Shane Richardson officially exits Wests Tigers amid board chaos

Shane Richardson has informed the Wests Tigers he will leave the club after four independent board directors were sacked last week.

One week ago, the Holman-Barnes Group (HBG), who are the major stakeholders in the club with a 90% share, dismissed four independent board members, citing a number of transparency issues that they felt weren’t up to standard considering their stance in the club.

This threw the future of CEO Shane Richardson in doubt, with the Wests Tigers’ boss now informing the club he will depart his role, just 18 months into a four-year deal.

Richardson was proud of his work at 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," Richardson said in a club statement.

"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."

The Holman-Barnes Group thanked Richardson for his time at the club.

"We thank Shane for his service," HBG CEO Daniel Paton said via a statement.

"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."

Former Manly CEO Tony Mestrov has been sounded out as a potential replacement, but his move has not been confirmed.

It comes at a tenuous time for the club, who need stability to re-sign stars Jarome Luai and Jahream Bula.

The club rose from the bottom of the ladder in 2025, finishing 13th after a promising season with stars Luai, Terrell May, and Sunia Turuva joining the club.

Richardson’s departure comes as claims of a conflict of interest were made against the CEO by an anonymous whistleblower over the use of the Enrichd Group, which is part-owned by Richardson and his son.

Richardson had previously declared the conflict of interest to the Wests Tigers board.