Wests Tigers and Cronulla will clash at Scully Park on August 13

Pascoe was in Tamworth on Thursday to promote the club's clash against Cronulla at Scully Park on August 13.

The clash is the third and final match of a deal the Tigers inked with Wests Entertainment Group (WEG), the operator of Scully Park. The first two games were played in 2018 and 2019.

Pascoe said: "Obviously we've had two years where we haven't been able to come here because of Covid [2020 and 2021].

Read also:

"So having the opportunity to bring elite rugby league back to this region ... we're really proud and privileged to be able to have that opportunity."

Prior to the match, Pascoe said the Tigers would hold "several clinics and signing sessions" in the region, as well as "some community work, which is really important to us".

He reiterated his belief that it was "the responsibility of all NRL teams to really own and operate within a region" in New South Wales in order to help promote the sport.

As for the possibility of more Tigers games in Tamworth, Pascoe said "there was no reason why we wouldn't like that to be".

"Obviously, after every game that we play up here we sort of assess where we are," he said, adding that the club's arrangement with WEG "has to be mutually beneficial".

"And, certainly, the first two [matches] have been - and there's no reason why this one won't be either."

Asked if he expected the Sharks clash to be a sellout, Pascoe replied: "I would hope so. After three years of not being here, I really hope so."

WEG CEO Rod Laing said "ticket sales were going well".

"We expect a good, solid crowd," he said. "In the past we've had numbers of around 10,000 [for NRL games] - and I'd be disappointed if we're not up there again."

Laing said that with Covid restrictions no more, there was "a real appetite for events".

The Tigers-Sharks encounter was "a big deal for this city and the local economy", he also said, adding: "So there's plenty to gain and benefit from the Wests Tigers match."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: