Tim Sheens

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Tim Sheens
fullname = Tim Sheens

---

caption =
country =
position = rlp|PR
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1950|10|30|df=yes
placeofbirth = Sydney, New South Wales
countryofbirth = Australia
height =
weight =
club1 = Penrith Panthers
year1start = 1970
year1end = 1982
appearances1 = 166
tries1 = 11
goals1 = 0
fieldgoals1 = 0
points1 = 33
coachteam1 = Penrith Panthers
coachyear1start = 1984
coachyear1end = 1987
coachgames1 = 98
coachwins1 = 43
coachdraws1 = 4
coachlosses1 = 51
coachteam2 = Canberra Raiders
coachyear2start = 1988
coachyear2end = 1996
coachgames2 = 219
coachwins2 = 148
coachdraws2 = 3
coachlosses2 = 68
coachteam3 = North Queensland
coachyear3start = 1997
coachyear3end = 2001
coachgames3 = 105
coachwins3 = 28
coachdraws3 = 4
coachlosses3 = 73
coachteam4 = Wests Tigers
coachyear4start = 2003
coachyear4end = present
coachgames4 = 135
coachwins4 = 62
coachdraws4 = 0
coachlosses4 = 73
coachteamA = City Origin
coachyearAstart = 1991
coachyearAend =
coachgamesA = 1
coachwinsA = 0
coachdrawsA = 0
coachlossesA = 1
coachwin%A = 0
coachteamB = New South Wales
coachyearBstart = 1991
coachyearBend =
coachgamesB = 3
coachwinsB = 1
coachdrawsB = 0
coachlossesB = 2
coachteamC = City Origin
coachyearCstart = 2006
coachyearCend = present
coachgamesC = 3
coachwinsC = 2
coachdrawsC = 1
coachlossesC = 0
updated = 3 June 2008
source = [http://203.166.101.37/NRL08/playercareer.asp?lplayer=7439 NRL Stats] and [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Tim_Sheens.html Rugby League Project]

Tim Sheens (born 30 October, 1950) is a football coach in the National Rugby League, the premier Australian rugby league football competition. He currently coaches the Wests Tigers.

Playing career

Tim Sheens was educated at St Dominic's College, Kingswood, near Penrith and also St Gregory's College, Campbelltown. Sheens had a lengthy playing stint with Penrith, playing 166 first grade games as a prop from 1970–1982 and scoring 11 tries. In October, 2006, in recognition of his contribution as a player, Sheens was named as one of the Penrith Panthers "Team of Legends". [ cite website | url=http://www.panthers.com.au/default.aspx?id=448 | title=Penrith Panthers "Team of Legends"]

Coaching career

Although his first ever game as first-grade coach was a 24–12 loss to St George, Tim Sheens has a track-record of reforming under-performing teams to premiership victory. He brought Penrith to their first final series ever in 1985 and he coached the Canberra Raiders to their first premiership in 1989, a feat he repeated in 1990 and 1994.

However, Sheens' time with the North Queensland Cowboys (1997-2001) was less successful and, after board discussions, a period of stress-leave and while News Limited launched a take-over of the club [ cite news | title=Cowboys remain in limbo - AAP Sports News (Australia) May 21, 2001] , he resigned from North Queensland on May 25, 2001. [ cite news |format=fee required|publisher="AAP Sports News (Australia)"|title=Sheens and staff quit Cowboys| url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-44766754.html|accessdate=2008-04-18|date=2001-05-25]

In 2002, Sheens accepted the coaching position with the Wests Tigers for the 2003 season, replacing Terry Lamb. The feat of the Wests Tigers winning the 2005 Grand Final against the Cowboys has been largely attributed to Sheens.

Sheens has coached four premiership winning teams, making him second only to Wayne Bennett among current coaches. Sheens was awarded the Dally M Coach of the Year in 1984, 1990 and 2005.

In December 2007, Sheens' contract with the Tigers - due to expire at the end of the 2008 season - was extended to 2010. [cite news|publisher="Fox Sports News (Australia)"|title=Tiger cubs soon ready to roar |url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22948940-23214,00.html |accessdate=2007-12-19|date=2007-12-19]

Milestones

Sheens was the first coach in the NRL to reach the 500 games milestone. Sheens reached this mark on 2 April, 2006, while with the Wests Tigers and celebrated in style with a win over Melbourne Storm. [ cite website | url=http://www.nrl.com/Clubs/WestsTigers/WestsTigersNewsArticle/tabid/115/NewsId/655/Default.aspx | title=Sheens 500th game]

On 20 April, 2008, Sheens coached his 550th first-grade game, a win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Representative coaching

At the representative level, Sheens coached the 1991 City Origin team to a 22–12 win over Country. In the same year, as coach of the NSW State of Origin team, he led the side to a 2–1 series loss to Queensland.

Sheens returned to the representative arena in 2006 when he succeeded Graham Murray as coach for City Origin, a post he retained in 2007 and 2008. [cite news|publisher="New South Wales Rugby League"|title=Sheens City coach for 2008|url=http://www.nswrl.com.au/article.php?id=385 |accessdate=2007-11-24|date=2007-11-24] In 2006, City lost to Country, 12 points to 10 but won in 2007, 12 points to 6. The 2008 match was a 22–22 draw, with City retaining the trophy. [cite news|publisher="Fox Sports News Australia"|title=City-Country clash ends in draw|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23637159-23214,00.html |accessdate=2009-05-04|date=2008-05-02]

Coaching record

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.nrl.com/Clubs/WestsTigers/WestsTigersTeam/tabid/214/Default.aspx Profile at NRL.com]
* [http://www.weststigers.com.au/ Wests Tigers Official Site] - current team

Succession information