After a short stint as advisor earlier in the season, the 64-year-old Australia national coach Tim Sheens has joined Salford Red Devils as director of rugby.
SalfordOnline.com went along to the AJ Bell stadium today to meet the man tasked with helping make owner Marwan Koukash’s dream a reality.
With a history of turning underperforming clubs into winners, Sheens is probably best known for taking Canberra Raiders to their first three league titles during his nine-year tenure, as well as leading Australia to World Cup victory over the Kiwis in 2013.
As an international coach, his record is second to none, with an 84% win ratio with Australia and 51% win record at club level.
With head coach Iestyn Harris still off sick, Tim arrived in Salford this morning to help with training alongside assistant coach Ian Watson and to get to know his new group of players a little better.
He was quick to point out that his role would not involve coaching, but instead would focus on staffing, recruitment and an overall look at how the club runs.
“I know all the guys from before and it’s amazing how the younger guys in particular, Niall [Evalds] and Theo [Fages] have developed.”
Asked about possible recruitment for next season, he was a little more guarded.
“I spoke to a number of coaches in Sydney.
“Every club has an official list of who’s off contract at the end of the year, and an unofficial list of those they would happily take a few dollars for to pay off a year of a contract, but that doesn’t mean they’ll all come here.
“We have a meeting this afternoon where we’ll discuss it further.
“Also, there is the new marquee rule to consider. Not every club will use it I think, but it’s something we have to take into account when dealing with players now.
Although Tim was tight-lipped over his wish-list, he did say that he would prefer any marquee player to be someone in the spine of the team and who was a leader both on and off the pitch, someone in the mould of a Cameron Smith, (with the proviso that none of the assembled journalists published that Cameron Smith was on his way to Salford).
“12 marquee players in the [Super League] competition would lift its profile immensely.
“You have to make certain that whoever you have, if you do chose to have a marquee player, they are the right fit for the club, because if you sign them for three years, then you can’t jump boat mid-stream.”
One of Tim’s really valuable skills is said to be instilling self-belief into players, something he wants everyone at the club to be involved in: “Everyone in your club is there to support players, and that means supporting them both mentally and physically. It is a role I’ve developed over a long time, and I feel I’m good at it.
“That doesn’t mean we’re going to win every game, because that’s not how it happens.”
Tim also took time out to go over and work for a few minutes with the Parachute Regiment team who are playing the Royal Marines ahead of Salford’s game against Hull KR.
Paras v Marines: Free tickets for veterans as rugby goes to war in Salford
The Trafalgar Cup kicks off at the AJ Bell on Sunday 12 July at 12.45pm, before Salford take on Hull KR from 3pm.
