Thirteen players from the Wests Tigers' 2005 premiership-winning side were named as part of the joint venture's greatest ever team. But their coach Tim Sheens was a notable absentee from the festivities on Tuesday night.
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Sheens, who was the club’s longest-serving coach and guided the side to an unlikely 2005 premiership, was not invited to join the more than 350 guests at the gala dinner, as his $1.5 million lawsuit against the club for wrongful dismissal lingers.
Sheens confirmed via text that he was not invited to the celebration and did not know the dinner was on. His 10-season stint at the club ended at the end of the 2012 season when he was sacked.
Given Sheens’ success at the club, there is little doubt that he would have been named coach of the past 15 years after taking charge of more games at the club than the Tigers’ three other coaches; Wayne Pearce, Terry Lamb and Mick Potter, combined.
Tigers chief executive Grant Mayer said Sheens’ absence was due to the fact that the night was held in honour of the players.
''We wanted to recognise the 17 players,'' Mayer said. ''The night wasn’t about administration staff or coaching staff. No doubt that Tim is indubitably linked to this club and I am sure players across the 15 years of the club will have their preference in regards to who their favourite coach was.
''There is no doubt that Tim Sheens and [current coach] Mick Potter were both recognised appropriately by members of the squad. For us that’s what it’s about.
''People weren’t forgotten. It was simply about 17 individuals.''
Liam Fulton – who was named at lock – made special mention of Sheens when he was presented on stage. Other members of the 2005 premiership-winning side named included Brett Hodgson, Pat Richards, Paul Whatuira, Benji Marshall, Scott Prince, Anthony Laffranchi, Robbie Farah, John Skandalis, Ben Galea, Mark O'Neill, Todd Payten and Chris Heighington.
Players such as Marshall, Hodgson and Gareth Ellis were included in the squad but were unable to attend, instead pre-recording messages of thanks.
Sheens and the Tigers will collide in the courtroom on December 8 as he pursues damages against the club. According to court documents filed by Sheens' legal team, the plaintiff is demanding ''the full value of his remuneration entitlements under the terms of the contract of employment from July 1, 2013, until the expiry of the term of his employment''.
Despite being sacked in 2012, he had continued to be paid until the end of June in 2013 before payments stopped.
The Australian coach is also seeking ''damages for loss of opportunity to earn bonus payments under the contract of employment'', ''damages for breach and repudiation of the contract of employment'' and ''damages for loss of enhancement of repudiation'', as well as costs.
Potter – the man who replaced Sheens last year – has uncertainty of his own surrounding his coaching future, with the Tigers mentor lacking a contract for next year. While it seemed certain that Potter was going to be retained last month, the Tigers' recent run of poor form has now cast doubts over the two-time Dally M player of the year's long-term future at the club.
