The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Kent has criticised Wests Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe for going on a holiday while the club have recorded the worst possible start to the season.
Pascoe’s holiday was reportedly planned for the off-season, but was cancelled due to Covid twice, with the Tigers board giving him their blessing to take time off according to The Daily Telegraph.
On NRL360, Kent called the absence a “bad move” as coach Michael Maguire continues to face criticism as the Tigers remain winless in 2022.
“Apparantely he is in the Northern Territory for a couple of weeks to have a break,” Kent said.
“I am afraid to ask what he is doing by Round 10, he is in Disneyland maybe.
“The fact is Justin Pascoe, and I like Justin, bad move, the club is trying to present a unified front, a one in all in image.
“But with the coach under so much pressure, the one thing he needed was his CEO standing by him.
“Tim Sheens has spoken regularly about supporting Michael Maguire, if they are going to do that, they need to be there.
“They cant be off on holidays, if there is a big score this weekend and a big score the weekend after and he is still doing a lap around Ayers Rock, I mean seriously.”
Kent went on to liken the situation to events in the past, explaining how it looks from an outsider looking in to the club.
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Pascoe’s holiday was reportedly planned for the off-season, but was cancelled due to Covid twice, with the Tigers board giving him their blessing to take time off according to The Daily Telegraph.
Probably still should have cancelled but makes a bit more sense now.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
Pascoe’s holiday was reportedly planned for the off-season, but was cancelled due to Covid twice, with the Tigers board giving him their blessing to take time off according to The Daily Telegraph.
Probably still should have cancelled but makes a bit more sense now.
Every one needs a holiday- that no crime.
But what if one of the players booked a trip to NT during the off season, and it was postponed due to covid twice. Could they take 2 weeks off during the season instead?
What about the physio? The coaching staff? Etc etc
If I was a CEO I would be a CEO of some big but no name company - you'd probably get paid 5x more and no one would notice when you go on holidays or comment on your dress, write blogs about you, etc.
But if you are a CEO of a football club it's a special position which you need a passion for and in a lot fo ways have to sacrifice a lot to commit to the rigours of the role.
Top 8 2023
Pascoe’s holiday was reportedly planned for the off-season, but was cancelled due to Covid twice, with the Tigers board giving him their blessing to take time off according to The Daily Telegraph.
Probably still should have cancelled but makes a bit more sense now.
Every one needs a holiday- that no crime.
But what if one of the players booked a trip to NT during the off season, and it was postponed due to covid twice. Could they take 2 weeks off during the season instead?
What about the physio? The coaching staff? Etc etc
If I was a CEO I would be a CEO of some big but no name company - you'd probably get paid 5x more and no one would notice when you go on holidays or comment on your dress, write blogs about you, etc.
But if you are a CEO of a football club it's a special position which you need a passion for and in a lot fo ways have to sacrifice a lot to commit to the rigours of the role.
Yes a good point. It’s not a normal job and going on holiday now is totally tone deaf.
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Pascoe’s holiday was reportedly planned for the off-season, but was cancelled due to Covid twice, with the Tigers board giving him their blessing to take time off according to The Daily Telegraph.
Probably still should have cancelled but makes a bit more sense now.
Every one needs a holiday- that no crime.
But what if one of the players booked a trip to NT during the off season, and it was postponed due to covid twice. Could they take 2 weeks off during the season instead?
What about the physio? The coaching staff? Etc etc
If I was a CEO I would be a CEO of some big but no name company - you'd probably get paid 5x more and no one would notice when you go on holidays or comment on your dress, write blogs about you, etc.
But if you are a CEO of a football club it's a special position which you need a passion for and in a lot fo ways have to sacrifice a lot to commit to the rigours of the role.
Yes a good point. It’s not a normal job and going on holiday now is totally tone deaf.
I agree with that.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
Have to agree that we currently need ‘all hands on deck.’ Pascoe is entitled to take leave and early season actually makes sense under normal circumstances - team is settled, season has commenced, roster full etc etc. But with the club under such pressure he should be around to lead, reassure, take heat, negotiate the media and calm everyone down. Not a very wise choice
Pascoe’s holiday was reportedly planned for the off-season, but was cancelled due to Covid twice, with the Tigers board giving him their blessing to take time off according to The Daily Telegraph.
Probably still should have cancelled but makes a bit more sense now.
No it doesn’t, totally irresponsible of both Pascoe and Lee. Holidays can wait until the off season regardless of what has happened before. Both should go.
