A police taskforce to hunt down organized crime groups exploiting the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be established by the government in coming weeks, the NDIS Minister says.
Key points:
Australia’s criminal intelligence agency believes billions are being defrauded from the NDIS
Organized crime groups have allegedly infiltrated the disability scheme
A police taskforce will be established to expose the fraudsters
An investigation by Nine newspapers has alleged members of the Hamzy and Alameddine crime groups in Sydney and other organized criminal gangs have been rorting billions of dollars from the NDIS scheme.
The head of the Criminal Intelligence Commission, Michael Phelan, told Nine newspapers that criminals were systemically “ripping off our most vulnerable people.”
Mr Phelan said there was evidence of criminals creating fake clients, skimming money, exploiting and intimidating clients and using pharmacy employees as “spotters” to find new NDIS clients to target.
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission boss Michael Phelan says organized crime groups have infiltrated the NDIS.(AAP: Mick Tsikas)
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten gave a scathing assessment, as he announced a multi-agency taskforce would be established to track down fraudsters.
“I think they’re literally gutless cowards,” Mr Shorten told Nine this morning.
“They may think they’re tough, some of these organized crime people. They may boast themselves amongst how clever they are.
“The rest of Australia despises this. And what we’re going to do is make sure that the NDIS is only for the people who need it.”
Mr Shorten said he had warned the former government of massive fraud in the scheme.
He said he suspected there was exploitation and coercion by criminal gangs, but also that there may be people unconnected to organized crime who were padding bills and “robbing the scheme”.
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten is deriding the ‘cowards’ exploiting the most-vulnerable members of the community.(ABC News: Nicholas Haggarty)
The minister said there must be more due diligence on the invoices of people claiming to have provided services.
“It’s a mystery to me why different parts of government don’t talk to each other better … I’m not satisfied there is sufficient communication between the National Disability Insurance Agency, the tax office, policing. It shouldn’t be this way, but it is,” Mr Shorten told ABC Radio.
“And I don’t understand why more hasn’t been done earlier.”
NDIS anti-fraud teams have recovered a small portion of the alleged billions that have been defrauded from the scheme, charging 18 people since 2020 with a total of about $14 million in alleged fraud.
Billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest is on the hunt for Australia’s next biotech household name with the launch of a $250 million venture capital fund for healthcare investments.
The fund, called Tenmile, will be backed by Tattarang, the private investment group co-owned by Forrest and his wife Nicola. It will be one of the few Australian investment vehicles purely focused on backing health technology companies.
Chief executive of Tenmile portfolio company Carina Biotech, Dr Deborah Rathjen, with Dr Steve Burnell.
Tenmile’s executive chair Dr Steve Burnell said while COVID-19 has proven to be a significant tailwind for the biotech sector, Australian companies still needed access to more private capital beyond initial grant funding.
“Australia could be the sort of health technology superpower, in a way…the foundations have been laid. We really think the missing ingredient is capital to help these companies reach ‘exit velocity’, as I say,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
The pandemic has shone a light on the global value of healthcare companies, though valuations have slid and share prices have taken a hit amid this year’s global market selloff. The ASX health care index is down by 7 per cent over the past year, with even giants like CSL and ResMed declining over the past 12 months.
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Burnell said there is still plenty of cutting-edge research that needs funding to produce long-term value beyond the pandemic. Tenmile is willing to be patient with its holdings, looking at investment horizons from a couple of years to a decade.
“The point is we’re not driven to push companies towards premature IPOs or some sort of exit,” Burnell said.
The fund’s maiden investments are focused on relatively new therapeutic areas, including personalized cancer treatments and the use of psychedelics and medicinal cannabinoids.
Intel kicked off its Xe HPG Scavenger Hunt in early 2021, and a rather large 18 months later we have no Arc graphics cards in the wild… meaning no Intel Arc graphics cards to give away to Arc Scavenger Hunt winners.
VIEW GALLERY – 2 IMAGES
The company is now offering an alternative prize because there are simply no Intel Arc GPUs, so instead of an Intel Arc A7-series graphics card (Intel was giving Grand Prize winners an Intel Arc A770, while the first place prize was an Intel Arc A750 ) winners can now opt for an Intel Core i7-12700K and Core i5-12600K processor.
