Brisbane Broncos CEO Paul White doesn’t want to be judged on horror 2020 season
While his farewell season has been disastrous, departing CEO Paul White wants to be remembered for his entire 10-year tenure at the Broncos, which has included some pretty special moments and major milestones.
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Departing Broncos CEO Paul White hopes fans will judge him on his entire decade at Brisbane as he prepares to walk away from a team in tatters.
White’s 10-year reign at the Broncos will end in the coming months as the Broncos edge closer to bringing in a new chief executive.
The Broncos have blossomed into a $52 million powerhouse and the NRL’s richest club during White’s tenure and call a $27 million purpose-built headquarters at Red Hill home.
But the club’s NRL team are a complete rabble, falling to 15th on the ladder and prompting the sacking of coach Anthony Seibold this week.
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White replaced Bruno Cullen in October 2010 and will exit the club having not overseen an NRL premiership season, with Brisbane’s title-drought stretching back to 2006.
The Broncos went within seconds of winning the 2015 grand final before suffering a golden-point loss to North Queensland.
White has battled a brain tumour for the past five years and is yet to announce what his next career move will be.
While his farewell season has been disastrous, White wants to be remembered for his entire tenure at the Broncos.
“It’s a really selfish motive if you think things have to go as I would want them,” White said.
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“Of course I’d love us to be on top of the table and shooting for a premiership.
“Unfortunately it’s been brutal. In some ways I’m glad I’ve been here for that.
“It’s certainly not enjoyable. It’s tough.
“I’ve had 10 years, some great years, I like to think I’ve done some things to set the club up for the future.
“I hope people judge me on my entire tenure. If you’ve done a good job in a role your legacy should play out more effectively three years after you’re gone.”
The Broncos have undergone some seismic shifts during White’s reign.
Coach Ivan Henjak was sacked shortly after White’s arrival and Anthony Griffin was punted in 2014 to make way for Wayne Bennett’s fairytale return to Brisbane.
White’s 30-year friendship with Bennett was broken beyond repair during the coach’s dramatic sacking in 2018 to pave way for Seibold’s arrival at Red Hill.
White was Seibold’s greatest ally at the Broncos given the CEO fought hard to bring him to the club.
The Rockhampton products sat beside each other during Wednesday’s press conference to announce Seibold’s departure, with the coach receiving a seven-figure payout to leave with three years remaining on his contract.
Despite the Seibold payout biting into Brisbane’s bottom line, which has already been rocked by COVID, White said he would leave the Broncos in strong financial shape.
“There have been four other clubs that have lost coaches and have significant payouts,” White said.
“It’s part of the game that we’re in. When you have to part ways there will always be some level of balance between the business needs and giving due recognition to the person leaving.
“We will end this year with a really strong balance sheet and the new CEO will start 2021 with a premium book of sponsors and full membership base.
“Our club is tremendously well positioned from a financial point of view.”
With the approval of Brisbane‘s board, White handed Seibold a five-year contract of which he only lasted 20 months.
Broncos chairman Karl Morris said Seibold would be the last coach to receive such a long-term commitment and the club had been inundated with quality applicants for the CEO role.
“I don’t think we have to enter into such a long-term contact again,” Morris said.
“Anthony was offered an extended contract at Souths and he ended up getting an extra year with us because he came here one year early.
“It was a unique circumstance but the contracts in rugby league are in favour of the employee and not the employer.
“It’s always interesting when a position becomes available, you can be surprised by who the candidates are and the same can be said for our CEO position.
“Some very good candidates can come out of the woodwork.”