Coaching Insider: Round 17
Wests Tigers Coach Michael Maguire says his side won't drop off their intensity over the final weeks of the regular season — emphasising his belief in the capabilities of the team.
Heading in to a must-win game against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles this Saturday, Maguire said his side were still bullish about their chances to compete in 2020 as the standards for success remain the same.
"We want to win," Maguire enthused to reporters after the side's final training run on Friday.
"It's about making sure that I put out the best team possible, each week, to help Wests Tigers.
"The Wests Tigers jersey is something that we want to get to the highs of what our game is all about and the respect that it has. We've got a great history with Wests and Balmain, and we want to make sure that everyone knows we're proud of playing for the Wests Tigers."
NRL.com preview Sea Eagles clash
"There's a lot of positive of things that have come out of this season," he added.
"I've had individuals produce some of the best footy they've played, but it's the consistency as an organisation that we need to be better.
"It was five or six weeks ago that everyone was talking about our resilience and how we were turning in to a team that everyone was waiting for, but you can only do that by how you perform. The consistent team is what I'm after — change comes because we're not showing that consistency each week."
Match: Sea Eagles v Wests Tigers
Round 17 -
home Team
Sea Eagles
12th Position
away Team
Wests Tigers
9th Position
Venue: 4 Pines Park, Sydney
With four weeks remaining of the regular season, Maguire was confident the side's mentality and approach would remain the same.
"Hard training? Yeah, we train hard," he said. "That's part and parcel of success.
"If you train hard, you get rewards and it's pretty straightforward.
"The best player will go out there and wear the Wests Tigers jersey. That has an expectation on it, so whoever is the right person for the job will get out and play."