Intel sent an email to its winners, explaining to a Xe HPG Scavenger Hunt Top 300 prize winner that they would be provided with an alternative to the original hardware prize, in addition to the standard merchandise and swag prizing. The company confirms that the winners only have a few days to decide — up to August 19 — if you want to switch over your Arc GPU to an Intel 12th Gen Core “Alder Lake” CPU.
But now, this is the clincher: if you opt back into the original GPU pricing, Intel warns that you will have to do so with the understanding that such pricing is tied to the launch timeline of Intel Arc A7-series GPUs. Because we don’t know when that happens, and neither does Intel, you could be waiting a while.
Intel does note that while they anticipate that the hardware should get to you ahead of Intel Arc A7-series GPU availability, Intel “cannot guarantee that to be the case, as Intel is very close the Intel Arc A7-series GPU launch“. I guess Intel means to say in that email that they are “very close to the Intel Arc A7-series GPU launch”. Mistakes everywhere, Intel.
McLeod’s Daughters actor Marshall Napier has died aged 70, after a short battle with brain cancer.
The New Zealand-born thespian, who has starred in a string of Australian TV shows and films over the years, passed away on Sunday surrounded by family.
His daughter, fellow McLeod’s Daughters star Jessica Napier, announced the sad news on social media.
“It is with great sadness that I share the passing of my beautiful dad Marshall Napier. After a short and intense battle with brain cancer he left us this morning. He was peaceful and surrounded by family,” Jessica wrote on Instagram.
“Dad you are one of a kind and I can’t even understand what the world will be like without you in it. Your charisma and charm was second to none. Your creativity and intellect was my inspiration. I love you so much and feel completely lost without you. I’m glad that you can dream free of the pain and confusion.”
Napier played Harry Ryan on the beloved Australian TV drama from for five years from 2001.
Prior to that, Napier had roles in All Saints, Water Rats and Police Rescue. Napier also had a sprawling film resume, having starred in Babe Down Under and Little Monsters.
Fellow Australian showbiz stars have paid tribute to the actor.
Napier’s McLeod’s co-star Rodger Corser wrote on Jessica’s post, “What a commanding presence he was on a screen and stage. He always loved working with your Dad, a drier wit you could not find. ”
Another co-star from the hit TV drama, Charlie Clausen, said he was “so sorry”. “I loved working your dad. He was so generous with his time when I was just starting out in my career. He also had such a great sense of humour.”
Packed to the Rafters actress Rebecca Gibney said, “So sorry for your loss Jess. Marshall was such a beautiful man and a wonderful actor”, while fellow rafters star Erik Thomson added, “What a man. This is big. He was such an inspiration to so many.”
Director Nash Edgerton added, “So sorry to hear. Much love.” While Patrick Brammall wrote, “I’m so sad to hear it. He was such a beautiful man.”
Over on Twitter, more figures from the entertainment industry have also expressed their sadness over the news:
Napier, a father of three, was born in New Zealand before moving to Australia with his wife and children in the late ’80s.
He initially worked as a worker, before successfully transitioning to acting after moving to Australia.
While he is most recognizable from his TV work, Napier was a regular figure in local theater productions, and in 2017 starred alongside Cate Blanchett for The Sydney Theater Company’s production of The Present.
The Essendon hierarchy will “rue” the decision not to pursue four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson, Fox Footy’s David King has warned as the Bombers hit a new low on Sunday.
Players were booed by their own fans as they left Marvel Stadium after the 84-point loss to fellow non-finals contender Port Adelaide.
King said questions needed to be asked of the decision to implement the Ben Rutten handover from John Worsfold back in 2020.
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“For six months, if not 12 months, Alastair Clarkson has been sitting idle ready to be grabbed by a football club,” King said on First Crack.
“Why haven’t Essendon taken that step?
“Right now they lack system, they lack motivation and they lack standards as a footy club and I reckon the Essendon faithful are sick of it.
“Why are they gambling on a coach that is still developing when the absolute finished product is there?
“OK you’ve got to jump through a lot of hoops to get over the line, but if (Clarkson) signs at North Melbourne this week and Essendon could have got him with the list they’ve got right now, I think it’s a mistake they will rule for years.”
Essendon Press Conference | 03:59
Rutten remains contracted until the end of 2023, but has managed just seven wins this season.
The loss to Port Adelaide is their worst for 2022, and both the worst defeat and the most points conceded under Rutten.
King said matches late in a season showed the faith in a coach and the set up at a club when there was nothing but pride to play for.
