Wests Tigers chairwoman Marina Go has urged the club’s supporters to keep the faith as they wade way through a salary cap mess that could take three years to fix.
In the lead-up to the Tigers’ game against the table-topping Broncos, Go revealed the full extent of the cap issues which have hamstrung the club’s attempts to strengthen their roster for next season.
Their plight was rammed home again yesterday when Penrith announced they had poached young star Te Maire Martin. Martin played for the Junior Kiwis earlier this year but the Tigers were forced to let him go, his departure coming only a matter of days after winger Pat Richards confirmed he would join Super League side Catalans next season.
“It’s probably about three years before we unravel the mess we have inherited,” Go said.
“Every day, every week there’s a new thing we look at and go ‘oh my God’. It’s a serious issue. It’s a serious challenge.
“Fans and members just want to win every week. They don’t understand, and neither should they, that we have massive challenges around what the playing squad will look like next year and the year after given the salary cap challenges we have inherited.
“What we’re trying to do is work with that. Over the last 10 months the board has not entered into contract negotiations with players — that’s not our place.
“In the past, that’s not the case. In the past various members of the board were negotiating with player managers. There was clearly no overarching strategy. I can feel the pain for members and fans.
“I want to be able to say to them that was in the past. I can only tell you that in the future every decision that is made will be with a long-term club in mind. Unfortunately we have inherited a couple of years of pain.
“We’re going to do our best within that. But unfortunately there is going to be some pain. People are saying to us ‘you keep releasing all of these players and you’re not buying any others’.
“That’s because we know what next year’s contractual arrangements look like and we’re freaking out.”
The Tigers will be given a reminder of their cap problems on Sunday when they meet the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium. Among the opposition will be Adam Blair, a player the club let go at the end of last season but continues to carry on its salary cap.
Amid the difficulties behind the scenes, Go voiced her unqualified support for coach Jason Taylor and confirmed the club was edging towards the appointment of a new chief executive.
The Tigers are also on the verge of announcing a new major sponsor, replacing Meriton on the front of the jersey.
Meriton owner Harry Triguboff has been a long-time supporter of the club and Go hopes to keep him involved on another level.
“Harry has always said year in, year out, I am only there because they need me,” Go said.
“He said it again this year. The reality is we have somebody else who wants to be our major sponsor. It’s very exciting for us. It’s fantastic Harry has been with the club and supported it all these years.
“We value him and want to try to work with him in another way.”
The Tigers head to Brisbane in 15th place, locked in a battle with Newcastle to avoid the wooden spoon. Yet Go stressed better days were ahead.
“I know it doesn’t look like it from the outside but things are going well,” Go said.
“We inherited something that needed fixing and you can’t fix these things overnight. We’re very committed to where we are heading. The first year was always going to be difficult and it has been. the first year has been very, very difficult.
“There is so much work to do but it is exciting because none of it is insurmountable. Once we appoint a new CEO it is going to be a smoother transition. We have been walking and it will be time to run.”
