The turmoil at the Wests Tigers has already reached boiling point with the departure of Shane Richardson this week, 18 months into a four-year contract.
But for the embattled joint venture, things could still get a lot worse.
In the wake of four independent directors being ousted by the Holman Barnes Group – whose chairman is now under fire – last week, Richardson walked out on the club he had only just started to help rebuild.
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The long-time rugby league official has overseen plenty of success during his career and appeared to have turned things around in the eyes of long-suffering Tigers fans.
Shane Richardson has quit the club Getty
Richardson, alongside coach Benji Marshall, had given supporters from both sides of the merger room for optimism heading into the 2026 season and beyond.
But now, things are unravelling at rapid speed and the spotlight could soon turn to the playing roster as two key men weigh up their futures at Concord.
The first player who will be under the microscope is co-captain Jarome Luai, who is only one year into a five-year, multi-million dollar contract with the Tigers.
However, the star playmaker has clauses in his deal that effectively made him a free agent from November 1 and available to sign with rival clubs for 2027 onwards.
Luai was adamant during his first season at the club he was going to stick it out for the long haul – but with the chaos going on around him, could you really blame the Samoan international and four-time Panthers premiership winner if he felt a little nervous?
“It’s not gone [the contract clauses] – but when things get hard, people are expecting you to change,” the 28-year-old told media midway through the year.
“I’m not that type of guy. I’m here for the long run and I’m here to change this club.”
Jarome Luai Getty
The other high-profile star whose future remains clouded is Jahream Bula.
The talented Fijian fullback has already been heavily linked with a move away from the Tigers despite having an option to extend into the 2027 season.
Prior to quitting his role as chief executive amid the dramas, Richardson told AAP last month that he expected Bula to stick around for the long haul.
“I don’t want to do a pick-up of the option, I want to do an extension long term,” he said.
“He wants to be here, unlike [Lachlan] Galvin, who didn’t want to be here, he wants to be here. You never count your chickens until they hatch, but I am pretty confident.”
Richardson’s confidence just a few weeks ago would have eased the fears of fans, but with the CEO no longer in the picture there are undoubtedly question marks over where Bula sits.
The 23-year-old is one of the game’s most exciting young players and along with Luai and Api Koroisau, could form a lethal spine combination for years to come.
Jahream Bula Getty
Other players who are unsigned beyond next season include Jack Bird, Jeral Skelton and Sione Fainu – one third of the brothers who have improved leaps and bounds under coach Marshall and should be part of the club’s long-term plans.
But it will be the respective futures of Luai and Bula that could lead to a few sleepless nights from those involved in the decision-making at the Tigers.
If the marquee men don’t receive some type of clarity or reassurance about the on-field and off-field direction soon, things could get really messy in the months to come.
Wests Tigers 2026 off-contract list
Heath Mason, Jack Bird, Jahream Bula, Jarome Luai, Jeral Skelton, Kit Laulilii, Mavrik Geyer, Sione Fainu, Solomone Saukuru, Tony Sukkar, Tristan Hope, Will Craig