Tigers welcome Shaun Mielekamp

Why interim Tigers boss Shaun Mielekamp is sitting down with frustrated fans for coffee​

It takes a brave man to front up to success-starved Wests Tigers fans, but interim CEO Shaun Mielekamp isn’t the kind of guy to take the easy way out. Meet the club boss doing things differently.
Pamela Whaley
February 22, 2026 - 12:00PM


Shaun Mielekamp, the man behind Usain Bolt’s internationally famous stint at Central Coast Mariners and Penrith’s Pink Panthers jersey, is now turning his attention to the Wests Tigers with the difficult task of uniting and reassuring a fan base scarred by past traumas.

Interim CEO since a sensational boardroom breakdown in December which cost his close mentor and former club boss Shane Richardson his position, Mielekamp does not yet have job assurance, but he makes up for it in confidence.

In the few short months he’s been in charge, the decorated sports administrator has had around 60 one-on-one coffees and phone calls with members to hopefully help frustrated fans feel heard.
https://www.supercoach.com.au/nrl/?source_code=SCWEB_EDL2
All they have to do is ask.

“We’ve had three fan forums and a 1000 coffees and a 1000 phone calls. A lot of one on ones,” Mielekamp tells this masthead.

Wests Tigers chief executive Shaun Mielekamp. Picture: Tigers

Wests Tigers chief executive Shaun Mielekamp. Picture: Tigers

“Members call up, they book in a time and I go and catch up with a coffee, give them a tour.

“I wanted to give the members the opportunity to hear from each other as there are so many questions.

“So there’s been a lot, it’s been really positive, and it’s been a really good way for me to hear from the fans exactly their experiences, what they’re passionate about and for me to assure them they’ve got a voice and it’s being heard.”


You don’t often hear of this level of accountability and openness from an NRL boss, especially with a fan base who have been hurt so many times before.

But it’s a job Mielekamp says he’s fallen in love with.

“Those fans are the reason I come to work every day. I have fallen in love with those club and the fan base and the members that are here over the last two years that I’ve been here,” he says.

“And they deserve some success. I’ve really got some good friends emerged through from that, but I can see they’ve put in so much of their lives into this club, so for me that’s what gets me up every morning and keeps me extremely motivated to work as hard as I can for them.”

HOW TO FIND STABILITY

As an administrator, Mielekamp had spent a few years at South Sydney, and then Penrith, followed by Western Sydney Wanderers, before he was approached by the Mariners where he spent nine years before joining the Wests Tigers in 2024.

For the most part, the hardest work has been done to get the club to a competitive standard off the field.

Mielekamp was once the merchandise/licensing manager at the Panthers.

Mielekamp was once the merchandise/licensing manager at the Panthers.

His job now is to find stability and success, which are the two most common concerns to pop up during three fan forums now.

Others are stadium plans, recruitment, and how to unite two sides of an amalgamated club, which has been a source of tension for years.

Members have been invited to air their concerns, push for answers, and vent, as well as get a tour of the club’s facilities.

There’s one to come in Campbelltown.

Some forums have been more intense than others, but the passion is undeniable.

It’s an unusual position to be in for Mielekamp too, to reassure fans of the stability of the club from an interim position.

“It’s firstly about being honest, I can only play what’s in front of me,” he says.

“The most important thing is a bit of success. On field success, continued success off the field will deliver that stability and that’s what we’ve got to stay focused on.

“So it is hard to make promises that you can’t really fully guarantee. But all I can say is the strategy to stability is through success.”

He plans for the future as if the job is his.

“I do feed back to my past history, I did have a three-month contract that lasted nine years, so it keeps you on your toes, it keeps you driven every day,” he says.

“So I don’t mind it. I relish in this mode. If I just do a cracking on things will take care of themselves.”

It’s been 21 years since the 2005 premiership, and 14 seasons without a finals appearance.

The frustration is palpable.

“The important thing is we don’t need to get back on track. Internally the four walls here, nothing has changed, so that’s really the key message to get to the members as well because they don’t know and want to really understand what is happening,” he explains.

“But it’s the same exact team, it’s the same coaching staff, it’s the same playing group.

“And it has been two years to build the club to this point.”

He’s come in just as the team was starting to show signs of promise for future success.

“Winning is a real key part. Through all the changes and the turmoil, the ones who get forgotten sometimes are the players on the field are the players on the field and the members in the stands,” he continues.

“So making sure the focus is on those guys is what a football club should be doing.”

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

On the agenda is stadium planning with Leichhardt Oval to undergo renovations this season, followed by Campbelltown Stadium in 2027.

From a football department, the ongoing development of pathways is crucial.

While Bolt stole a lot of the headlines over Mielekamp’s almost nine years with the Mariners, across his tenure they went from “a club on its knees” to winning absolutely everything. And producing homegrown talent way key to that success.

“While the Usain show was happening, behind the scenes the really hard work was being done by the football staff and team in developing through our academy and our coaches and I see the synergies here,” he says.

Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt arrives at Sydney Airport ahead of his Mariner trial. Picture: AAP Image/Erik Anderson

Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt arrives at Sydney Airport ahead of his Mariner trial. Picture: AAP Image/Erik Anderson

“I’m really passionate about believing the Wests Tigers can have the best rugby league pathway in the world, but we’ve got a long way to go, there’s a lot of really hard work to get into that and we have to make sure we understand what is the best way to unlock the talent that comes through and keeping that talent at the Wests Tigers.

“So much of that will come through from coaching, some will come through from the amount of revenue and resources you can drive into that space, but that’s a big part of this club.”

The main speed bump he’s seeing at the moment is a lack of patience.

“Everyone might be in a bit of a rush at times. Young talent can be flown through really fast instead of being given time to nurture, and just consistency of messages,” he says.

“If there’s continual change it’s hard to establish a continual process.

“So it is something that will take a long slow burn.

“It took nine years at Central Coast Mariners, I’m not saying it’s going to take that long, but it’s something we need to be really clear about and stick to the plan.”

SHOOT YOUR SHOT

He’s unafraid to take big swings.

And while the Tigers don’t need the kind of spectacle that was the “Usain Bolt show” from 2018, his willingness to make a big move ultimately paid off in corporate dollars and international brand recognition, which was a turning point for the Mariners.

The idea to offer the greatest sprinter of all time an A-League contract was first joked about, and then quickly became a reality when a close friend offered him the contact information and he dared ask the question.

“The player agent came to me and said, ‘Mate, I think you’re the only CEO who would actually listen to this, everyone else is going to hang up the phone to me’. It was a time,” he says.

What followed was eight weeks of absolute hysteria, paparazzi in bushes, journalists in trees watching training, and around the clock coverage of the worldwide spectacle.

Usain Bolt is greeted by Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp. Picture: Brett Costello

Usain Bolt is greeted by Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp. Picture: Brett Costello

It was brief and controversial, but it worked.

“It was interesting, it was amazing, I couldn’t believe it as it was unfolding. When we had word that Usain was really open to, and genuinely wanted to explore, his football career, to speak to Usain about a genuine journey as an athlete wasn’t being presented to him anywhere else around the world,” he explains.

“They were all talking to him about his brand, and commercials, and money and revenue.

“And ultimately our pitch was, ‘You’ll get treated like a footballer. You’ll come in, you’ll be able to train in the pre-season, and we’ll treat you like a footballer and continue to stick through from that’.

“When we played at Campbelltown Stadium and he scored the two goals, we couldn’t believe it, but also it was amazing to see his development in such a short space of time as a footballer, and he does have a left foot.”

The biggest takeaway for Wests Tigers fans? Don’t ask, don’t receive.

Ask the man for a coffee, he might say yes.
 

Why interim Tigers boss Shaun Mielekamp is sitting down with frustrated fans for coffee​

It takes a brave man to front up to success-starved Wests Tigers fans, but interim CEO Shaun Mielekamp isn’t the kind of guy to take the easy way out. Meet the club boss doing things differently.
Pamela Whaley
February 22, 2026 - 12:00PM


Shaun Mielekamp, the man behind Usain Bolt’s internationally famous stint at Central Coast Mariners and Penrith’s Pink Panthers jersey, is now turning his attention to the Wests Tigers with the difficult task of uniting and reassuring a fan base scarred by past traumas.

Interim CEO since a sensational boardroom breakdown in December which cost his close mentor and former club boss Shane Richardson his position, Mielekamp does not yet have job assurance, but he makes up for it in confidence.

In the few short months he’s been in charge, the decorated sports administrator has had around 60 one-on-one coffees and phone calls with members to hopefully help frustrated fans feel heard.
https://www.supercoach.com.au/nrl/?source_code=SCWEB_EDL2
All they have to do is ask.

“We’ve had three fan forums and a 1000 coffees and a 1000 phone calls. A lot of one on ones,” Mielekamp tells this masthead.

Wests Tigers chief executive Shaun Mielekamp. Picture: Tigers

Wests Tigers chief executive Shaun Mielekamp. Picture: Tigers

“Members call up, they book in a time and I go and catch up with a coffee, give them a tour.

“I wanted to give the members the opportunity to hear from each other as there are so many questions.

“So there’s been a lot, it’s been really positive, and it’s been a really good way for me to hear from the fans exactly their experiences, what they’re passionate about and for me to assure them they’ve got a voice and it’s being heard.”


You don’t often hear of this level of accountability and openness from an NRL boss, especially with a fan base who have been hurt so many times before.

But it’s a job Mielekamp says he’s fallen in love with.

“Those fans are the reason I come to work every day. I have fallen in love with those club and the fan base and the members that are here over the last two years that I’ve been here,” he says.

“And they deserve some success. I’ve really got some good friends emerged through from that, but I can see they’ve put in so much of their lives into this club, so for me that’s what gets me up every morning and keeps me extremely motivated to work as hard as I can for them.”

HOW TO FIND STABILITY

As an administrator, Mielekamp had spent a few years at South Sydney, and then Penrith, followed by Western Sydney Wanderers, before he was approached by the Mariners where he spent nine years before joining the Wests Tigers in 2024.

For the most part, the hardest work has been done to get the club to a competitive standard off the field.

Mielekamp was once the merchandise/licensing manager at the Panthers.

Mielekamp was once the merchandise/licensing manager at the Panthers.

His job now is to find stability and success, which are the two most common concerns to pop up during three fan forums now.

Others are stadium plans, recruitment, and how to unite two sides of an amalgamated club, which has been a source of tension for years.

Members have been invited to air their concerns, push for answers, and vent, as well as get a tour of the club’s facilities.

There’s one to come in Campbelltown.

Some forums have been more intense than others, but the passion is undeniable.

It’s an unusual position to be in for Mielekamp too, to reassure fans of the stability of the club from an interim position.

“It’s firstly about being honest, I can only play what’s in front of me,” he says.

“The most important thing is a bit of success. On field success, continued success off the field will deliver that stability and that’s what we’ve got to stay focused on.

“So it is hard to make promises that you can’t really fully guarantee. But all I can say is the strategy to stability is through success.”

He plans for the future as if the job is his.

“I do feed back to my past history, I did have a three-month contract that lasted nine years, so it keeps you on your toes, it keeps you driven every day,” he says.

“So I don’t mind it. I relish in this mode. If I just do a cracking on things will take care of themselves.”

It’s been 21 years since the 2005 premiership, and 14 seasons without a finals appearance.

The frustration is palpable.

“The important thing is we don’t need to get back on track. Internally the four walls here, nothing has changed, so that’s really the key message to get to the members as well because they don’t know and want to really understand what is happening,” he explains.

“But it’s the same exact team, it’s the same coaching staff, it’s the same playing group.

“And it has been two years to build the club to this point.”

He’s come in just as the team was starting to show signs of promise for future success.

“Winning is a real key part. Through all the changes and the turmoil, the ones who get forgotten sometimes are the players on the field are the players on the field and the members in the stands,” he continues.

“So making sure the focus is on those guys is what a football club should be doing.”

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

On the agenda is stadium planning with Leichhardt Oval to undergo renovations this season, followed by Campbelltown Stadium in 2027.

From a football department, the ongoing development of pathways is crucial.

While Bolt stole a lot of the headlines over Mielekamp’s almost nine years with the Mariners, across his tenure they went from “a club on its knees” to winning absolutely everything. And producing homegrown talent way key to that success.