“It’s very hard to get motivated and that’s when you find out what sort of football club you’ve got,” he said.
“That’s when you find out, can your coach continue to drive standards and continue to enforce non-negotiables?
“I’m looking at the Essendon hierarchy – are they ruthless enough from the top down?
“The 2020 Worsfold handover year, six and a half wins – Rutten was in charge of the tactical side of the game then. They won 11 games last year, they’ve won six this year.”
King showed vision from the second quarter when Bombers players were walking and allowing their opponents to get forward of the ball.
“This is Essendon in a nutshell,” King lamented.
Port Adelaide Press Conference | 03:57
“How lax is this? Have a look at them just standing around, ambling around. This is the forward 50. There’s 10 players within arms reach of this stoppage. That (game style) is going nowhere.
“I can’t understand what they look at when they review games at the moment if that is the output of a weekend.
“We can only judge the actions they put in front of us – that is not AFL standard.”
King said now was the time for “honest conversations” at the club after 2021’s surprising finals finish.
“I’m not just talking about the captain and vice-captain, I mean the whole football club,” he said.
“These guys have signed Ben Rutten – if they have to assess their own role in the football club and move on well so be it.
“When was the last time Essendon were genuinely ruthless as a football club? It was a long time ago.”
Speaking after the shocking loss, Rutten apologized to the club’s fans for the lack of effort on Sunday.
“It was the sort of game that our members and supporters who came to the game or were watching on TV… it’s not the sort of thing they should have to watch,” he said.
“It was an embarrassing effort from our guys. It’s not something we want to stand for and not something our members and supporters should have to watch at any stage.”
NSW Labor frontbencher Walt Secord is stepping down from the shadow ministry after being accused of bullying by past and current colleagues.
Key points:
Walt Secord says he asked to stand aside following a “long reflection”
Several past and present colleagues have accused Mr Secord of bullying
It follows the release of the Broderick review into NSW parliament
Mr Secord, who held several shadow portfolios, said he had asked Opposition Leader Chris Minns to “let me stand aside” after a “long reflection.”
It follows the release of the Broderick review into the culture of the NSW parliament, which exposed a “toxic” environment of bullying and sexual harassment.
Mr Secord has spent more than 30 years in the Labor Party and was serving as the opposition spokesman for police, counter terrorism, arts and heritage and the north coast.
He issued an apology last week after an ABC investigation uncovered allegations against him by several unnamed people.
“Chris [Minns]myself, and the NSW Labor Party have committed to adopting the recommendations of the Broderick review and working across party lines to make the NSW Parliament and NSW politics a workplace we can all be proud of,” he said in a statement.
“I fully support the Broderick review and the change it will hopefully lead to. But my remaining in the shadow ministry at this time has become a distraction from these major revelations and the important work that needs to be done.
“I will be making no further comment.”
Mr Secord is the first NSW politician to step down following the review conducted by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.
Last week, Premier Dominic Perrottet said the findings were “sobering, confronting and unacceptable”.
“If parliamentarians cannot lead and provide an environment where the workplace is safe, what hope do we have for other workplaces across our great state?”
On Friday, Mr Secord apologized for his conduct in office, acknowledging he could be “too blunt and too direct” in the high-pressure environment.
“If any parliamentary staff members feel that my conduct in the workplace was unprofessional and caused offense or distress and was unacceptable, I unreservedly apologize,” he said.
The senior Labor figure said he wanted to be part of “repairing the culture in state parliament, and addressing my behavior as part of that”.
Mr Minns has called a press conference for later this morning.
Popular Aussie bedding and homewares company, Koala, has laid off 30 local staff due to unstable economic conditions.
The company shot up in popularity, particularly during the 2020 and 2021 lockdown periods, due to its competitive pricing, being all online and offering four hour delivery to metro areas.
However, just like many other companies, supply chain issues, inflation and surging interest rates have all taken their toll.
A Koala spokeswoman told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that uncertain economic conditions had resulted in 30 Australian staff members being made redundant last week.
Describing the former staff as “amazingly talented”, she said the company was supporting them with an outplacement service and professional connections.
According to the company’s website, Koala has “more than 200” employees.
The company also confirmed it had consolidated its offices in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Alexandria after previously also having employees located in the CBD.
News.com.au has contacted Koala for comment.
