NRL 2023: Wests Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis won’t guarantee future of CEO Justin Pascoe amid Benji Marshall, Scott Fulton feud

Wests Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis has opened up on the club’s horror season, refusing to guarantee the future of CEO Justin Pascoe.

Benji Marshall was front and centre as the Tigers trained at their Concord Oval base. Picture: Richard Dobson

Wests Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis has conceded that everyone in the club is under incredible pressure as they battle to keep the lid on simmering internal tension between Benji Marshall and Scott Fulton, and desperately attempt to avoid successive wooden spoons.

Hagipantelis also revealed he could not guarantee the future of chief executive Justin Pascoe and confirmed the club had put a deadline on Luke Brooks prior to his decision to accept an offer from Manly for next season.

Hagipantelis and other senior figures at the club have been in the crosshairs amid talk of a civil war between assistant coach Marshall and Fulton, the man who has been hand-picked by the board to oversee the rebuild of the roster.

The latest figure at the centre of the internal battle has been former Canberra half Aiden Sezer, who Marshall wants to replace the departing Brooks at half next season. Hagipantelis confirmed on NRL360 on Fox League on Monday night that Marshall would have the final say on recruitment in a move that gives him the green light to ramp up his pursuit of Sezer.

West Tigers Board Director Lee Hagipantelis (right) concedes that everyone at the club is under pressure, as they battle to cool rising tensions between Benji Marshall and Scott Fulton. Picture: Getty Images.

“The final say – as it should always be – rests with the head coach,” Hagipantelis said.

“I have never known any instance where a player has been forced on a head coach that he doesn’t want.”

Asked about the relationship between Marshall and Fulton – the pair had separate meetings with Pascoe on Monday where it is understood they told the chief executive they could work together – Hagipantelis said: “It is professional, civil and polite, which is all I can ask of our employees. Scott is regarded as perhaps the best recruiter in the game, he came to us highly recommended, we did our due diligence.

“We spoke to a number of interested parties. His role is to go and recruit the players that Tim (Sheens) and Benji want.”

The concern for the Tigers is that issues between Marshall and Fulton will undermine the club’s attempts to rebuild. Sezer has been targeted as a short-term fix but the Fainu brothers – Manly pair Latu and Samuela – are being pursued with the future in mind and there are genuine concerns that they could turn their back on the Tigers due to the internal ructions.

The brothers are expected to make a decision on their respective futures this week and the Tigers remain in the box seat due to their relationship with Fulton. Their signatures would help a club that is battling to remove itself from the bottom of the ladder.

Hagipantelis insists the relationship between Marshall and Fulton is professional and civil. Picture: Getty Images.

“The last couple of weeks have been the worst of my tenure as chairman,” Hagipantelis said.

“This entire club is feeling the pressure all the way from chairman through to board to executive all the way down to players.

“They all feel it. No-one is immune from it. Winning another wooden spoon … is something we are all embarrassed about.

“We are not there yet – we haven’t given up on this year. I perfectly understand the frustration, I share it.

“The leadership, I serve as does just Justin, at the pleasure of the board. They represent the owners of this organisation.

“As for Justin, it should also be understood that there are no decisions taken by Justin that is not ratified by the board.

“He doesn’t appoint players, he doesn’t go out and recruit players. The buck stops with the board.”

Hagipantelis said Pascoe still had the board’s support but reiterated that he could not guarantee his position.

Hagipantelis says that Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe is safe for now. Picture: Getty Images.

“No, you will never hear me new the words guarantee,” he said.

“There are legal implications form guaranteeing someone’s employment. As we stand here today there is no reason that Justin Pascoe will not be the CEO in 2024.

“He has the full faith and confidence of the board.”

Hagipantelis also defended the club’s handling of talks with Brooks after the long-time half turned his back on the club to join the Sea Eagles, having had a deadline placed on his offer from the Tigers.

“I don’t think we let him go,” Hagipantelis said.

“We made him an offer which we believe was a fair market offer. It was very attractive. The rejection of the offer and decision to leave took us all somewhat by surprise.

“We did not let him go, he left of his own accord.”

WESTS TIGERS CRISIS MEETING CANNED

Wests Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe has held individual meetings with Benji Marshall and Scott Fulton, where it is believed he received a commitment from the pair that they could work together.

Sources close to the discussions confirmed that Pascoe held separate talks with the pair on Monday morning as he looked to strike a peace deal between the warring club officials.

It is understood the trio emerged from those talks having agreed to lay down their guns and work together for the benefit of the club. Marshall and Fulton have butted heads over the club’s pursuit of several players, prompting suggestions that they were unable to work together.

Benji Marshall has butted heads with Scott Fulton over the club’s pursuit of several players. Picture: Richard Dobson

Pascoe had initially planned to hold a meeting with both where they would thrash out their differences but decided to hold separate talks with the duo.

Marshall, who is due to take over as head coach from Tim Sheens at the end of next season, was front and centre as the team trained at their Concord Oval base on Monday morning.

The players and coaches were running about 10 minutes late, although it is not known whether the delay was related to Marshall’s meeting with Pascoe.

Benji Marshall was front and centre as the Tigers trained at their Concord Oval base. Picture: Richard Dobson

Marshall, dressed in Tigers gear with a piece of paper in his hands, played a prominent role in the session as the club prepared for Thursday night’s ‘battle for the spoon’ against St George Illawarra.

He jumped in and played the role of halfback at times during the session as he played a hands-on role in preparing the side for the Dragons game.

The lead-up to that match has been dominated by more speculation over the relationship between Marshall and Fulton. the recruitment guru who was brought in by the club to oversee their pursuit of players.

He and Marshall have been at odds over a handful of recruitment decisions, the latest talk that the club could sign Aiden Sezer to play in the halves next season.

Originally published as NRL 2023: Wests Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis won’t guarantee future of CEO Justin Pascoe amid Benji Marshall, Scott Fulton feud