“While the Usain show was happening, behind the scenes the really hard work was being done by the football staff and team in developing through our academy and our coaches and I see the synergies here,” he says.

Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt arrives at Sydney Airport ahead of his Mariner trial. Picture: AAP Image/Erik Anderson

Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt arrives at Sydney Airport ahead of his Mariner trial. Picture: AAP Image/Erik Anderson

“I’m really passionate about believing the Wests Tigers can have the best rugby league pathway in the world, but we’ve got a long way to go, there’s a lot of really hard work to get into that and we have to make sure we understand what is the best way to unlock the talent that comes through and keeping that talent at the Wests Tigers.

“So much of that will come through from coaching, some will come through from the amount of revenue and resources you can drive into that space, but that’s a big part of this club.”

The main speed bump he’s seeing at the moment is a lack of patience.

“Everyone might be in a bit of a rush at times. Young talent can be flown through really fast instead of being given time to nurture, and just consistency of messages,” he says.

“If there’s continual change it’s hard to establish a continual process.

“So it is something that will take a long slow burn.

“It took nine years at Central Coast Mariners, I’m not saying it’s going to take that long, but it’s something we need to be really clear about and stick to the plan.”

SHOOT YOUR SHOT

He’s unafraid to take big swings.

And while the Tigers don’t need the kind of spectacle that was the “Usain Bolt show” from 2018, his willingness to make a big move ultimately paid off in corporate dollars and international brand recognition, which was a turning point for the Mariners.

The idea to offer the greatest sprinter of all time an A-League contract was first joked about, and then quickly became a reality when a close friend offered him the contact information and he dared ask the question.

“The player agent came to me and said, ‘Mate, I think you’re the only CEO who would actually listen to this, everyone else is going to hang up the phone to me’. It was a time,” he says.

What followed was eight weeks of absolute hysteria, paparazzi in bushes, journalists in trees watching training, and around the clock coverage of the worldwide spectacle.

Usain Bolt is greeted by Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp. Picture: Brett Costello

Usain Bolt is greeted by Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp. Picture: Brett Costello

It was brief and controversial, but it worked.

“It was interesting, it was amazing, I couldn’t believe it as it was unfolding. When we had word that Usain was really open to, and genuinely wanted to explore, his football career, to speak to Usain about a genuine journey as an athlete wasn’t being presented to him anywhere else around the world,” he explains.

“They were all talking to him about his brand, and commercials, and money and revenue.

“And ultimately our pitch was, ‘You’ll get treated like a footballer. You’ll come in, you’ll be able to train in the pre-season, and we’ll treat you like a footballer and continue to stick through from that’.

“When we played at Campbelltown Stadium and he scored the two goals, we couldn’t believe it, but also it was amazing to see his development in such a short space of time as a footballer, and he does have a left foot.”

The biggest takeaway for Wests Tigers fans? Don’t ask, don’t receive.

Ask the man for a coffee, he might say yes.
Who here actually received a call?
 
I did. The call was related to going back to the paper I sent the club on "What fans want" from last year. Cochise prompted the call. It was an apology for not getting back to me at the time - which was promised and not delivered plus a chat about my views in general. I also has a chat to him at the first fan forum. What he had to say was essentially in the article - there were a few lapses where possibly a little more than intended came out - but for the most part he stuck to the script.

Shaun has received media training and plays a pretty straight bat. Having said that he also knows how to turn a question he doesn't what to answer into a means of getting across the points he wants. The old "I can't comment on that but what I can say is....... talking point 1, 2, 3 or 4."

He comes across as genuine; and I'm sure he has picked up a couple of gems during the engagement process, but it is what it is: an opportunity for fans to whinge and "be heard" with the reality being that the plan is already in place and Shaun will massage the answer to make you feel like your issue is being addressed.
 
Last edited:
HBG back in the news today. Article on the SMH website. Behind a paywall.

The Sydney Morning Herald

The Tigers have begun the season in style. But their owner is under the microscope again​

Chris Barrett¡5 min read¡Apr 2, 2026
The owner of Wests Tigers is facing a fresh investigation into a decades-old system that gives 20 people effective control of a $100 million leagues club operation and the NRL joint venture.

