53.85% Semi-final:
Parramatta 38–Penrith 6
1986 24 11 12 1 45.83%
1987 24 6 17 1 25%
Canberra 1988 24 15 9 0 62.5% Minor Semi Final:
Balmain 14–Canberra 6
1989 26 18 8 0 69.23% Grand Final:
Canberra 19–Balmain 14
1990 25 18 6 1 72% Grand Final:
Canberra 18–Penrith 14
1991 26 17 9 0 65.38% Grand Final:
Penrith 19–Canberra 12
1992 22 10 12 0 45.45%
1993 24 16 7 1 66.67% Minor Semi Final:
Brisbane 30–Canberra 12
1994 26 20 6 0 76.92% Grand Final:
Canberra 36–Canterbury 12
1995 24 21 3 0 87.5% Preliminary Final 1:
Canterbury 25–Canberra 6
1996 22 13 8 1 59.09% Quarter Final 3:
St George 16–Canberra 14
North Queensland 1997 18 5 11 2 27.78%
1998 24 9 15 0 37.5%
1999 24 4 19 1 16.67%
2000 26 7 19 0 26.92%
2001 11 2 8 1 18.18%
Wests Tigers 2003 24 7 17 0 29.17%
2004 24 10 14 0 41.67%
2005 28 18 10 0 64.29% Grand Final:
Wests Tigers 30–North Queensland 16
2006 24 10 14 0 41.67%
2007 24 11 13 0 45.83%
2008 24 11 13 0 45.83%
2009 24 12 12 0 50%
2010 27 16 11 0 59.26% Preliminary Final:
St George Illawarra 13–Wests Tigers 12
2011 26 16 10 0 61.54% Semi Final:
New Zealand Warriors 22–Wests Tigers 20
2012 24 11 13 0 45.83%
Career 669 340 318 11 50.82% at 1 September 2012

Representative Record

Four Nations record
Year Round Position GP W L D
England/France 2009Champions1/44301
Australia/New Zealand 2010Second Place2/44310
England/Wales 2011Champions1/44400
Australia/New Zealand 2014Second Place2/44220
Total2 Titles4/4161231
World Cup record
Year Round Position GP W L D
England/Wales 2013Champions1/146600
Total1 Title1/16600
Anzac Test
Year Round Position GP W L D
2009 Anzac TestWinners1/21100
2010 Anzac TestWinners1/21100
2011 Anzac TestWinners1/21100
2012 Anzac TestWinners1/21100
2013 Anzac TestWinners1/21100
2014 Anzac TestWinners1/21100
2015 Anzac TestRunners up2/21010
Total6 Titles6/77610
Other Test matches
Year Round Position GP W L D
2011Winners1/21100
2012[21]Winners1/21100
Total2 Wins2/22200

Overall (Representative) Record

Coached Won Lost Drawn % Won
Total 31 26 4 1 83.87%

As of 4 May 2015

Footnotes

  1. "Shifty Sheens strikes again". mygc.com.au. 3 November 2009. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 http://www.hullkr.co.uk/on-the-pitch/news/article/hull-kingston-rovers-appoint-tim-sheens-as-head-coach
  3. http://www.hullkr.co.uk/on-the-pitch/news/article/new-boss-sheens-impressed-by-rovers-fans
  4. 1 2 "Tim Sheens". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  5. Bertola, Vera (3 March 2009). "St Gregory's College Campbelltown old boy, Tim Sheens new Australian rugby league coach". Macarthur Chronicle Camden. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  6. 1 2 Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2007). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Wetherill Park, New South Wales: Gary Allen Pty Ltd. p. 498. ISBN 978-1-877082-93-1.
  7. David Middleton (editor) (2011). "2011 Official Rugby League Annual". Alexandria NSW, 2015: NewsLifeMedia for the National Rugby League: 166.
  8. "Penrith Panthers "Team of Legends"". Archived from the original on 29 August 2007.
  9. "Cowboys remain in limbo – AAP Sports News (Australia) 21 May 2001".
  10. "Sheens and staff quit Cowboys" (fee required). AAP Sports News (Australia). 25 May 2001. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
  11. "Tiger cubs soon ready to roar". Fox Sports News (Australia). 19 December 2007. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
  12. "Australia coach Tim Sheens to become director of rugby league at Salford". the guardian. 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
  13. Mascord, Steve (1997-05-14). "Try, try and try again, but Kiwis denied by ref". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia: Fairfax. p. 50. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  14. "Sheens City coach for 2008". New South Wales Rugby League. 24 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  15. "City-Country clash ends in draw". Fox Sports News Australia. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  16. "Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens has been given the Kangaroos coaching job". Fox Sports News (Australia). 24 February 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
  17. Steve Jancetic (9 May 2009). "Aussies hand ominous warning as Sheens era gets off to great start". Fox Sports News (Australia). Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  18. "Sheens resigns as Kangaroos coach". NRL.com. 3 October 2015.
  19. "Rugby League Tables". Archived from the original on 21 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-12.
  20. "Wests Tigers 2007 Results". Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-12.
  21. http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/kangaroos/australia-grind-it-out-in-second-half-to-win-18-10-over-new-zealand-in-townsville-test-match/story-fn2mcuhw-1226495026875
Sporting positions
Preceded by
John Peard
1982–1983
Coach
Penrith Panthers

1984–1987
Succeeded by
Ron Willey
1988–1989
Preceded by
Don Furner
1982–1987
and
Wayne Bennett
1987
(co-coaches)
Coach
Canberra Raiders

1988–1996
Succeeded by
Mal Meninga
1997–2001
Preceded by
Graham Lowe
1996
Coach
North Queensland Cowboys

1997–2001
Succeeded by
Murray Hurst
2001–2002
Preceded by
Terry Lamb
2001–2002
Coach
Wests Tigers

2003–2012
Succeeded by
Mick Potter
2013-2014
Preceded by
Jack Gibson
1989–1990
Coach
New South Wales

1991
Succeeded by
Phil Gould
1992–1996
Preceded by
Ricky Stuart
2006–2008
Coach
Australia

2009–2015
Succeeded by
Mal Meninga
2016–
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