Wests Tigers want Shane Richardson for long haul
The Wests Tigers have started talks with Shane Richardson about becoming the club’s long-term chief executive before a ball has been kicked this year.
Richardson, who was parachuted into the role on a six-month deal after the entire board was dissolved and former boss Justin Pascoe resigned, has made such an impression on chairman Barry O’Farrell that the parties are edging towards a permanent deal.
While the remaining three positions on the Tigers board for independent directors remain in the air, O’Farrell has moved quickly to convince Richardson to stay beyond his initial deal.
O’Farrell confirmed he had sounded out Richardson about his appetite to lead the Tigers’ resurrection for this year and beyond.
“I’ve been incredibly impressed by him,” O’Farrell said. “There’s no doubt that having experience in any position is a great asset to any organisation. I’ve worked very closely with him since he started in January. He’s a font of wisdom.
“While personalities change, players change and dates change, issues confronting sports clubs are fairly similar. Inevitably, something will pop up and he will give us three examples of where he’s been through it previously. He’s a safe pair of hands. It’s hard to go past him.”
Richardson has overseen premiership triumphs at both the Panthers and Rabbitohs during a 30-year administrative career, and has shied away from calling the Tigers project a rebuild as rookie coach Benji Marshall prepares to take charge of his first game in round two. The Tigers have the bye in round one.
Richardson has already sealed Jarome Luai’s $6 million defection from Penrith on a five-year deal from 2025 and has empowered Marshall, claiming no player will be signed to the club without the coach’s approval.
Former recruitment guru Scott Fulton, who clashed with Marshall over several recruitment targets, was let go by Richardson.
“Barry and I have started talks,” Richardson said. “I’m keen to stay on. Hopefully, we can work something out in the next little period, but we’ve only just started talking. If they’re keen, I’m keen, so we’ll see what happens.”
Richardson said he disclosed pre-existing conflicts of interest to the Tigers board before he started the chief executive role after the club signed Queensland Cup star Solomona Faataape, who is managed by Rich Digital, the consultancy firm in which he is a co-founder and shareholder.
The push for Richardson to become the club’s long-term chief comes as the Tigers prepare to unveil a strategic plan for the south-west Sydney corridor, stretching through to the Macarthur region, as they place renewed focus on junior development.
He’s also put the club on notice about membership numbers, claiming they had only 7000 paying members for 2024 despite trumpeting more than 20,000 last year. Almost half of that figure was from junior rugby league players with no financial contribution to the Tigers.
The club has collected the wooden spoon in consecutive years and is many bookmakers’ favourite to finish this season with the most losses after a heavy trial defeat to the Dragons.
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