‘Heading in the right direction’: Shane Richardson signs long-term deal to remain at Wests Tigers

Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall is thrilled with the news that Shane Richardson has agreed to a four-year deal to remain chief executive despite being linked with a potential return to South Sydney.

Richardson joined the Tigers following sweeping changes to the board last December and has made it clear that he sees a strong future at the club having previously enjoyed success at the Rabbitohs, Panthers and Sharks.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for me to assist this club win its second premiership, and I look forward to working with Benji and the team to achieve that goal,” Richardson said.

“Wests Tigers is a family club with fiercely loyal members and a huge supporter base.

“We’re on a journey, come with us.”

Richardson joined the club in December following an independent review into why the Tigers had struggled on the field for more than a decade. He now has four years to work closely with Marshall who has already made a difference in his first season as coach.

“I’ve been really impressed with Richo, and I think this is really big news for our club that he’s committed long term,” Marshall said on Friday morning.

“To me, it means he sees a future and a vision for the future of our club.

“What I love about Richo is that there’s no nonsense about what he does. There’s complete transparency and honesty, and he’s brought an experience to the club where he’s had success in the past and turned around unsuccessful clubs before.

“I love working with him, he’s been great to deal with, and from a club perspective, it’s great moving forward for us.

“He brings a skill set that our club needed and he’s brought a real clear sense of direction.

“Along with the board, I feel like we’re heading in the right direction.”

There could be further good news with reports the Tigers have signed Penrith premiership winner Sunia Turuva, but Marshall wasn’t keen to discuss the matter.

“Nothing has been agreed or done so we’ll talk about that if it gets done,” he said.

The Tigers are looking to return to winning ways against a Broncos team that is in ominous form and welcomes back superstars Payne Haas and Adam Reynolds.

“I think the Broncos are probably the best team in the competition at the moment,” Marshall said after an encouraging performance against Penrith last week.

“They’ve got attack all over the park, and their forward pack is really strong, led by Patrick Carrigan, Payne Haas and guys like that.

“We know it’s going to be a tough assignment, but let’s get through 80 minutes of our processes and see where we get.”