Wests Tigers chair Marina Go is ready to walk away

Wests Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe has broken his silence on the salary cap breach.

Wests Tigers chair Marina Go. Picture: AAP

Wests Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe last night broke his silence on the club’s salary cap breach as it emerged chair Marina Go is ready to walk away.

Pascoe released a statement through the Tigers in which he said he never intended to deceive and insisted he supported the integrity of the game and always will.

When he returns from a six-month ban in June, he will do so under a new chair. The Tigers will today confirm that they are in the market for a successor for Go after her tenure came to an end and she elected to walk away. Go, at the time of her appointment the second female chair in NRL history, will stay at the club until they appoint a new independent director.

Her departure comes after a period in which she presided over the club’s renewal. The Tigers were a basketcase when she took over late in 2014, but in tandem with Pascoe she helped turn the club into a respected and profitable entity.

Go will be a huge loss to the club and the game. She has her critics in the insular and sometimes misogynistic corridors of rugby league, but she has been a breath of fresh air in the sport.

She has expressed her opinion without fear or favour. She has stood her ground when she felt it necessary. Her standing within the business world was reflected in The Daily Telegraph recently rating her among the top 30 most powerful people in the state.

Rugby league power-brokers have carried on about attracting the top end of town. Go lives there, yet she is ready to depart the sport.

Meanwhile, Pascoe will be back in a matter of months after his suspension was reduced to six months by NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg last week.

He earned the ire of the NRL after failing to lodge an ambassadorial agreement with Robbie Farah, the deal struck when Farah was at war with the club.

Farah has now returned to the Tigers but there are no guarantees he will take up the ambassadorial deal in retirement. Regardless, the NRL was sufficiently perturbed to give Pascoe a stint on the sidelines and hit the club with a significant fine and salary cap sanctions.

The Tigers were successful in having the salary cap sanctions spread over two seasons but there has been collateral damage along the way, most notably with Go’s decision to leave.

“I acknowledge that a rule was broken and regret that this occurred,” Pascoe said. “These actions were never done with intent or deceit and were simply an error that has had an impact on Wests Tigers, its shareholders, members, corporate partners and staff.

“I believe and support the absolute need for integrity in the game of rugby league and I always will.

“On a personal note, I have appreciated the understanding shown by NRL CEO Todd Greenberg throughout this process and the time he afforded to me in order to meet and discuss this.

Developments at the Tigers come as the game comes to terms with last week’s crackdown on poor behaviour, in which two clubs were fined and several players were fined or stood down.

Penrith want the Tyrone May sex-tape scandal sorted as soon as possible as the Panthers utility braces to become the next player punished by the NRL.

May was flung into the spotlight on Friday when two videos alleged to involve him were leaked on social media. The NRL’s integrity unit has wasted no time beginning its investigations and it’s understood it will speak to May and other participants in the video who are not players.

May was stood down from Saturday’s trial against Parramatta, however, it’s believed Penrith have no concerns about the consensual nature of the videos and are confident nothing filmed involved criminal wrongdoing. But both they and club sponsors are incredibly frustrated by May’s actions, which have put them in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

The club hinted in a statement on Saturday that they were not afraid to apply disciplinary action if required and the Panthers could pursue heavier sanctions than whatever the NRL hands out.

Meanwhile, St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor has warned the rest of the NRL not to write off his side after the standing down of lock Jack de Belin.

Some have questioned whether the Red V can still contend for this year’s premiership after de Belin was stood aside while he fights an aggravated sexual assault charge. He has pleaded not guilty.

The Dragons had been pencilled in by some as top-four contenders. However, the loss of de Belin shapes as a big blow after he last year established himself as one of the key hardmen of the game.

McGregor pointed to last year’s finals series, when they were without some of their biggest stars.

Additional reporting: AAP