Have to agree that we currently need ‘all hands on deck.’ Pascoe is entitled to take leave and early season actually makes sense under normal circumstances - team is settled, season has commenced, roster full etc etc. But with the club under such pressure he should be around to lead, reassure, take heat, negotiate the media and calm everyone down. Not a very wise choice
There is no way the CEO should be taking holidays during the NRL season while everyone else has to be on deck. A total lack of leadership has been shown by both Pascoe & Lee.
The fact that the CEO thought it was ok to go on holiday at this time and that the board signed off on it are indicative of an organisation in total disarray.
Leaderless and rudderless, it's no surprise that we're lurching from one disaster to the next.
it is the optics of the situation with Pascoe
1. On holidays during the JAC Signing saga
2. Tales of Tiger town doco walking around in the shirt heavens sake you are the CEO of a company. When on public display or in media try and look the part in suit and tie when interviewed
3. He is entitled to annual leave, barring death in family you would think annual leave could be taken October to January every year
Time for a new CEO
Pascoe’s holiday was reportedly planned for the off-season, but was cancelled due to Covid twice, with the Tigers board giving him their blessing to take time off according to The Daily Telegraph.
Probably still should have cancelled but makes a bit more sense now.
Yeah ...but it doesn't matter what business you run ...you need to be there for the testing times and it's not if half the people in this country haven't had holidays cancelled because of Covid
Pascoe’s holiday was reportedly planned for the off-season, but was cancelled due to Covid twice, with the Tigers board giving him their blessing to take time off according to The Daily Telegraph.
Probably still should have cancelled but makes a bit more sense now.
Yeah ...but it doesn't matter what business you run ...you need to be there for the testing times and it's not if half the people in this country haven't had holidays cancelled because of Covid
Bingo. He runs an NRL club going through a really bad period where the media has us under the microscope. All hands should be on deck at the moment. The fact he thought it was ok shows where his head is at.
The original supercoach Jack Gibson famously said winning starts Monday and winning starts in the front office.
It’s a shame the power brokers at the Wests Tigers are taking so long to cop the tip.
In the history of bizarre decisions, Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe’s call to take annual leave in the Northern Territory after the club’s 0-5 start to the year makes the grand final in every season dating back to 1908.
If the Wests Tigers need any more proof about why their on-field performances often appear to lack effort – look no further.
This bloke is supposedly the boss. Leadership? Not so much.
Like it or not, when you’re collecting $450,000 plus a year as the CEO of an NRL club blindly bumbling from one disaster to the next then it’s impossible to be immune from criticism.
Spare us the financial spread sheets, record membership numbers and the model diagrams of the $75 million Centre of Excellence at Concord – let’s talk about the scoreboard in terms of the football department and the on-field results.
Pascoe was appointed Wests Tigers CEO in September of 2015.
The list of epic stuff ups since he’s had control of the steering wheel at Concord has to be seen to be believed.
Below is the road to nowhere Pascoe has taken the Wests Tigers over the course of the last six years in terms of on-field results.
The Tigers haven’t played in a finals series since 2011.
September 2015: Gets feet under the desk.
First big decision: Tick off on coach Jason Taylor wanting to axe club legend and captain Robbie Farah – a move that turns into a complete fiasco, drags on for 18 months and costs the Tigers $700,000 for Farah to play for South Sydney in 2017.
April 2017: Signs off on coach Jason Taylor being sacked SIX months after Farah has finally been moved on from the club.
April 2017: Signs good mate Ivan Cleary as the Wests Tigers new head coach.
April 2017: Ivan tells the off-contract Tigers star players to either get on the bus or get off the bus.
May 2017: One of the worst days in the history of Wests Tigers. Camden Rams local junior James Tedesco signs with the Sydney Roosters.
May 2017: Another shocker. The Wests Tigers grant star local junior five-eighth Mitch Moses an immediate release to join the Parramatta Eels.
May 2017: It sounded like a good idea at the time. The Tigers sign Russell Packer, Josh Reynolds and Ben Matulino on big-money, long-term contracts.
July 2017: The false dawn. Word begins to do the rounds about Nathan Cleary possibly joining the Wests Tigers to play under his old man Ivan.
September 2017: The Tigers finish the year in 14th position on the NRL ladder with seven wins and 17 losses.
May 2018: Tigers sign Moses Mbye on a big-money four-year deal from Canterbury-Bankstown.
May 2018: Injured Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary sits in the Keith Barnes Stand at Leichhardt Oval watching the Tigers play.
August 2018: Pascoe gets blind-sided by best mate and coach Cleary who is linked with a return to the Penrith Panthers on a monster five-year $5 million deal – despite having two years to run on his Wests Tigers contract.