But it isn’t just the Australian staff that have been impacted, with 10 roles also being made redundant in South Korea following an expansion to the region last year.
The spokeswoman again told the publications “economic uncertainty” was behind the move, along with the need to “reduce our start-up cost in the market”.
“For the near term, our operations in Korea continue as we explore more efficient ways to serve the market,” she said.
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age also cited claims from multiple industry sources that Koala had explored the possibility of listing on the Australian stockmarket, before abandoning the plan amid the recent the recent technology downturn.
The spokeswoman for the company strongly denied these claims.
“Like any private company with proven success as a market leader in our categories and markets, we are fortunate enough to receive countless inbound introductions from potential investors,” she said.
“They see the opportunity for Koala to continue to disrupt the global furniture market.”
She did not offer specific figures, but said Koala’s margins were double those of some of its competitors, adding that the decision to offer furniture and other homewares has led to “incredible growth” in non-mattress sales.
“We will continue to invest in our operations across Australia and Asia,” the spokeswoman said.
In October 2020, Koala copped significant backlash after announcing it would cease manufacturing its mattresses domestically and make them in China instead.
Staunch supporter of Australian-made products, Harvey Norman executive chairman Gerry Harvey, previously slammed Koala’s move, saying the name of the company implies the product is made domestically.
“Anyone selling imported mattresses are doing it because they can make more money,” Mr Harvey said.
“The marketing is dishonest… they are pretending they are Australian.”
The retail giant’s co-founder said overseas imports made it harder for local companies to compete in bedding and furniture.
Mr Harvey said his store predominantly sold made-in-Australia bedding, supporting local companies such as Sealy, SleepMaker and AH Beard.
When it was established in 2015, Koala marketed itself as a retailer of Australian-made furniture with a strong focus on sustainability.
However, most of its manufacturing has now moved to China and Europe, with the company deregistering itself in 2019 from using the Australian Made trademark.
“The decision to cease production of mattresses in Australia will provide significant innovation and quality improvements to help drive our continued growth across Asia-Pacific,” a company spokeswoman said at the time.
Koala said the move offshore would mean it would have greater influence in cultivating “sustainable behaviours” in its manufacturing and supply chain.
“We are always in search of the best manufacturers, suppliers, and makers around the world who meet or exceed our environmental and sustainability standards and conduct assessments to support this,” a spokeswoman said.
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are old news and in Google’s rear view mirror. For now, the Pixel 6a is getting its 15 minutes to shine before the Pixel 7 phones inevitably push them aside, too. It’s just the way things go. But it might also be prime time to go a-huntin’ for some terrific Pixel deals… except in this case, you’d have to do it in the real world.
Threads on the r/GooglePixel subreddit (via 9to5Google) have popped up with people penning posts telling the good people online about their stroke of luck coming across a 128GB Pixel 6 Pro in Stormy Black on final markdown, snagging it for 70% off. That brings it down from an MSRP of $900 to an boost buy-level of $270. So far, such clearance stickers have been found in Florida, Georgia, and Massachusetts.
ANDROID POLICE VIDEO OF THE DAY
But don’t go thinking you’ll just find them in any Target because the situation definitely depends on the particular store. One redditor claiming to be an employee says the chain has four markdown tiers — 15%, 30%, 50%, and 70% off — and that the only reason they could think of for marking down stock is because the store wasn’t ” supposed to have it in the first place.” They also say not to call their store to ask about their Pixel 6 Pro inventory. Another self-identified employee says not every store has the same stock. Their store carried the Pixel 6, but not the 6 Pro.
People have been advising bargain seekers to check inventory scanner site BrickSeek to see if they have stores with low inventory (usually two units or one unit) before heading out. Low stock is not a guarantee of a low price, it’s just an indicator. If you do take the effort to visit a Target, remember to be polite and kind to the sales associates.
Still, we’re not surprised to hear about retailers emptying shelves for the upcoming Pixel 7. There have been suggestions from some of the cheekier folk on the threads that those who can snag a bargain here can trade up nicely to the newer phone come release day. We don’t officially recommend that, obviously.
It’s been a massive first week on The Block with teams racing to finish their main bathroom in time for the first Room Reveal of the season.
And the stakes are higher than ever, with the biggest prize in block history up for grabs for the winning team.
Stream the latest episodes of The Block for free on 9Now.
