Andrew Johns admits he’s unsure what coaching options remain for the Wests Tigers after Cameron Ciraldo sensationally turned down a five-year deal with the club.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Immortal Behaviour, Johns believed the Tigers had gone “all in” on Ciraldo, and his turning down the role will force the club to form a plan “B, C and D” on the fly.
“I don’t know where they go from here, the Tigers,” he said.
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“I don’t know whether they’d go for another younger coach, or they go for an experienced coach like Shane Flanagan or Paul Green. I think at the moment they don’t know which coach they need – they were all in for Ciraldo.”
Johns said he isn’t sure interim coach Brett Kimmorley is the answer, considering his distinct lack of senior coaching experience.
He again said the Walker brothers, Ben and Shane, were deserving of a chance to coach a first-grade side.
“I’ve said in the past last couple of months … the Walker brothers have a unique way of playing – very attack minded.
“What do the Tigers have to lose – to keep doing the same thing over and over and over? You know, without change, there’s no change.
“So I’d give the Walker brothers a shot for sure.”
When asked if Ciraldo turning the club down would make the Tigers less attractive to other coaches, Johns said it was unlikely as coaches are “a bit different”.
“It’s hard to think like a coach because once they get in there, it’s totally an obsession. I think a lot of the coaches would do anything to be back in that NRL pressure cooker, which is hard to understand when you’re outside looking in.
“I’ve heard Craig Fitzgibbon, I’ve asked Brad Fittler about (player vs coach) and they say it’s more rewarding being a coach, which I can’t fathom.”
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