Entire Wests Tigers Board Sacked

[adamkungl]

Magpies weren't even popular at whatever little peak of success they had. They should have gone with Newtown.

 

[BuffaloRules]

.

This isn't Wests vs Balmain, its Wests vs Competent Governance, a battle they have been losing since the day they were born.
Any calls for the Magpies return only puts them a step closer to complete death, because the only thing they have going for them is the branding and colours leftover from Balmain. Contrary to their 90% ownership, their fanbase as the Magpies would be about 10% of what it is now.

The fans of the club are being held hostage by a handful of directors that achieved their positions not through their skills , but because they spent a $100 to buy a debenture 40 years or more ago …they are not elected by a full member vote but by about 20 something fellow debenture holders …considering they own three pokie palaces as well … this 1950s level of governance should definitely not be permitted by the authorities in 2025

 

[adamkungl]

In the last 50 years Wests Ashfield run Magpies + Tigers have made the finals 11 times for 1 premiership, and achieved 9 wooden spoons.

The Eels have a reputation for boardroom dysfunction and have made the finals some 26 times in this period.
Same number for the Sharks despite spending most of their existence on the apparent brink of financial collapse.

The hapless Gold Coast in their various guises have 5 finals appearances since 1988, Wests managing to just edge them out in this period with 6 appearances and a 9 year advantage where GC didn't feature.

It likely won't take long for the Bears to eclipse the Wests Ashfield finals appearances, already having 8 in the last 50 years despite not playing top grade for the last 26 of those.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Magpies weren't even popular at whatever little peak of success they had. They should have gone with Newtown.

It was a bit hard to do that, Newtown effectively went bust at the end of the 1983 season and were kicked out of the NSWRL first grade competition. They tried to set up a merger with Campbelltown-Liverpool junior rugby league in 1984 but it fell through. To clear its debt, the Jets had to sell its leagues club.

It was after this that the Magpies negotiated with Campbelltown-Liverpool and thus moved out to Campbelltown in 1987.

Newtown were in no financial shape to part fund a first grade team in 2000.

 

[adamkungl]

It was a bit hard to do that, Newtown effectively went bust at the end of the 1983 season and were kicked out of the NSWRL first grade competition. They tried to set up a merger with Campbelltown-Liverpool junior rugby league in 1984 but it fell through. To clear its debt, the Jets had to sell its leagues club.

It was after this that the Magpies negotiated with Campbelltown-Liverpool and thus moved out to Campbelltown in 1987.

Newtown were in no financial shape to part fund a first grade team in 2000.

I mean they should have exited the competition with Newtown, not merged with them

 

[Captain Apollo]

I mean they should have exited the competition with Newtown, not merged with them

Wests were in far better financial shape than the Jets were at that time. It's why they managed to stay in the competition and weren't removed. Moving to Campbelltown assisted with that.

 

[flippikat]

I mean they should have exited the competition with Newtown, not merged with them

Now THERE'S a "what if"... with Wests & Newtown out, the NSWRL competition would have been down to 12 teams, and it would have opened up more options for expansion - whether that's just adding teams two-by-two, or working towards a merger with the BRL competition for a new top-tier.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Now THERE'S a "what if"... with Wests & Newtown out, the NSWRL competition would have been down to 12 teams, and it would have opened up more options for expansion - whether that's just adding teams two-by-two, or working towards a merger with the BRL competition for a new top-tier.

I doubt it would have seen expansion in 1983. 1984 was the year of the change in governance structure of the NSWRL with it becoming an incorporated body, and with John Quayle and Ken Arthurson taking charge after the resignation of Kevin Humphreys following The Big League episode of Four Corners. Whilst the Raiders and steelers had come into the competition, overall the competition was in a weak financial position.

In relation to Brisbane, it took years of negotiations with the QRL before they got the go ahead to bring in the Broncos and the Gold Coast. I very much doubt that would have changed.

 

[Dogs Of War]

Wests were in far better financial shape than the Jets were at that time. It's why they managed to stay in the competition and weren't removed. Moving to Campbelltown assisted with that.

One Singo pulled his money out, that was the end of Newtown.

That all said, Magpies have been a basketcase forever. Sort of club that always had fleeting success only to trip themselves up again. It's no suprise they are where they are.

 

[yakstorm]

Clubs regulator puts Wests Tigers owners on notice after board sacked​

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/cl...otice-after-board-sacked-20251202-p5nk0g.html
The state’s liquor and gaming watchdog has put the majority owners of Wests Tigers on notice following the latest boardroom dramas engulfing the club.