The Holman Barnes Group has a 90 per cent stake in the Tigers and holds the balance of power on the NRL team’s board, as well as running the Wests Ashfield club.

Holman Barnes Group owns Wests Ashfield and Wests Tigers.Matt Willis/Alamy Stock Photo


HBG was cleared by Liquor and Gaming NSW in July after an initial probe into a complaint of board misconduct and governance failures at the organisation, which was formerly known as Western Suburbs Leagues Club.
However, the state’s clubs regulator said it was investigating again.

“Liquor and Gaming NSW is looking into complaints between December 2025 and January 2026 about the Western Suburbs Leagues Club,” a spokesperson said.

HBG chairman Dennis Burgess (right) pictured with former director Tony Andreacchio in 2021.Edwina Pickles
“These complaints relate to the operation of a debenture system and the club’s compliance with the Registered Clubs Act 1976.

“As these inquiries are ongoing, no further comment can be made at this stage.”
A HBG spokesperson said it had “complied with all requests from Liquor and Gaming NSW dating back to late 2024, providing detailed responses and supporting information to their satisfaction”.

“We were informed last year that there was no further action to be taken at the time,” the spokesperson said.
https://zero.click/878d9617-fd1a-4d91-9cf3-89c6e3ba567c
“Any subsequent complaints appear to be an extension of the scope of the original complaints, and we will be treating those in full co-operation with the regulator. We take all such matters with utmost professional compliance and will act in accordance with all regulatory requirements.”

HBG is believed to be the only registered club in NSW to continue to operate such a system, in which five of seven board positions must be filled by 20 so-called debenture holders and the club’s 28,500 members can only vote on the remaining two spots.

The system originated in 1955 with founding members issued with debentures in return for providing $100 each to get the club off the ground.

The debentures are non-transferrable. HBG said they could not be assigned, sold or passed on, including to a relative after a holder’s death, and vacancies were filled by a process in which candidates were considered by a selection committee and the board had final approval. The selection committee is appointed by the board.

Liquor and Gaming NSW last year found the debenture system “to be lawful and not to confer any unlawful or undue advantage to members”.

Former Wests Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson (left) pictured with Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell and independent director Michelle McDowell.Steven Siewert
But it is under the microscope again following a year of upheaval in 2025 in which HBG chair Julie Romero was ousted in a boardroom coup and long-time chief executive Simon Cook also departed.

In December, HBG then axed Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell and three other Tigers independent directors, who had been installed after a governance review and had held the majority on the board.
HBG cited inadequate communication as their reason for intervening before reinstating the independent directors at the request of the NRL.

But HBG’s representation on the board was increased, ensuring it has the numbers to call the shots despite former NSW premier O’Farrell being chairman.

According to corporate records only two of the independents – O’Farrell and Michelle McDowell – still sit on what is now an eight-member Tigers board.

Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson, who had delivered the club’s first profit in a decade, quit in response to the board shake-up, walking away with a seven-figure payout after just 18 months of a four-year contract.

HBG also settled late last year with former director Rick Wayde after he brought Supreme Court action against it.

Asked about the cost of legal fees and payouts during the past year, the HBG spokesperson said it “does not publicly disclose commercially sensitive information, including legal costs or employment-related payments, unless required to do so under applicable law or regulatory obligations, which in this case it is not required to do so”.

The Tigers in December also extended the contract of head coach Benji Marshall until the end of 2030.

Marshall’s Tigers have begun the season impressively, defeating the high-flying New Zealand Warriors in Auckland last Friday to rise to third place before their Easter Monday contest against Parramatta at CommBank Stadium.
 

The Sydney Morning Herald

The Tigers have begun the season in style. But their owner is under the microscope again​

Chris Barrett¡5 min read¡Apr 2, 2026
The owner of Wests Tigers is facing a fresh investigation into a decades-old system that gives 20 people effective control of a $100 million leagues club operation and the NRL joint venture.

The Holman Barnes Group has a 90 per cent stake in the Tigers and holds the balance of power on the NRL team’s board, as well as running the Wests Ashfield club.

