Premier League merger looking more likely

[Tigerpete]

With the new tax on poker manchines looking likely to come in to effect in the coming months its now looking more likely that a merged PL side is on the cards. Sirro who i believe is a member on the board of either wests tigers or balmain suggested that this is the case now and i agree with him.

Bottom line is we need to cut costs and this is one ting will certainly save both balmain and wests that little bit of money.

 

[Bald Tiger]

I think it would be a bad idea to merge the PL sides. Its important to maintain the spirit and continuity of Balmain and Wests. I am a strong supporter of the JV but I enjoy watching Balmain play in PL. They provide some community identity.
Dont see why the Pokie Tax will mean that has to happen. Reckon the Clubs should get their house in order first. Clubs in other States are profitable and pay much higher rates of pokie taxes.

 

[Gobbso]

By merging the Premier League sides, what do you achieve? Some say a stronger side, perhaps and also a saving of $500,000 or some figure similar to that. Is that really going to make things all well and good when the tax hits? Pfff! I doubt it very much...Take St.George-Illawarra for example. A Joint-Venture like Wests Tigers, who has a merged Premier League side, but has also admitted that they will struggle financially under the new tax. So having a merged Premier League team is not really going to achieve much at all, except losing the last of the tradition, history and pride of both Foundation clubs that are still present and represented in Rugby League via the NSWRL, which let's the Rugby League community know that the Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies are still alive and kicking and are partners in the Elite level through the Joint-Venture.

 

[HappyTiger]

Im not for it but if thats what it takes to keep us alfloat then we are really left with no choice.They need to find $1.5 million from somwhere to cover the tax and if this only saves $500 000 thenit will go someway to helping the deficit.

 

[westie]

If its a case of money then say goodbye Wests Tigers. Wests Magpies are funded first and foremost. Which means they are given money ahead of the JV.

As I have said 100 times before, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. Wests DO NOT need to merge. They are NOT struggling financially. They have plenty of players, plenty of fans, 2 successful leagues clubs a major sponser and a great mascot 8).

Wests are looking to be re-instated to first grade, not to completly disapper. Nobody can force them to merge except NSWRL and they have no reason to. Wests Tigers can NOT force them to merge, News Corp and the NRL can NOT force them to merge. So who is gunna make em merge.

 

[White Tiger]

If its a case of money then say goodbye Wests Tigers. Wests Magpies are funded first and foremost. Which means they are given money ahead of the JV.

As I have said 100 times before, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. Wests DO NOT need to merge. They are NOT struggling financially. They have plenty of players, plenty of fans, 2 successful leagues clubs a major sponser and a great mascot 8).

Wests are looking to be re-instated to first grade, not to completly disapper. Nobody can force them to merge except NSWRL and they have no reason to. Wests Tigers can NOT force them to merge, News Corp and the NRL can NOT force them to merge. So who is gunna make em merge.

Stick to being the mascot. haven't got time to pick your post to shreds! :roll:

 

[Gobbso]

Westie, that sounds all well and good, but i find it very hard to believe that both Wests Leagues club's can single handly keep the Magpies alive and kicking if they 'do' become a stand salone entity again. Why you ask? Because how can they, 'if' they say they are going to struggle funding the Joint-Venture (where they only put in half the funding), while if the Magpies were in a stand alone position, both Leagues Clubs would be required to fund the entire football club without the assitance of Balmain Leagues? Just doesn't make sense. If you can't fund one, you can't fund the other. Simple as that.

 

[Bald Tiger]

Having pushed the JV through its hard to imagine that the respective Boards at Balmain and Wests could convince their members at an AGM to support merging the PL sides as well. This would mean a greater loss of identity. To be convinced of this as a financial imperative I would want to see all other options considered. I dont find the clubs pokie tax arguments very convincing.

 

[brook]

I doubt it would save anywhere NEAR what is being claimed anyway

the PL salary cap is 250k a year right? now unless both clubs are spending the same amount again on admin (VERY doubtful) exactly how are you going to save half a million dollars by merging the teams?

the PL sides cost very little to run, any argument towards merging them based on finances is dubious at best

 

[tigger]

Keep your filthy hands off the rest of my club. Wests should get a decent CEO & board which is able to introduce some revenue increasing plans. Why a football club in the NRL needs poker machines to be their primary sponsor in the first place is the joke. Football clubs should be run like a business, not a charity.

 

[Bald Tiger]

Tigger - re: a decent Board and reliance on pokie machines applies to Balmain too!

 

[tigger]

Yes but our budget is only $350-500k, your budget is $8,000,000 (and i know Wests have things like higher sponsorship & gate takings, but they are a lot more reliant on pokies than a premier league side.

 

[westie]

Westie, that sounds all well and good, but i find it very hard to believe that both Wests Leagues club's can single handly keep the Magpies alive and kicking if they 'do' become a stand salone entity again. Why you ask? Because how can they, 'if' they say they are going to struggle funding the Joint-Venture (where they only put in half the funding), while if the Magpies were in a stand alone position, both Leagues Clubs would be required to fund the entire football club without the assitance of Balmain Leagues? Just doesn't make sense. If you can't fund one, you can't fund the other. Simple as that.

I never mentioned Wests being financially stable in the NRL.

White Tiger..... :roll: Mabey if you read my post you would realise a few more things about the situation.