The Holman Barnes Group, the Tigers’ 90 per cent shareholder, has sacked four independent Wests Tigers directors including chairman Barry O’Farrell, a move that has clouded the future of chief executive Shane Richardson.

The developments have piqued the interest of Liquor & Gaming NSW, the body that sacked the Parramatta Leagues Club board in 2016 for ceasing to become an effective governing body. They were the same directors who had sat on the Parramatta Eels club board when the club was embroiled in a salary cap scandal.

“Liquor & Gaming NSW is not currently investigating any matters involving Western Suburbs Leagues Club or the Holman Barnes Group,” said a spokesperson for Liquor & Gaming NSW.

“However, we are monitoring these latest developments involving the board.

“Registered clubs must operate with the highest standards of integrity in the interests of their members as required under the Registered Clubs Act.”

Only 24 hours earlier, Inner West Council mayor Darcy Byrne, who was pivotal in securing state and federal funding for Leichhardt Oval upgrades, called for Liquor and Gaming NSW to “investigate and intervene” in the club’s administrative issues.

Pointing to the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority’s previous investigation of disharmony and board directors being dismissed, Byrne said: “If this doesn’t demonstrate that there is a problem with governance in that organisation, then nothing will.”

The dramas come at a time when the Tigers are attempting to convince star players Jarome Luai and Jahream Bula to commit to the club long term. Sources not authorised to speak publicly have told this masthead that club powerbrokers were confident both would stay, although the situation could change after the latest string of adverse headlines.

The NRL has vowed to launch an investigation into the actions of the Holman Barnes Group after O’Farrell, Annabelle Williams, Charlie Viola and Michelle McDowell were sacked as independent directors of Wests Tigers.
They were only appointed to the board at the start of the year as part of sweeping recommendations arising from an independent review.

“We have been approached by a number of parties to look into the situation and we will,” Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys said. “We will look into it. I’m not saying they have done anything wrong, but naturally we are concerned.

“A number of parties have expressed concerns and we want to safeguard the Wests Tigers fans. That’s my prime aim. We are looking at it at the moment. I’m not saying we will do anything, but we’re reviewing what’s gone on …

“The people making these decisions must understand Wests Tigers fans are paramount – not politics.”

O’Farrell has labelled HBG’s actions as a “brain fart”, while Gary Barnier, the co-author of a 2023 report on the Wests Tigers’ governance which led the HBG to recruit the four independent board members in January of this year, called on the game to appoint an administrator “to protect the NRL’s ambition to be a global game”.

“As a distant observer, it seems to me there is a continued desire to bring back Wests Magpies at all costs, including the destruction of Wests Tigers if necessary,” Barnier said on Tuesday.

 

[Vic Mackey]

The magpies having a cry over an orange jersey tells you everything you need to know about that organization. The Wests Tigers Football club are actually somewhat adequate these days, just need to piss anyone whos ever been associated with the Wests Magpies or Balmain Tigers off completely and we're well on our way to being worthy a spot in the professional league.

 

[Vic Mackey]

I mean they should have exited the competition with Newtown, not merged with them

Depends how old ground we want to cover here, but purely from a 'whats best for the game point of view' the NRL should have forced this in the late 90s:

Illawarra and Cronulla merge to become the South Coast Sharks
Wests merge with Canterbury (i.e taken over) to become the Wests Bulldogs
Balmain merge with Parra, relocate or stick it out (likely die within 5 years)
St George merge with Easts, relocate or stick it out (likely die within 5 years)
Keep Souths kicked out (not really but just for the lols)
Norths relocate to Central Coast

 

[Vic Mackey]

In the last 50 years Wests Ashfield run Magpies + Tigers have made the finals 11 times for 1 premiership, and achieved 9 wooden spoons.

The Eels have a reputation for boardroom dysfunction and have made the finals some 26 times in this period.
Same number for the Sharks despite spending most of their existence on the apparent brink of financial collapse.

The hapless Gold Coast in their various guises have 5 finals appearances since 1988, Wests managing to just edge them out in this period with 6 appearances and a 9 year advantage where GC didn't feature.

It likely won't take long for the Bears to eclipse the Wests Ashfield finals appearances, already having 8 in the last 50 years despite not playing top grade for the last 26 of those.

As an old Balmain fan Ive seen my team play 3 finals series in 35 years, not even once a decade. Its beyond belief.

