STATEMENT FROM THE BOARD OF WESTS TIGERS
Thursday, April 09, 2009
The Board of Wests Tigers tonight accepted with regret the resignation of CEO Scott Longmuir..
The Board of Wests Tigers acknowledges the significant contribution Scott has made to the overall success of Wests Tigers since taking up his initial role of General Manager of Sales and Marketing in 2006..
Scott was an integral part of securing not only the off-field but on-field success of the club over the period of his tenure including his role in establishing strong sponsorship growth for the organisation and more recently, the securing of Wests Tigers star players Captain Robbie Farah and Kiwi international Benji Marshall..
The Board wishes to publicly thank Scott for his outstanding contribution and the many achievements and wishes him every success in his future endeavours..
The search now starts for a leader that can take our organisation forward in this extremely tough market place and competitive football premiership season..
The Board recognises that the Wests Tigers organisation is one of the strongest in the NRL boasting rapidly growing membership, strong corporate support, one of the largest fan bases and a strong brand built around a young and exciting football team. This places the organisation in a position of strength in its search for a replacement CEO..
The Board also wants to correct some of the rumours and false statements currently circulating..
Everyone at Wests Tigers is acutely aware of the importance of the 2009 season, none more so than the football operations department and Head Coach Tim Sheens..
Media reports suggesting that Tim Sheens was shying away from accountability could not be further from the truth. Anyone who knows Tim knows that he does not accept anything other than full commitment from everyone within his team and knows the standards he sets for himself..
There isnt anyone associated with Wests Tigers that has been anything but disappointed with the end of season performances of our team over the last three years. Everyone is on notice that 2009 is an important year and everyone across the organisation is accountable for their individual performance and their contribution to the teams performance..
There was also a reference made to the organisation being run like a club rather than a business. One of the ongoing challenges in sport administration is achieving the appropriate mix between business and sporting priorities. The Board is confident that it has the right strategies in place to deal with these challenges. No-one is more aware of and capable of dealing with those challenges than four-time premiership winning coach and current Australian coach, Tim Sheens..
The Board wont be making any further comment at this time.
