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Outgoing Wests Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe insists he left the club\u2019s front office \u201cin order\u201d, has no doubts Benji Marshall will be a career coach and admitted for the first time he understands why Ivan Cleary walked out on the club.<\/p>\n
Pascoe, one of the longest-serving NRL club chief executives until leaving last week on the most tumultuous day in the Tigers\u2019 history, has acknowledged no one has felt the frustrations of the club\u2019s 12-year finals drought more than him.<\/p>\n
In his first interview since resigning, Pascoe broke his silence on the Tigers\u2019 back-to-back wooden spoons, a section of fans staging protests against him, the appointment of Marshall as a rookie head coach and the pursuit of Jarome Luai.<\/p>\n
And he\u2019s adamant the Tigers have never been better placed to launch a finals assault in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor eight years I\u2019ve felt the frustrations of the fans and our partners and there\u2019s no one more bitterly disappointed than me,\u201d Pascoe says. \u201cIt burns every time we lose a game.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the club is in a position that\u2019s far better than it has ever been in my lifetime in regards to development and talent, rosters, coaches. The fans and partners who have stuck solid by the club for a long time should be really comfortable the club will have success.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Eye of the storm \u2026 Justin Pascoe, Benji Marshall, Jarome Luai and Ivan Cleary<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty\/Marija Ercegovac<\/cite><\/p>\n Last week, a long-running review instigated by the Tigers\u2019 major shareholder, the Holman Barnes Group, recommended a broom be put through the club\u2019s governance structure.<\/p>\n The entire board was dissolved with former NSW premier Barry O\u2019Farrell appointed interim chairman and veteran administrator Shane Richardson brought in to replace Pascoe.<\/p>\n Former chairman Lee Hagipantelis, whose Brydens Lawyers is the club\u2019s $1 million-a-year front of jersey sponsor, described the seismic changes as \u201can ill-conceived publicity stunt that backfired\u201d. Pascoe was more measured in his thoughts.<\/p>\n \u201cTo have a review done in the right respectful manner, I was always going to be very supportive of that,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen the review came back, and [recommended] in the best interests of the club have the board and myself move on, I understood that and perfectly respected that.\u201d<\/p>\n So vitriolic had the campaign been by a section of the Tigers\u2019 supporter base towards Pascoe, they\u2019d even taken to unfurling banners at games this year urging to \u201cend the Pascoe fiasco\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand the frustration,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople are entitled to their own opinion.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t watch or look at social media or the TV shows. The only time I ever saw things was when my mates would send me through images or captions of people making fun of me. They thought it was hilarious.<\/p>\n \u201cThe only thing I will say, while it doesn\u2019t affect me, my concern was more about the staff at the club and my family. It\u2019s never nice. It\u2019s passion. It\u2019s sport. I get it. The passion the fans have, when the club is successful this year, they will turn it from disappointment to excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n New Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Nathan Perri<\/cite><\/p>\n Of all the gambles the Tigers have taken in the search of better on-field fortunes, perhaps none are bigger than appointing Marshall as head coach, only two years after he retired from playing.<\/p>\n Pascoe was part of the decision to have Marshall transition into a head coach after working under Tim Sheens. It will happen a year earlier than expected.<\/p>\n Having worked with Jason Taylor, Cleary, Michael Maguire, Sheens and interims Andrew Webster and Brett Kimmorley, Pascoe has seen a revolving door of coaches in his eight years at the club.<\/p>\n But he\u2019s adamant Marshall can be the longest serving of the lot.<\/p>\n \u201cI have the upmost respect for Benji as a player,\u201d Pascoe says. \u201cHe\u2019s a generational player and superstar of the game.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got zero questions on his ability [as a coach]. I think he will be outstanding for the club. He has a demonstrated a willingness to work and learn, and with the mentors he\u2019s talking to and senior coaches around him, he\u2019ll have an outstanding career and I wish him all the very best to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Three-time premiership-winning player Jarome Luai.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Steven Siewert<\/cite><\/p>\n He won\u2019t be there to see the ink dry on the contract, but Pascoe drove negotiations for Luai to join the Tigers from 2025.