THE Wests Tigers have obliterated their only premiership-winning coach Tim Sheens from club history.

The highly respected Kangaroos coach was inexplicably not invited to the club’s 15-year celebration and naming of their greatest team at a function on Tuesday night at Doltone House.

The Tigers named 13 players and four reserves — but no coach.

Sheens is embroiled in legal action with the Tigers after being sacked at the end of 2012. The case is due in court in December.

media_camera Coach Tim Sheens holding the Telstra Premiership Trophy beside Brett Hodgson after victory in the 2005 grand final over the North Queensland Cowboys.

media_camera Wests Tigers players celebrate winning the 2005 premiership with coach Tim Sheens but he is now fighting the club over his dismissal and was not invited to Tuesday’s function.

Sheen told the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday night he had phone calls on the evening inquiring about his whereabouts.

“I didn’t know anything about it,” Sheens said on Wednesday night, “No-one told me the function was even on until I had a couple of calls on the night asking where was I.

“A couple of players rang and expressed their disappointment.

“If they didn’t pick a coach, that’s what they’ll use to justify me not being there.

“I’d have gone had I been asked. I’d have gone for the players but there’s not much I can do when I don’t even know it’s on.”

Wests Tigers CEO Grant Mayer confirmed Sheens’ invitation had not gone missing in the mail.

“The function was about celebrating 17 players,” Mayer said, “No-one’s hiding from it.

“I can guarantee that many players who went on stage acknowledged what Tim had done for them and the club.

“There are obviously other issues (court action) that are ongoing that separate Tim from an event like last night.”

Sheens is still close to a number of his former players and many of the biggest names in rugby league who he coaches at an international level.

He recently knocked back the opportunity to make a short-term comeback for the remainder of the year with the Cronulla Sharks to concentrate on his preparations for the Four Nations tournament in October.

The irony is that the Wests Tigers’ current coach Mick Potter is now the man in the firing line.

The same directors that Sheens’ contract two years early are now gunning for Potter.

Wests Tigers 15-year anniversary team: Brett Hodgson, Pat Richards, Paul Whatuira, Chris Lawrence, Taniela Tuiaki, Benji Marshall, Scott Prince, Aaron Woods, Robbie Farah, John Skandalis, Gareth Ellis, Mark O’Neill, Liam Fulton.