Brian Fletcher will dust off his golf clubs when he ends his tenure as Panthers Group CEO early next year.
The powerful club boss announced last weekend that he plans to stand down from Panthers in the first quarter of 2026.
The Weekender can confirm his final day will be March 2 – coinciding with his 10-year anniversary of being appointed CEO.
“On Christmas Day I’ll be 72 years of age and I’ve always had in the back of my mind and I’ve always said that people in this position can stay too long because you’re well paid and it’s a good position, and I weighed all that up,” Fletcher told the Weekender.
“I travel in and out from the city every day and it’s just the ideal time for me after talking to my wife and my two daughters to spend a bit of time playing golf – which I haven’t done over the years because I’ve been a CEO in two positions for 36 years.
“72 is just the right age and 10 years is right. I realistically only left Hawkesbury Race Club to come here for four years – I said to (former Chairman) Dave O’Neill that I’d do the job for four years and that’ll see me out.
“We’ve had a bit of success since then. I feel very comfortable with the decision and I’m looking forward to moving in to the next chapter of my life.”
Fletcher joined the Panthers Board in 2010 and became CEO in March 2016 after a stint as Chairman.
He lists his highlights as the opening of the Panthers Rugby League Academy, the new $25 million multi-deck car park and the opening of the $120 million Pullman Hotel and Western Sydney Convention Centre.
Fletcher also guided the club through the COVID-19 crisis, including turning Panthers into a massive vaccination clinic.
“COVID was the biggest challenge and we did really well,” he said.
“I turned the place into a vaccination centre and I was able to give all the staff half wages through that whole period… we got through that and we came out of it at the other end financially sound.
“All the staff took half of their holidays during that period and we were able to convince the Board to reinstate those holidays because we came out of COVID in such a good position.
“I was really proud that the staff benefited out of it. They could have got really hurt financially.”
Fletcher has resisted the temptation to stay on until the opening of the new Penrith Stadium in 2027.
“I’ve spoken to the Board and the Chairman on many occasions and he was always keen for me to stay until we opened the new stadium but I kept going back to Christmas Day and 72 years of age and for me that would drag along too long,” he said.
He insists the club will be in good hands no matter who replaces him next year.
“You need young, fresh ideas now,” he said.
“CEO positions these days – not many last longer than five years because you’ve got to turn them over to run the business properly.
“I can see that and I see a lot of young people inside our place that need an opportunity in life as well.
“I’m lucky. I’m financially sound and everything.”
There are challenges ahead for the next leadership era at Panthers, particularly as gaming revenue declines.
“The biggest challenge facing the club is the amount of compliance you’ve got to do and that taxes will increase – there is no risk about that,” he said.
“We’re fighting against increasing taxes at the moment but it’s inevitable that will happen. To what degree I don’t know.
“That was the whole idea of building the Pullman and the Convention Centre, to counteract that income that you may lose for compliance issues and any new taxes on poker machines.”
Fletcher is confident the new stadium will be a major success and will have a flow-on impact at Panthers.
“The main thing at the moment is to get the stadium built,” he said.
“You’ll have about 40 events a year there which will turn the Pullman Hotel and the Convention Centre into a goldmine and will get that debt down after building that.”
Fletcher will never forget being involved in four straight NRL titles, a feat that has put Panthers on the national and international sporting map and will forever go down as one of the great rugby league achievements.
“It’s been great to have played a small part in that,” Fletcher said.
“You always dream to be involved in winning one but when the football department and Ivan have delivered what they’ve done, it’s been great.”
More than the trophies, he is proud of playing a role in setting the club up for success.
“I was part of it in the tough years as well and we’ve got to the stage where we employed the best bloke in the game in Matty Cameron to take over as football CEO, and to see the success and get Ivan back… it is set up now where you cannot not be competitive in the future because the set-up is there,” he said.
“The only way you can’t be competitive is if you go away from the systems.”
Fletcher still has nine months before he cleans out his desk at Panthers and wants to leave the club in the best possible position.
He’d be keen to play a role in re-signing Ivan and Nathan Cleary to long-term deals at the club too but admits that’s probably out of his control.
“That would be great. They’re here until the end of 2027 but they’re not in any hurry to do anything – not that they don’t want to be here, but they’ve got until the end of ‘27,” he said.
“It would be nice though. I signed them both before for five years myself, and it would be nice to do that again.
“But that’s not up to me now. That’s up to Matt Cameron. He does a great job and he’ll work that out.
“Over the next nine months it’ll be about making sure whatever decisions I make are in the best interests of Panthers. I want to leave here ensuring it is financially sound.”
Fletcher paid tribute to former Chairman Dave O’Neill and current Chairman Peter Graham. He said both had given him great respect and the freedom to run the club without interference.
An announcement regarding a new CEO will be made in the near future.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.