<\/p>\n The three-time premiership winner is edging closer to signing a five-year deal worth more than $6 million to leave Penrith and take on arguably the biggest challenge in the NRL: lifting the Tigers out of the cellar.<\/p>\n Since Pascoe\u2019s exit, the Tigers withdrew their offer to Addin Fonua-Blake and increased their package to Luai – and the former boss is convinced he can be the prized signing to help turn the club around.<\/p>\n \u201cThe conversations I\u2019ve had with him, and the conversations Benji has had with him, he\u2019s an absolute winner,\u201d Pascoe says. \u201cHe\u2019s one of those unique athletes that when he speaks a certain way, you\u2019ve got to have confidence he\u2019ll follow up and deliver.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s had a decorated and outstanding career for a young man already, and I\u2019ve got no concerns that won\u2019t continue at the Wests Tigers or anywhere else. He\u2019s a good family man, has strong values and a good character. He\u2019ll be an asset to wherever he ends up.\u201d<\/p>\n It might have been the call which changed the fortunes of two clubs.<\/p>\n Since Cleary walked out on his contract with the Tigers at the end of 2018 to return to Penrith and coach son Nathan, the Panthers have created the greatest dynasty in the NRL era.<\/p>\n In his only full year in charge of the Tigers, Cleary steered the club to the brink of the finals in ninth. Since then, they\u2019ve finished ninth, 11th, 13th before consecutive wooden spoons.<\/p>\n Pascoe was blindsided by Cleary\u2019s move, which severely strained their friendship. But five years later, he understands why the coach dropped a bombshell on the Tigers.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a huge period for us as a club,\u201d Pascoe says. \u201cI knew when we went and got Ivan, he could certainly coach. That\u2019s been proven. I understand the reasons why he went and did it – and it\u2019s certainly been justified.<\/p>\n \u201cI only wish him the best now too.\u201d<\/p>\n When Pascoe first arrived at the Tigers, he laughs when he says there were 60 strategic priorities which were on his agenda.<\/p>\n When he left last week, he argues there were only three: pouring as many resources as possible into the football programs (NRL, NRLW and pathways), creating an elite high performance environment and winning a competition.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s by far been my biggest frustration,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cYou hear a lot of people say winning comps starts with the front of house being in order. The front of house has been in order. We\u2019ve put so many structures in place to support decision making around the football program. We\u2019ve always supported the coach.<\/p>\n Alex Twal takes a stroll down the club\u2019s walk of fame in the Tigers\u2019 centre of excellence at Concord.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Nick Moir<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cThe heavy lifting has almost been done. The roster is almost set for the next two years. The environment is set up to be elite, and the business is in good shape.\u201d<\/p>\n Pascoe\u2019s major legacy will be the club\u2019s $84.5 million centre of excellence, which opened last year.<\/p>\n But should it have been built at Concord or Campbelltown?<\/p>\n Pascoe says an independent panel highlighted five potential sites for the state-of-the-art facility: Leichhardt, Liverpool, Concord, Campbelltown and Sydney Olympic Park. The assessment overwhelmingly identified Concord as having the most benefits.<\/p>\n \u201cThat facility has been an outstanding achievement,\u201d Pascoe says. \u201cThe number of people that put in so many hours to make that a reality was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n Pascoe leaves as the longest-serving chief executive in the joint venture\u2019s history and one who is adamant the club can return to being a finals force.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really been a move from survival to thriving over the eight years, which I\u2019m really proud of,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve genuinely felt privileged to be afforded the opportunity to lead such a great club. I\u2019m proud of what I\u2019ve achieved and what we\u2019ve collectively achieved at the club.<\/p>\n \u201cThe one thing fans and members should know is there is a really great bunch of hard-working staff that go well beyond what they\u2019re paid to do because they love the club, and they\u2019re wanting the club to be successful.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why clubs like this will always survive, because of people like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Sports news, results and expert commentary.<\/i><\/b> Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\nThe review<\/h3>\n
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Benji Marshall<\/h3>\n
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Jarome Luai<\/h3>\n
Ivan Cleary<\/h3>\n
Concord or Campbelltown?<\/h3>\n
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\u2018An honour and privilege\u2019<\/h3>\n
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