Wests Tigers fans turn on the club in the wake of CEO Shane Richardson’s exit
The Wests Tigers have rejected demands for refunds on season memberships, as disgruntled fans turn on the club in the wake of CEO Shane Richardson’s departure amid a boardroom firestorm.
Benji Marshall’s highest profile recruit, Englishman Kai Pearce-Paul, ushered in his Wests Tigers career on Tuesday amid a boardroom firestorm at the besieged Concord club.
As the former Newcastle forward hit the training paddock for the first time, disgruntled Tigers fans took to social media pledging to cancel memberships, and demanding refunds, in the wake of Shane Richardson’s decision to resign as CEO on Monday only 18 months into his four-year contract.
Frustrated fans are also set to take their protest against the boardroom capitulation to the streets on Saturday, marching from Pratten Park to Wests Ashfield Leagues Club to demand the resignation of the Holman Barnes Group board.
The Holman Barnes Group, who own a majority stake in the joint venture club and the powerful Wests Ashfield Leagues Club, sacked four independent Tigers directors last week, including former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell.
HBG has denied an internal push to have Balmain Tigers removed from the joint venture in favour of reinstalling the Western Suburbs Magpies.
But the decision by HBG to sack the four independent directors is said to be driven by the perception they were let out of key strategic decisions, including around the Tigers stadium policy and jersey design for 2026.
Long suffering fans that have stuck with the club through the on-field lows of three-straight wooden spoons, expressed their disdain at the latest controversy engulfing the joint venture.
One fan, Gareth Sayles, wrote to the club requesting a cancellation of his 2026 membership and a refund, citing his dissatisfaction at the latest off-field upheaval at Concord.
The request for a refund was rejected since the club does not offer refunds for ‘change of mind cancellations’ per the Tigers’ membership terms and conditions.
Instead, the club opted Sayles out of an automatic renewal of his membership for 2027 as a show of ‘good faith’.
A spokesman for the club said not offering a refund for change of mind cancellations was a standard practice policy, and that other fans that had requested refunds would also be opted about the automatic renewal for 2027.
Other fans had the same idea as Sayles.
“Can I get my membership money back?,” Gerard Samson asked on a Tigers Instagram post confirming Richardson’s resignation on Monday.
As well as questions and posts about the cancellation of memberships, there was a growing chorus of fans directing their anger at the Holman Barnes Group.
Inner Wests Mayor Darcy Byrne, who has convened Saturday’s rally, took aim at the club’s owners over their role in the latest front-office upheaval.
“The Holman Barnes group is using the name of Keith Barnes, one of the greatest administrators in the history of rugby league … Keith Barnes would be rolling over in his grave to see the incredibly poor governance that has been implemented at his beloved Tigers over the recent weeks,” Byrne said.
While the boardroom battle plagues the club off the field, on it Marshall remains focused on his side’s pre-season preparations.
Pearce-Paul, who has signed a three-year deal with the Tigers, was joined by co-captain Api Koroisau and other senior stars at training this week.
Star playmaker Jarome Luai and forward Terrell May will join the squad on the training paddock later this month.
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Originally published as Wests Tigers fans turn on the club in the wake of CEO Shane Richardson’s exit
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