Holman Barnes Group owns Wests Ashfield and Wests Tigers.Matt Willis/Alamy Stock Photo


HBG was cleared by Liquor and Gaming NSW in July after an initial probe into a complaint of board misconduct and governance failures at the organisation, which was formerly known as Western Suburbs Leagues Club.
However, the state’s clubs regulator said it was investigating again.

“Liquor and Gaming NSW is looking into complaints between December 2025 and January 2026 about the Western Suburbs Leagues Club,” a spokesperson said.

HBG chairman Dennis Burgess (right) pictured with former director Tony Andreacchio in 2021.Edwina Pickles
“These complaints relate to the operation of a debenture system and the club’s compliance with the Registered Clubs Act 1976.

“As these inquiries are ongoing, no further comment can be made at this stage.”
A HBG spokesperson said it had “complied with all requests from Liquor and Gaming NSW dating back to late 2024, providing detailed responses and supporting information to their satisfaction”.

“We were informed last year that there was no further action to be taken at the time,” the spokesperson said.
https://zero.click/878d9617-fd1a-4d91-9cf3-89c6e3ba567c
“Any subsequent complaints appear to be an extension of the scope of the original complaints, and we will be treating those in full co-operation with the regulator. We take all such matters with utmost professional compliance and will act in accordance with all regulatory requirements.”

HBG is believed to be the only registered club in NSW to continue to operate such a system, in which five of seven board positions must be filled by 20 so-called debenture holders and the club’s 28,500 members can only vote on the remaining two spots.

The system originated in 1955 with founding members issued with debentures in return for providing $100 each to get the club off the ground.

The debentures are non-transferrable. HBG said they could not be assigned, sold or passed on, including to a relative after a holder’s death, and vacancies were filled by a process in which candidates were considered by a selection committee and the board had final approval. The selection committee is appointed by the board.

Liquor and Gaming NSW last year found the debenture system “to be lawful and not to confer any unlawful or undue advantage to members”.

Former Wests Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson (left) pictured with Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell and independent director Michelle McDowell.Steven Siewert
But it is under the microscope again following a year of upheaval in 2025 in which HBG chair Julie Romero was ousted in a boardroom coup and long-time chief executive Simon Cook also departed.

In December, HBG then axed Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell and three other Tigers independent directors, who had been installed after a governance review and had held the majority on the board.
HBG cited inadequate communication as their reason for intervening before reinstating the independent directors at the request of the NRL.

But HBG’s representation on the board was increased, ensuring it has the numbers to call the shots despite former NSW premier O’Farrell being chairman.

According to corporate records only two of the independents – O’Farrell and Michelle McDowell – still sit on what is now an eight-member Tigers board.

Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson, who had delivered the club’s first profit in a decade, quit in response to the board shake-up, walking away with a seven-figure payout after just 18 months of a four-year contract.

HBG also settled late last year with former director Rick Wayde after he brought Supreme Court action against it.

Asked about the cost of legal fees and payouts during the past year, the HBG spokesperson said it “does not publicly disclose commercially sensitive information, including legal costs or employment-related payments, unless required to do so under applicable law or regulatory obligations, which in this case it is not required to do so”.

The Tigers in December also extended the contract of head coach Benji Marshall until the end of 2030.

Marshall’s Tigers have begun the season impressively, defeating the high-flying New Zealand Warriors in Auckland last Friday to rise to third place before their Easter Monday contest against Parramatta at CommBank Stadium.
hopefully they can remove this debenture system
 
Well if he has merchandise experience I hope he improves the Roar Stores service. The last 2 occasions I received a product I didn’t order (shirt didn’t match the picture) and lost my special order club cap. They attempted to smooth it over by sending some training gear but that’s not what I wanted. I wanted a cap. You call and they are either closed or it gets put through to someone with no idea. Or the product or size you want is out of stock. Amateur hour.
 
Well if he has merchandise experience I hope he improves the Roar Stores service. The last 2 occasions I received a product I didn’t order (shirt didn’t match the picture) and lost my special order club cap. They attempted to smooth it over by sending some training gear but that’s not what I wanted. I wanted a cap. You call and they are either closed or it gets put through to someone with no idea. Or the product or size you want is out of stock. Amateur hour.
High demand.

Just got re stocked on on field shorts and the new cultural jersey. Get in quick.
 

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