Rugby league guru Phil Gould believes Wests Tigers manager Michael Maguire has fallen unfortunate to a media witch-hunt pursuing the club's disastrous extremity to the season.
Finishing the play 13th connected the NRL ladder with conscionable 8 wins, the Tigers' woes this twelvemonth were laid bare aft going down to woody spooners the Bulldogs, successful a 38-0 thrashing past week.
Following the loss, unit connected Maguire went up a notch with reports by the Sydney Morning Herald suggesting the manager could beryllium axed.
Since joining the Tigers successful 2019, who haven't played finals shot since 2011, Maguire has notched 26 wins and 41 losses, making for a 39 per cent triumph percentage.
While plentifulness of criticism has been directed astatine the nine its roster moves made earlier Maguire joined the Tigers, Gould believes the "heightened" media scrutiny has landed the manager with much unit than what helium deserves.
"I don't deliberation so," helium told Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles With Gus when asked if parting ways with Maguire would hole the Tigers' issues.
"I deliberation the nine has to travel to presumption with what it is and that sounds unusual due to the fact that they've been a associated task for a agelong time. They astir apt deliberation they've been connected the close people but that's proven to beryllium a spot of a misjudgement.
"I cognize Michael Maguire and however hard helium works, however passionate helium is... bash I deliberation their performances bespeak his coaching ability? No, I don't.
"We thin to constituent the digit astatine the manager alternatively than the players.
"I deliberation roster absorption has needed to beryllium a batch amended than what it's been, but that started a fig of years ago. Michael Maguire inherited an unenviable concern erstwhile helium archetypal went there.
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"They've been beaten 38-0 by the squad (Bulldogs) moving last, and they did person a fig of NRL players out... of people that's heightened each the talk.
"In the media these days, if a media organisation writes a file that gets capable clicks connected the website, past they indispensable travel it up. If it gets clicks the adjacent day, they indispensable travel it up again to the constituent by the 3rd day, they're conscionable making worldly up to get it successful the papers.
"The Wests Tigers person surely been successful the media since that nonaccomplishment and the unit has built connected the nine and coach."
Gould revealed pursuing the Tigers' nonaccomplishment to the Bulldogs past the weekend, that helium spoke to Maguire and nine CEO Justin Pascoe.
Based connected his conversations with the pair, Gould said it appeared arsenic if the nine would instrumentality by Maguire contempt the mounting disapproval directed astatine the coach.
"My dealings with Michael Maguire and [Tigers CEO] Justin Pascoe, there's ne'er been immoderate denotation they're going to alteration the coach. Never been immoderate indication," Gould added.
"Even aft the crippled connected the weekend, I checked successful with Michael to spot however he's going and Justin due to the fact that it was a atrocious effect for them, and I didn't consciousness immoderate denotation they were going to interruption ranks.
"I'm not sensing they're looking for a alteration of coach, but media unit tin sometimes person unit wrong radical successful the organisation who say, 'maybe we request to rethink oregon inquire however we get retired of this?'
"There are a batch of others astatine play erstwhile the media starts to hone successful connected the coach, performances and players... if their attraction each on was to support Michael Maguire, they've truly got to clasp their ranks and march done this."
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