TBF with the Sharks they've been bailed out more times than any other club in the games history, if left to their own devices they would have died years ago

 

[adamkungl]

Depends how old ground we want to cover here, but purely from a 'whats best for the game point of view' the NRL should have forced this in the late 90s:

Illawarra and Cronulla merge to become the South Coast Sharks
Wests merge with Canterbury (i.e taken over) to become the Wests Bulldogs
Balmain merge with Parra, relocate or stick it out (likely die within 5 years)
St George merge with Easts, relocate or stick it out (likely die within 5 years)
Keep Souths kicked out (not really but just for the lols)
Norths relocate to Central Coast

I would have gone with
Sharks and Bulldogs exactly as you propose.
St George left to their own devices until they got crowded out.

Strongly with the benefit of hindsight, Balmain and Norths merging. Far closer together in geography than Balmain and Campbeltown and perhaps a better fit for each other than either of the disasters they got saddled with.
Maybe they eventually move to Central Coast, maybe they enough clout to actually get decent stadium upgrades at LO or NSO.

 

[marlins2.0]

Dragons to Melbourne or Adelaide as proposed at the time ya reckon?

 

[Dogs Of War]

Wests merge with Canterbury (i.e taken over) to become the Wests Bulldogs
Balmain merge with Parra, relocate or stick it out (likely die within 5 years)
Norths relocate to Central Coast

Well that was the plan for all three. It's just when Wests approached the Bulldogs the Bulldogs said exactly that, you will have no say in the club, that Wests rejected at the time. Bulldogs just wanted the junior areas honestly.

While Parra was very interested in taking in the Tigers, but once again it was going to be a takeover and Dennis Fitsgerald just wanted the Tigers logo cause he hated the Eels one. Going to be honest, I'm glad this didn't happen cause the Eels mascot just suits the code and Australia.

While Wests and Tigers decided to throw a wild card into the mix, that forced Norths who had a good plan, except for the rain which stopped there stadium being built in time so wasn't counted as part of the criteria. And when Tigers and Wests merged which guarenteed them a spot, it screwed over Norths totally forcing them into the horrible marriage with Manly.

So many bad things happened at that point in the game that really the NRL should have been forcing the arrangements or had better rules about it rather than how it all played out.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Well that was the plan for all three. It's just when Wests approached the Bulldogs the Bulldogs said exactly that, you will have no say in the club, that Wests rejected at the time. Bulldogs just wanted the junior areas honestly.

While Parra was very interested in taking in the Tigers, but once again it was going to be a takeover and Dennis Fitsgerald just wanted the Tigers logo cause he hated the Eels one. Going to be honest, I'm glad this didn't happen cause the Eels mascot just suits the code and Australia.

While Wests and Tigers decided to throw a wild card into the mix, that forced Norths who had a good plan, except for the rain which stopped there stadium being built in time so wasn't counted as part of the criteria. And when Tigers and Wests merged which guarenteed them a spot, it screwed over Norths totally forcing them into the horrible marriage with Manly.

So many bad things happened at that point in the game that really the NRL should have been forcing the arrangements or had better rules about it rather than how it all played out.

Also with Norths, they didn't have a "plan B" for season 1999 if Gosford wasn't ready. Hence they spent the first half of that season playing homes game all over the place (e.g. Parramatta Stadium, SFS) before eventually returning to North Sydney Oval.

Now I do recall, that the local council were virtually extorting the Bears in relation to ground hire. They used the Bears to subsidise others using the ground (e.g. Northern Spirit soccer club) by charging the Bear far more inrent than any other sport regardless of how long the other sports used it (both in terms of number of games, and length of time per match fixture). It was one of the reasons the Bears were so keen on moving to the Central Coast.

However that lack of planning for season 1999 saw them go so badly on-field that season, when the NRL did its "criteria" for inclusion in the 2000 season, it dragged the Bears down so far they were to be excluded. Hence the shotgun marriage with Eagles who were in financial straits at the time.

 

[RedVee]

Depends how old ground we want to cover here, but purely from a 'whats best for the game point of view' the NRL should have forced this in the late 90s:

Illawarra and Cronulla merge to become the South Coast Sharks
Wests merge with Canterbury (i.e taken over) to become the Wests Bulldogs
Balmain merge with Parra, relocate or stick it out (likely die within 5 years)
St George merge with Easts, relocate or stick it out (likely die within 5 years)
Keep Souths kicked out (not really but just for the lols)
Norths relocate to Central Coast

Just on Saints, you may not realise it but StG fully funded the SGI venture for the first dozen or so years until the demise of the Steelers side brought WIN into the combination and changed the formula.

 

[mave]

Hence the shotgun marriage with Eagles who were in financial straits at the time.

Without Manly, Knights and the Roosters staying loyal, for zero return, we would have had ET as a household name in China by now.....and everything else that would have come with it.

 

[Wb1234]

Marching from pratten park up to wests leagues

Not quite George st