August 2018: It emerges Pascoe’s great mate Cleary has been in secret talks with Penrith for at least a month.
August 2018: The Wests Tigers finish ninth on the NRL ladder with 12 wins and 12 losses.
September 2018: The Panthers offer Cleary a three-year contract from 2021 – putting pressure on the Tigers to release him early.
September 2018: The Wests Tigers sign Ryan Matterson on a three-year contract until the end of 2021.
October 2018: The sky officially falls in. Cleary signs a five-year $5 million deal with the Panthers starting effective immediately. The Panthers pay Wests Tigers a $250,000 release fee. Cleary and Pascoe fall out and end up no speakies.
October 2018: Michael Maguire is appointed as the Wests Tigers new head coach on a three-year contract.
December 2018: Pascoe ticks off on Luke Brooks inking a new four-year contract until the end of 2023.
December 2018: Trouble strikes. Pascoe is de-registered by the NRL for six months for failing to disclose a $639,000 four-year arrangement for Robbie Farah to be a club ambassador. The Tigers are also penalised $750,000 out of their salary cap to be spread over two seasons.
June 2019: Pascoe is allowed to return to the role as Wests Tigers CEO.
July 2019: Josh Reynolds is told he’s free to look for another club despite being signed until the end of 2021 on $750,000-a-season.
July 2019: The club appoints Adam Hartigan as its new general manager of football.
August 2019: The Wests Tigers finish ninth on the NRL ladder with 11 wins and 13 losses.
October 2019: Another bun fight. Wests Tigers release Ryan Matterson with two years remaining on his contract after a blow-up with the club.
January 2020: A Hail Mary. The Wests Tigers sign Canberra Raiders centre Joey Leilua on a two-year deal with an option for a third year in club’s favour.
June 2020: Coach Michael Maguire axes club legend Benji Marshall from the NRL side despite the playmaker being the Tigers spiritual leader.
August 2020: An epic stuff-up. Wests Tigers legend Marshall learns the club is about to show him the door via media reports. Culture? Not so much.
August 2020: The Wests Tigers finish 11th with seven wins and 13 losses.
November 2020: Another Hail Mary. The Tigers trumpet the signing of James Roberts despite no other NRL club being prepared to take the risk.
December 2020: The Tigers extend coach Michael Maguire’s contract until the end of 2023 citing “stability” as key to the future of the club.
April 2021: The Tigers are booed off Leichhardt Oval at halftime in round five against North Queensland on a day the club was commemorating the death of club legend Tommy Raudonikis.
May 2021: The Wests Tigers start the season with two wins and six losses as pressure mounts on coach Maguire.
June 2021: The club appoints Tim Sheens to return in a director of football role ten years after sacking the four-time premiership-winner.
June 2021: The Wests Tigers are thumped 66-16 by Melbourne Storm on the Sunshine Coast.
August 2021: In the final game of the season the Tigers are flogged 38-0 by wooden spoon side Canterbury-Bankstown.
August 2021: The Tigers finish the season in 13th with eight wins and 16 losses. They concede 714 points, their worst average points leaked since 2001.
August 2021: Pascoe heads-up an internal end-of-season review alongside Sheens, chairman Lee Hagipantelis, board member Danny Stapleton and head of football Adam Hartigan.
September 2021: Coach Maguire survives the axe after the internal end-of-season review.
October 2021: Tigers head of football Hartigan and assistant coaches Shane Millard and Wayne Collins are moved on from the club.
April 2022: The Tigers start the season 0 wins from five games as the blow torch is again applied to coach Maguire.
April 2022: Pascoe takes annual leave until April 21 to travel to the Northern Territory on a family holiday.
We spoke to Pascoe on Tuesday night to check the reasoning for the early-season Northern Territory sojourn and the Tigers boss went into detail about how COVID restrictions meant the family holiday had been rescheduled three times.
The Tigers boss also said his presence would have no bearing in terms of the on-field result on Easter Monday when the Tigers face the high-flying Eels in round six.
Pascoe also pointed out his phone was still on, he’d been speaking to Tim Sheens and the club’s leadership guru and he was continuing to work on the club’s Centre of Excellence project.
For the record, we can’t recall another CEO of an NRL club taking annual leave when their club was 0-5 to start a season.
We canvassed some of the other NRL CEO’s on Wednesday. One long-time rugby league administrator told us it was simply a no-no.
“It’s important to show the players you’re still there for them when you’re losing as well,” the administrator said.
There’s an off-season from October until March for annual leave and family holidays.
We offered Pascoe the chance to answer questions on the record about the time off but he declined.
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