Interim Wests Tigers' coach Brett Kimmorley has revealed the spine he has selected for a Round 18 clash with the Penrith Panthers will remain that way for the remainder of the season.
Kimmorley, who will hand over the coaching reigns to current director of football Tim Sheens at the end of the 2022 season, with Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall on his assistant team, has previously expressed his desire to remain in a head coaching role.
His lack of change to the team left some questioning whether he could handle such a move into head coaching, however, he finally pulled a major change for Round 18.
Jackson Hastings, who has played in the number seven jersey ever since returning from suspension early in the season, has moved to lock, with Luke Brooks to move back from five-eighth into his former halfback role, while Adam Doueihi, who reportedly asked to be dropped to the NSW Cup unless he was returned to the number six jersey after his comeback from an ACL injury, will get his wish and play at five-eighth against Penrith.
Some tipped this is the way the Tigers' spine would line up before a ball was kicked this season, and Kimmorley, speaking to The Daily Telegraph said that Sheens approved of the new spine.
“For my time (remainder of the season), it will be the style that we’ll be playing and it will be the direction. Tim will probably be happy to say he wants to see it as well,’’ Kimmorley said.
“It’s a great opportunity for those key ball players to get their ball in the hands and play together.
“If you look at the competition, the 1,6,7,9 is a pretty important position in every football club.
“For my time, it will be the style that we’ll be playing and it will be the direction. Tim will probably be happy to say, he wants to see it as well.
“I think Adam getting more ball makes us more dangerous.
“He’s been getting the ball as a centre where there’s not much room and more or less doing hit-ups, it was what was required, and he did it, but it’s probably not what he wants to do moving forward.
“He‘s a running five-eighth, so maybe it creates an opportunity for us in attack."
It's unclear at this stage if Kimmorley will be retained as part of Sheens' staff for the 2023 season, or whether he will move on and look for a new role.
