Veteran Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens was at his prickly best after his side dropped to an 0-3 record, refusing to explain the benching of star winger David Nofoaluma.
Sheens’ Tigers looked headed towards another heavy loss when Sheens pulled Nofoaluma in the 51st minute with his side trailing 20-6 to the Bulldogs. The veteran winger did not return to the field after being hooked.
The 73-year-old was encouraged by the finish to the game as the Tigers threatened a last-minute heist, but bristled when questioned on his decision to take Nofoaluma off the park.
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“No, I don’t want to make any call on it,” he said.
“I don’t want to talk about it, I am not going to justify what I did.”
Nofoaluma returned to the Tigers this season after being loaned out to the Storm last season where he scored four tries in six appearances.
Sheens also revealed that he planned to talk to the referees’ boss over decisions he deemed contentious throughout the course of the match, but refused to elaborate on which calls.
After finding themselves in a deep hole, the Tigers came home with a wet sail, scoring three tries in the space of four minutes in a manic portion of the game.
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Luke Brooks started the run in the 66th minute, before Fonua Pole (69th minute) and Charlie Staines (70′) joined in on the action.
The Tigers’ task to find a first win of the season gets no easier next week when they travel to Melbourne to take on the Storm at AAMI Park.
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