Wests Tigers receive mixed news as NRL hand down punishments for Robbie Farah saga

The Wests Tigers will have to release a player in their top 30 by June 30 but the good news is their CEO Justin Pascoe will be reinstated a week earlier.

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The Wests Tigers will have to release a player in their top 30 by June 30 but the good news is their CEO Justin Pascoe will be reinstated a week earlier.

That is the situation facing the Tigers after the club failed to disclose a post-career Ambassador agreement with Robbie Farah.

The club have also been punished for misleading the NRL in relation to an application for salary cap relief.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg originally announced a proposed fine of $750,000 for the breaches, as well as penalising the club’s 2019 salary cap by $639,000.

Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe will be reinstated in June. Picture: Brett Costello

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However, after considering the Tigers response to the breach notice- the NRL has agreed to reduce the penalty by 50 per cent.

This means the joint-venture club will be fined $375,000 for the breach.

In addition, the Tigers have received a $639,000 salary cap penalty (equal to the value of the Ambassador agreement).

The NRL has agreed to spread this penalty over the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

As for the player the Tigers will have to release, this remains unknown at this stage.

Zane Musgrove isn’t available for selection until his case is heard in court. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)

The NRL also announced on Friday that the Tigers’ request to register Zane Musgrove, who is facing indecent assault charges, has been refused until the case his concluded.

Musgrove faces an uncertain future in the game depending on the outcome of his case.

It’s also understood the Tigers’ salary cap penalty could have an impact on the club’s ability to recruit players in 2020.

On a positive note, Pascoe will be able to resume his CEO duties on June 19 this year.

He apologised for his failure to comply with the rules in drawing up the Farah agreement and other governance failings.

Pascoe has been suspended for six months (backdated to 19 December, 2018).

He had been issued with a notice of intention to cancel his NRL registration over alleged breaches of the salary cap involving Farah.

The ruling came after it was revealed the Tigers made an undeclared arrangement worth around $639,000 over four years to Farah to act as a club ambassador when he left the Wests Tigers in 2016.