Another key figure in the Wests Tigers administration has exited the club following the departures of CEO Justin Pascoe and Chairman Lee Hagipantelis. The recent departure is that of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mark Sawicki, who, in contrast to Pascoe and Hagipantelis, has left of his own accord.
Mark Sawicki, who has been a valuable contributor to the club over the years, will be joining the St George Illawarra Dragons. His decision is motivated by the proximity of the Wollongong area to his residence, eliminating the need for a lengthy commute to Tigertown.
This departure is part of a broader restructuring, which saw the replacement of Pascoe and Hagipantelis with former NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and former Rabbitohs, Panthers, and Sharks chief executive Shane Richardson. In response to these changes, Balmain Tigers legend Ben Elias expressed his satisfaction, stating that it was a necessary move for the club.
Elias commented, “It’s great news, it’s huge news. It’s something that needed to be done. It’s been more than a decade with no success, so something had to be done. They’ve acted in the most brutal way. You’ve got to make some serious decisions when you’re in that position, and now was the time to do it. It should have happened ages ago. I’ve been saying it for a long while that there needed to be a change in the joint. If you’re not successful, then you need to make changes until you are successful. They’ve had a very thorough review, and these are the actions they had to take.”
