Coach Maguire questions Tigers’ character

Livid Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire has questioned his players’ character after their shock 28-23 NRL loss to Gold Coast Titans, saying they need to have a “good look in the mirror”.

Maguire didn’t pull any punches after the Titans ended a 14-game losing streak with Sunday’s upset at Suncorp Stadium, saying he was “sick and tired” of the joint venture’s inconsistency.

The Tigers mentor accused his outfit of being complacent against the Titans, whose last win was back in June 9 last year, before taking aim at their mercurial form.

“I am sick and tired of the ups and downs of our performances, we need to change that,” he said of the Tigers (2-2 record).

“That’s what this club has been (inconsistent). I didn’t want to say that but it’s the truth.

“People talk about whether or not we win the big games or challenge the big teams or play less against the lower teams – well, that’s character.

“We need to fix that. We need to fix it fast. I have seen a little bit of that over my period and we all need to change that.”

After an impressive last round win over Cronulla, the Tigers were overwhelming favourites against the Titans outfit who had gone almost a year without a win.

And they looked on track, piling on 12 unanswered points in the first 13 minutes and overcoming a Gold Coast fightback to lead 22-12 early in the second half.

Even after the Titans stunned the Tigers by hitting back to level the scores in the 69th minute, the visitors still looked home when veteran Benji Marshall calmly slotted a 77th-minute field goal to give them a 23-22 lead.

However, Titans fullback Phillip Sami broke their drought – and the Tigers’ hearts – with the match-winning try in the dying moments.

Maguire said the Titans simply wanted it more, prompting another crack at his team.

“If you can’t be hungry to want to win a game of football well you have to have a good look in the mirror,” he said.

“Those are the sort of things that we will be honest about.

“It’s disappointing a few things didn’t go our way and we didn’t defend it.

“That’s what we are striving to be as a team. I thought our defence was nowhere where it needed to be.

“We will all look at each other and look at the game and assess where we need to go moving forward.”

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