Congratulations to Tim Sheens on his appointment as Australian coach.
Now 58 years of age, Tim is a genuine lover of our game and has been on the scene for well over 40 years. After finishing his playing career with Penrith at the end of the 1982 season, he began coaching when he took the job of captain/coach with the Campbelltown club in 1983. He took the club to a Group Six Premiership and the next year signed as Penrith coach. Since that first year in the big time, Tim has coached 568 first grade matches with Penrith, then Canberra, the Cowboys and the Wests Tigers. Add this to his 258 games as a player with the Panthers (164 in first grade), and it is obvious the number of positives Tim brings to any team.
He has won the Dally M coach of the year award and coached the City Origin team in 1991, 2006, 2007 and 2008. In 1991 he was NSW State of Origin coach, when the Blues suffered a tight 2-1 series loss to Queensland. Each of the three games, two in Brisbane and one at the Sydney Football Stadium, were decided by just two points.
As a coach, Tim has won four Premierships, three with the Raiders and one with the Wests Tigers. The first of these came in 1989 when the Raiders beat the Tigers 19-14 and then repeated the dose in 1990 with an 18-14 victory over Penrith.
In 1994 it was the Raiders again when they defeated the Bulldogs 36-12 and in 2005 the Wests Tigers were too good for North Queensland, winning 30-16.
One of rugby league's most respected people, Tim's first game as Australian coach will be the Anzac Day fixture on 8 May.