The ‘tools down’ deadline is looming, and with 15 hours to go drama unfolds in House 3 after Foremen Keith and Dan call Ankur and Sharon’s tiling a disgrace.
“The tile quality’s a bit off and we feel the design’s not quite right either,” Dan says, before Keith calls it “disgusting.”
After hearing that Sharon feels defeated and admits she doesn’t think they have a winning bathroom.
Over in House 1 Tom and Sarah-Jane are frantically trying to get a plasterer on-site after Keith and Dan tell the couple they should re-do the plaster and painting in the room during a routine defect inspection.
With defects addressed and finishing the touches on the main bathroom complete, the teams head to the block headquarters to hear host Scott Cam deliver the judges’ feedback.
Tom and Sarah-Jane
“Wow” is the first thing Neale says when he walks into Tom and Sarah-Jane’s main bathroom.
“This is quite a debut. This is a pretty stunning welcome to The Block,” he adds.
Darren is blown away by the ceiling rose and height, and is particularly impressed with their nod to the home’s history by restoring a chandelier they found in the house.
Tom and Sarah-Jane are praised for their use of a refurbished chandelier. (Nine)
Shaynna points out their use of bold color statements, which she’s a fan of.
“In this environment I want to see bold colors, because there’s a lot to work with, there’s a lot of natural light and it can take it,” she says.
While she calls it a functional and well-thought-out bathroom, Darren points out the lack of storage.
Overall, the judges are impressed by the look and feel of the room with Neale calling it “contemporary” but “appropriate” for the location.
See their full room and judges’ comments in the gallery below:
In Pictures
Tom and Sarah-Jane’s Main Bathroom
“Stunning debut” with bold pops of colour.
ViewGallery
Rachel and Ryan
The judges first notice how “massive” the bathroom is and they appreciate how Rachel and Ryan turned their bathroom around in a few days. But Shaynna and Neale think it’s not appropriate for the country setting.
“To me it doesn’t speak to country at all, it feels like a very urban bathroom. But that’s not a major problem to me at this early stage,” Neale points out.
However Darren disagrees and says it “fits the brief” in his opinion.
See their full room and judges’ comments in the gallery below:
In Pictures
Rachel and Ryan’s Main Bathroom
Judges praise room but voice two concerns.
ViewGallery
Ankur and Sharon
There’s mixed feelings from the judges as they step into Ankur and Sharon’s bathroom.
The room is a complete surprise to Shaynna, who seems rather annoyed by its lack of heritage.
There’s mixed feelings coming from the judges in Ankur and Sharon’s Bathroom. (Nine)
“I’ve come into a blue-stone bathroom that we’ve seen many times in a contemporary environment,” she says.
“Just because you add that type of tap and bath, it doesn’t make it feel heritage at all. If any house could get me angry, it’s doing this to that beautiful house we’ve walked through.”
Shaynna is left fuming after seeing Ankur and Sharon’s Main Bathroom. (Nine)(Nine)
As she makes her way around the room, she only gets more frustrated as she notices elements that don’t match the traditional home.
“Are you going to treat her like this? Because if you’re going to treat her like this, you’re going to have to deal with me,” she smokes.
Neale finds the space to be very theatrical, while Darren is a fan of the “moody, sultry feeling” in there.
However Darren has two substantial issues with the room – the wall tiles and nib wall – which he describes as “too expensive” to change.
Despite some negative feedback, the judges have high praise for the quality of the finishes, the overall cleanliness of the room and the execution.
See their full room and judges’ comments in the gallery below:
In Pictures
Ankur and Sharon’s Main Bathroom
“I don’t feel good in here.”
ViewGallery
Dylan and Jenny
The judges instantly fall in love with Dylan and Jenny’s main bathroom. They all agree that it feels and looks very fresh, vast, and welcoming.
“It still feels contemporary but it feels respectful to the heritage of the house,” Neale says.
The judges are blown away by Dylan and Jenny’s Main Bathroom. (Nine)
Darren is particularly impressed by the arches and the cornices in the room.
“It’s really lovely repetition, they give you a sense of rhythm. It’s really important to be fundamental and they’ve just nailed that,” he says.
Shaynna calls the attention to detail and execution “almost perfect”.
The only thing the judges didn’t like was the length of the shower screen because it is shorter than the tile line.
See their full room and judges’ comments in the gallery below:
In Pictures
Dylan and Jenny’s Main Bathroom
One detail leaves Shaynna Blaze unimpressed.
