Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens says the only reason Jackson Hastings left the club to join Newcastle was his reluctance to play lock.
Hastings will line up for the Knights against his former club at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday. He was released by the Tigers in November.
At the same time, David Klemmer moved from the Knights to the Tigers, but Sheens denies there was a player swap, insisting he was keen to retain Hastings.
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Rumours persist that a rift between Sheens and Hastings was the cause of his departure, but the veteran coach insists that isn’t the case.
“He didn’t want to play No.13,” Sheens said.
“He wanted to play in the halves, and they [Newcastle] offered him an opportunity. I had him planned to play with Klemmer. He was picked to play No.13 in our recruitment and plans for this year. But he wanted to be a pivot.
“That’s it, there’s nothing else to it. I am in many ways [disappointed] because he would have made a good No.13 behind the current pack I’m putting together.
“In saying that, you have to want to be there and want to play the position.”
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At the time of Hastings’ release, club boss Justin Pascoe conceded that “tough decisions need to be made” and “not everyone will be happy with some decisions we make”.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Sheens and Hastings fell out after Hastings ignored a team order not to pay his own way to a match on the Gold Coast while he was suspended.
Speaking on Saturday, Sheens wouldn’t elaborate on the matter.
“I won’t comment on it,” he said.
“He was playing well at No.13 for us, that’s where I saw him, and anything else [being reported] is long gone. I’m not interested in talking about it.”
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