Retained Tigers coach Michael Maguire has ended his silence surrounding his future with Wests by way of a personal statement.
The move has been made in the wake of the raft of requests that the premiership coach was sure to have received after being told that his tenure at Concord Oval would not be ending on Tuesday of this week.
Although previously under siege and said to be facing culling once the findings of the embattled club's internal report were compiled, the man affectionately known as 'Madge' explained that he was keen for the persistent jabs directed at the Tigers to cease.
"After all the speculation, Iโm pleased to move forward with the Wests Tigers," he began.
"A lot has been said publicly. I wish for this statement to put an end to the public period of examination and a return to the quiet work of crafting a winning team."
Despite previous suggestions that the former Souths steward was unwilling to work with the incoming Tim Sheens, Maguire put these rumours to bed whilst concurrently stating that he believed the 2005 premiers could once again return to glory.
"Iโm happy to keep working with every member of the organisation on our vision to turn around the fortunes of this proud club," he continued.
"My belief never wavered that in the fullness of time the club will be a rugby league force."
Though the perennial finals absentees have long drawn criticism for their inability to attract star talent onto their books, Maguire - who will coach the club for a fourth year in 2022 - suggested their previous plans in this area were not set to deviate.
"We will look to bring players in that complement our team and salary cap position," the former Raiders and Adelaide Rams back said.
"We want players to join our club that have the passion to help the club return to its winnings ways, along with our juniors growing a stronger foundation."
Maguire doubled down on his desire to work with Sheens and claimed the pair would play a part in shaping the image of the club going forward.
"Iโm looking forward to working with Tim to build a strong and sustainable roster.
As a coach, self-improvement is always a path that I am hungry for," he established.
"The game evolves, our competitors evolve, we need to take the squad to a higher level every day because thatโs what it takes to compete at a top-four level all the time.
"You need to continually put yourself into that space to play and win a grand final. Thatโs what Iโm focusing on."
The 47-year-old then signed off by thanking those that had remained loyal to him.
Wests will commence their pre-season period on November 1 in an effort to break their September dry spell next season.
According toย NRL.com Senior Reporter Brad Walter, the Tigers will now have upwards of $2 million in cap space to splash this off-season and have already been linked with high-profile names such as Tariq Sims and Adam Elliott.
Former Titans playmaker Tyrone Peachey remains another option should the club be willing to agree to his demands of a four-year deal worth around $450,000 per season.
Despite all of the rigmarole surrounding his job security, Maguire remains contracted to the club until the cessation of the 2023 season.
