By Michael Chammas
St George Illawarra will part ways with chief executive Ryan Webb after deciding not to renew his tenure following five years at the helm.
The decision to move in a different direction was solidified at a board meeting on Tuesday morning, with the Dragons planning to look outside the club for a new CEO.
Webb, who has been largely entrusted with overseeing the commercial and financial side of the business, is contracted until April next year and will remain on board to help the club through a transition period. The Dragons have not made the NRL finals during his time as CEO.
The Dragons, who last year decided to change the direction of the football club by sacking coach Anthony Griffin and later appointing Shane Flanagan as his successor, believe it’s time for a new face at head office as well. They informed club staff on Tuesday afternoon.
Dragons chairman Andrew Lancaster confirmed the decision on Tuesday.
“Ryan is a great person and has been a strong leader for the club,” Lancaster said. “He took on the role during a testing time as COVID impacted the NRL, bringing in much-needed reforms and guiding us through a period of significant change over recent years.
Dragons CEO Ryan Webb will be finishing at the club in the coming months.Credit: Nick Moir
“Ryan’s efforts have set us up for continued growth. He has worked closely with the board, players, staff and fans to ensure that the Dragons will continue building into the future.”
Sources with knowledge of the situation talking on the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of discussions told the Herald that the Dragons approached South Sydney boss Blake Solly to gauge his interest in the position.
Solly had conversations with multiple Dragons directors but informed them it was his preference to remain at South Sydney and work with Wayne Bennett in his second spell at the club.
One of the leading contenders for the Dragons job is Supercars chief operating officer Tim Watsford. Having previously held a position at the NRL in its events team, Watsford took on a job as the CEO of the Northern Territory Major Event company, later joining Supercars in 2023.
Dragons chairman Andrew Lancaster is also a director of Nine Entertainment Co.
Other names floated for the Dragons job include former NRL general manager of partnerships Jaymes Boland-Rudder and ex-South Sydney COO Brock Schaefer, who recently started at the NRL as general manager of strategic football development.
The Dragons have also been made aware of potential interest in the position from Knights head of football Peter Parr.
Norm Black, the former owner of Dragons sponsor Trip-A-Deal, also has a close relationship with club powerbrokers and could be sounded out about having a greater involvement with the club. He recently sold the holiday booking company for $211 million to Qantas.
The Dragons released a statement to the Herald on Tuesday, paying tribute to Webb’s impact on the organisation during his time at the club.
“Webb’s tenure has seen the club reach key milestones, including record commercial revenues and profitability, expanding the Dragons community programs, and bringing to life the Dragons’ Community and High-Performance Centre which will start construction in the coming months.
“His commitment to fostering a strong and inclusive culture within the club has helped create a solid foundation for future success.”
Webb addressed staff to inform them of his forthcoming departure on Tuesday afternoon.
“Being CEO of St George Illawarra is an absolute privilege and an experience I will always be proud of,” Webb said in a statement.
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