‘It’s paper stuff at the moment’: Tim Sheens shuts down reports linking Justin Holbrook with Wests Tigers

Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens says he knows “absolutely nothing” about reports the club is considering hiring former Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook for 2024 to help lure Queensland stars to the NRL cellar-dwellers.

Holbrook was sacked last month, with former Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler to replace him at the Titans next year.

A report earlier in the week linked the bottom-placed Tigers with Holbrook who would come on as an assistant and could help bring a marquee forward like Titans and Maroons stars David Fifita or Tino Fa’asuamaleaui who have clauses in their contracts tied to their former coach.

However, Sheens said the report was “paper stuff” and that anything like that would be discussed at next week’s recruitment and retention meeting.

“I know absolutely nothing about it,” he said.

“Until I talk to my CEO and others about it, I’m not interested in it. He’s not here coaching us today. That’s all I’m worried about.

“It’s paper stuff at the moment until I talk to people at the club.”

That meeting should be a telling one with the club in desperate need of a halfback for next year with Luke Brooks off to the Sea Eagles and five-eighth Adam Doueihi facing a long recovery from his latest ACL injury.

Sheens indicated that he’d like an experienced playmaker to join the club, with the Tigers looking at options in the NRL and the English Super League, with former Storm half Brodie Croft on their radar.

“He’s been discussed,” Sheens revealed.

“There are a number of halves being discussed in and around the game, both here and in England that we’re looking at.

“I’m not going to start discussing ifs, whats and maybes in that area. Once we do something, we’ll let you know.”

Brooks is still at least a week away as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury, while Sheens said outside back Charlie Staines could be back this month after he suffered a perforated bowel back in April.

The news is a lot better for skipper Api Koroisau who returns to face the Knights on Friday night after he missed more than a month with a broken jaw that also ruled him out of the final two State of Origin games.

It’s a timely inclusion for the Tigers who are currently last and haven’t won a game since they put 66 points on the Cowboys in May.

“We expected him back next week, but the specialist has cleared him,” Sheens said.

“With these sorts of things, I’d never risk it, but it’s not a panic in for us. It’s just a good surprise that the specialist cleared him.

“He’s been training for the last two or three weeks, but he wasn’t doing any contact.

“Having ‘Brooksy’ and Adam Doueihi out, we missed him a lot because he was taking control of the game from nine. With him back, we’ll look a lot more dangerous.”