ViewGallery
Omar and Oz
The judges are instantly surprised when they walk into Omar and Oz’s bathroom.
“You beauty,” Neale says.
Shaynna can’t believe that this room is Omar and Oz’s after what they saw from their Challenge Room.
“This is all neutral, all textures… traditional, contemporary. This is that palette done exactly how it should be done,” she says.
The judges are shocked by Omar and Oz’s beautiful space. (Nine)
Neale also loves the room.
“What’s blowing me away is that these are all elements that shouldn’t work together but they do,” he says.
“The way they’ve used these tiles to create this stunning 90-degree herringbone effect and put it with this decorative tile on the floor, it’s beautiful and it works.”
Darren agrees and loves the scale and layout of the wall and how everything flows so well.
The judges believe the boys have run with their advice and presented something “quite exquisite”.
Shaynna, Darren and Neale feel like they are standing in a “pretty perfect” bathroom until they notice product stickers still left on some of the windows and the toilet. But overall, they are “very impressed” with the quality of the room Omar and Oz present.
See their full room and judges’ comments in the gallery below:
In Pictures
Omar and Oz’s Main Bathroom
Judges wowed by the “beautiful” room’s features.
ViewGallery
Main Bathroom scores
Back at HQ, Scotty tallies up the judges’ scores, revealing a surprise result.
Tom and Sarah-Jane: 25.5
Rachel and Ryan: 23.5
Ankur and Sharon: 20.5
Dylan and Jenny: 25.5
Omar and Oz: 26
Omar and Oz are the winners, which is quite the turnaround after coming last in the House Decider challenge. They took home $10,000 from Ford and a $250,000 kitchen upgrade from Winning Appliances.
While Omar and Oz are celebrating their victory, the judges’ feedback has Sharon in tears.
“It just feels like I got it completely wrong, again. I’m over it and it’s week one,” she says.
Sharon feels deflated after hearing the judges’ feedback. (Nine)
Ankur and Sharon have the chance to turn things around, with the Guest Bedroom the next space to complete.
The Block airs Sunday at 7.00pm and Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm on Nine. Catch up on all thelatest episodes on 9Now.
Wests Tigers hope to use a new $78 million center of excellence as a launchpad for a long-overdue era of dominance on the field.
As the club gave 9News an exclusive look into the Concord mega-centre on Sunday, a training field, NRL and NRLW dressing rooms, a gym, a swimming pool, a sauna and a steam room were shown off.
But there’s more.
The club now also has its own barber.
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Wests Tigers have opened their new $78 million Concord master-hub — and it comes with one bizarre feature. (GettyImages)
The master-hub, inspired by the New York Jets and Los Angeles Dodgers, is a far cry from the shabby venues in which the Tigers ran a high-performance rugby league program for more than 20 years.
It’s fitting that the center of excellence has opened just in time for the start of the Tim Sheens-Benji Marshall succession plan, as the club attempts to move beyond a decade void of finals football.
“To have one ground where it’s a one-stop shop, (where) we can do all our things from here — I think it’s going to be a massive boost for the players,” Wests Tigers forward Alex Twal told 9News.
“When you’re coming to a new club and you see these sort of facilities and these sort of opportunities to work in and around this new space — I think it’s definitely going to be something that people and players would look forward to.”
Stream the NRL premiership 2022 live and free on9Now.
During Sheens’ tenure as head coach between 2003 and 2012, he oversaw a weights program out of shipping containers.
Life at Wests Tigers is now much easier as Sheens, the club’s director of football, prepares for his second stint as head coach of the joint venture.
Sheens, the man who led Wests Tigers to the 2005 NRL premiership, will steer the club in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, before Marshall — then a 20-year-old wonderkid in the title-winning team — takes over on a three-year contract.
Wests Tigers icons Tim Sheens and Benji Marshall pictured in 2007. (Craig Golding)
Marshall, now 37, will serve as Sheens’ assistant for two years before jumping into the hot seat.
Wests Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe is rapt with the center of excellence, but he warns the glamorous digs don’t guarantee a return to the glory days.
“We’re not silly enough to think that just because we’re going into a world-class facility that automatically defines a change in results,” Pascoe said.
“In the end it comes down to the culture and the people and the standards, and we’re very firm on that.”
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Paul Green’s life in pictures: From Sharks prodigy to premiership-winning coach
