More turmoil at the Wests Tigers as Shane Richardson quits
The Wests Tigers have been plunged into chaos following the departure of another key figure as fans prepare to rally this weekend in response to the off-field turmoil.
The turbulent off-season at the Wests Tigers has continued, with chief executive Shane Richardson resigning in the wake of last week’s extraordinary decision by the Holman Barnes Group to sack chairman Barry O’Farrell and three other independent directors from the board.
Richardson’s decision to leave comes less than 18 months into his four-year deal with the club.
“It’s been a privilege to be part of the Wests Tigers and see what we’ve been able to achieve as a club,” he said.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Benji Marshall, the players, staff, sponsors and fans for their support over the last two years.
“We’ve got a fantastic group of staff who work tremendously hard – from administration through to football – and their efforts in turning this club around need to be recognised, without them the club would not be in the position it is today.“
HBG is the club’s majority owner and has come under fire for last week’s decision, with a rally organised for this weekend as well as calls for the NRL to intervene.
The move to sack the independent directors stemmed from a series of disputes where HBG reportedly felt they were left out of key decisions, including next season’s jersey being “too orange”.
The Tigers had finally appeared to be heading in the right direction under Richardson with the club moving off the bottom of the ladder and able to secure stadium funding for Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown Stadium.
But the off-field turmoil will only set that back and lead to more innuendo around the future of stars Jarome Luai and Jahream Bula, with fans deserving some on-field success having not seen their side in the finals since 2011.
Monday’s announcement comes almost two years to the day since Richardson was unveiled as the interim chief executive after Justin Pascoe resigned from his role following a review of the club’s governance which saw then chairman Lee Hagipantelis and the board dismissed.
Tony Mestrov – who will depart as Sea Eagles chief executive on December 19 – is an option to replace Richardson and has a huge task in front of him to bring stability to a club that desperately needs it.
Current general manager of football, Shaun Mielekamp, is reportedly set to replace Richardson in the interim and is one of the candidates to take over permanently.
“We thank Shane for his service,“ HBG chief executive Daniel Paton said.
“His resignation paves the way for a new path forward for the football club, and we will be making an announcement about the new leadership in the near future.
“We again wish to reassure our fans and the broader NRL of our commitment to the joint venture.
“We intend for everyone to move forward together as one, and will be driving this reality through a new CEO and leadership.”
Originally published as More turmoil at the Wests Tigers as Shane Richardson quits
