‘We need unity’: Interim Wests Tigers chief reveals blueprint to heal fractured club

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Interim Wests Tigers chief executive Shaun Mielekamp believes he is equipped to take on arguably the toughest job in Australian sport and has vowed to personally call every disgruntled fan to outline his blueprint for the club.

Mielekamp will take over from Shane Richardson following revelations that coach Benji Marshall is close to committing long-term and sacked chairman Barry O’Farrell is considering returning for a third stint in the role.

The Tigers’ corporate governance issues were one of the agenda topics at an Australian Rugby League Commission meeting on Thursday. O’Farrell has told those close to him he is open to the prospect of a return, but only if the NRL provides assurances about the corporate governance at the club’s 90 per cent majority owners, the Holman Barnes Group.

Richardson was spotted at the Tigers’ Concord headquarters on Thursday, where he met with Marshall after the team finished training just before midday. This masthead revealed on Wednesday that Marshall is closing in on a contract extension until the end of 2029.

Even if O’Farrell were to return to his post, it’s unlikely that Richardson would come back as chief executive. That leaves Mielekamp in the box seat to retain the job in the long term. In his first interview since being promoted from general manager of football to interim chief executive, the former Central Coast Mariners CEO revealed he has ambitions to assume the role full-time.

“I’m really excited about the interim role, and I’m going to really lean into it and embrace that,” Mielekamp said. “It is in my DNA, so I will work extremely hard and of course I want to do such a good job that it’s impossible for me not to be the CEO long-term.

Wests Tigers interim CEO Shaun Mielekamp.

“What I do know is if I do a tremendous job and they appoint someone else, they’re going to be brilliant because they’re going to have to do a better job than what I’ve done. But absolutely – do I see that I’m going to deliver so well in this job that I’ll be the long-term CEO? That’s the goal.”

In a rare show of unity, all club stakeholders are keen for Marshall to extend his stay to provide stability.

“There’s a collective agreement that Benji is vital in keeping the unity and stability of the club, and we’re backing him,” Mielekamp said.

Marshall’s re-signing is viewed as a vital step towards ensuring key players Jarome Luai and Jahream Bula also recommit to the club.

“It’s at the top of the pile,” Mielekamp said of the star spine players. “We’ve got two guys who want to be here, who want to be with the coach.

“We’ve got good people, so I’m sure that things will work out pretty positively. Let’s just take a breath and just move forward.”

Tigers fans have vented their displeasure about the latest boardroom brawling, with many contacting the club directly. Mielekamp has begun calling all of them back and has promised to give every member who wants one a personal audience.

“I’ve actually spent all morning calling members, every second I get a gap,” he said. “I’ll call every member that’s asked for a refund, that’s written in and made a complaint. I’ve got through some, I’ve got a lot to get to.

“My message to the members is every member can come and meet me directly. As part of your membership you do have a voice and you have the opportunity to come and meet me … All our members want the same thing. So let’s communicate.”

Despite a history of bickering between the Balmain and Western Suburbs factions – and within the HBG itself – Mielekamp believes the infighting is over.

“The reason I’ve got confidence is everybody I’ve met – every board and every stakeholder – they all want the same thing,” he said.

“So it’s just about communication. I’m actually surprised by how distracted everyone has got at times. When they wind it back, what’s really important is the players, that they’ve got the resources, they’ve got the structure. And our members.

“Just having that clarity for everybody, that’s actually what this is really about. They all do want the same thing. There are a lot of scars, there is a lot of history, but moving forward everybody I speak to actually wants the same thing – a bit of unity and stability, some good communication. I’m very confident that this is something that we will move forward on.”