The pressure on coach Michael Maguire has reached fever pitch, and the odds of the former Rabbitohs premiership coach getting sacked are shortening by the day.<\/p>\n
The potential for the Tigers to enter the market for a new coach comes at a time when talk of Fittler making a return to clubland has been doing the rounds. The former Roosters coach was recently linked with the Eels as pressure intensified on Brad Arthur but he has since made it clear he's not interested<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yet he's made it clear that he has some level of interest in returning to NRL coaching should the right job come up and was asked on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth<\/em><\/a> whether he would consider the top job at the Tigers if he was approached by the club.<\/p>\n "I wouldn't write off anything, but I've got to say I love working for Channel Nine and I love coaching State of Origin and working for New South Wales Rugby League," Fittler said.<\/p>\n "They're two dream jobs. They seem to marry well with each other.<\/p>\n "You've got to take me kicking and screaming. If there were a couple of clubs that are in really good positions at the moment, I think the Tigers are one of them."<\/p>\n Fittler added that he felt an emotional attachment to the club the Tigers should be but isn't due to his upbringing in Ashcroft.<\/p>\n "I grew up out of Ashcroft, which is in amongst the Campbelltown area and the Campbelltown competition," Fittler said.<\/p>\n "When I grew up, within five kilometres there were anything up to 10 clubs within five kilometres. There is now none.<\/p>\n "The people haven't gone away, they just seem to have stopped putting effort into those areas."<\/p>\n Before taking the Blues job in 2018, Fittler had experience as a head coach for his former team the Roosters, between 2007 and 2009. After a successful first season, things turned sour and he was eventually sacked with a 43 per cent win rate.<\/p>\n Discussing the current issues at the Wests Tigers, Fittler said he can't understand why the club hasn't attempted to expand its footprint in the Macarthur region of south-western Sydney.<\/p>\n Back in December of 2019, the NSW government declared Sydney's Greater Macarthur area as a growth area, with plans to fund and deliver up to 40,000 jobs and 58,000 new homes over the next 20 years.<\/p>\n Currently, the A League is the only premier competition to have expanded into that region following the introduction of new team Macarthur FC.<\/p>\n "If you look at Macarthur, going down towards Canberra, that has the highest growth population in Australia," Fittler said.<\/p>\n "They're building more houses out there than anywhere in Australia. It's been totally neglected.<\/p>\n "They throw a couple of games out at Campbelltown.<\/p>\n "How are you not throwing a new stadium out at Macarthur? Using that huge area near Campbelltown Sports Ground, right on a train station. I don't get it.<\/p>\n "They have a wonderful facility in Concord where they can train out of. They can have a couple of games at Leichhardt.<\/p>\n "But that (Macarthur) has to be your home. If you want to start building within, that has to be your home.<\/p>\n "You have St Gregory's (College) up the road which is a wonderful school and has punched out so many great NRL players. It's a no brainer for me."<\/p>\n For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by<\/em><\/strong> clicking here<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
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