Tigerm
First Grade
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Yep, it only takes one or two players to excel and give the rest of them confidence.
But it’s all a gamble.
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Yep, it only takes one or two players to excel and give the rest of them confidence.
I’ve lost the thumbs up again.Civil war erupts at Wests Tigers as axe hovers over chairman Lee Hagipantelis
By Michael Chammas
Updated October 5, 2023 — 3.22pmfirst published at 2.31pm
A civil war is set to erupt at the Wests Tigers with chairman Lee Hagipantelis on the brink of being overthrown after rejecting an invitation from the club’s majority shareholder to stand down from his position just days after being re-appointed.
The Herald can also reveal that Tigers powerbrokers have discussed the possibility of bringing the likes of former NSW premier and ex-Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell, as well as former Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates, onto the board in some capacity.
It comes in the midst of an external governance and culture review into the under-siege club that will place both Hagipantelis and chief executive Justin Pascoe under the microscope following the Tigers’ 12th consecutive season without a finals appearance.
The review has been called by the Holman Barnes Group, the 60 per cent majority shareholder of the club that also runs Wests Ashfield Leagues Club.
Sources talking under the condition of anonymity told this masthead that Tigers board member Tony Andreacchio, speaking on behalf of the Holman Barnes Group, recently contacted Hagipantelis to invite him to stand down as chairman.
Andreacchio also informed Hagipantelis that his tenure was only extended as an independent director and not as chairman despite News Corp last month reporting that Hagipantelis was re-elected as chairman of the Wests Tigers until November 2025.
The move could put the club’s near $1,000,000 a season major sponsorship deal with Hagipantelis’ company Bryden’s Lawyers in jeopardy.
Certain members of the board are now disputing the details around the motion that was passed at the meeting last month. The minutes of the meeting were taken by Tigers chief financial officer Mark Sawicki.
Hagipantelis is privately strongly refuting the notion that he was only extended as a director, and not as chairman.
“This review has been commissioned by the Holman Barnes group and all enquiries concerning the review should be directed to them”, Hagipantelis said when contacted for comment by this masthead.
Andreacchio did not want to be drawn into the specifics of his conversation with the chairman.
“At the moment we have an external review on the whole club,” he told this masthead. “It’s probably an inappropriate time to make any formal or informal comment at the moment. This review is very critical.
“The Holman Barnes Group is one of the major shareholders and are very much behind it. I think any comment doesn’t serve any purpose at the moment. Currently he is the chairman.”
The Wests Tigers constitution provides for up to nine directors to be appointed. At the moment there is only seven following the resignation of independent director James Myatt a month ago.
Sources talking under the condition of anonymity told this masthead that part of the reason the board moved to extend Hagipantelis’ tenure was to ensure the board remained validly constituted.
Under the constitution, the board has to have at least one independent director at all times. Hagipantelis is the only independent director currently on the board.
When asked if the Tigers wanted to bring O’Farrell or Coates on the board, Andreacchio insisted a decision wouldn’t be made until after the review.
“Independent directors are always open up to review to see who is available and who would like to come on,” he said. “It’s something we’re holding off on until the end of this review. Until then, there’ll be no further action. I don’t want to derail the review in any shape or form.”
The review is also a topic of great conjecture. Sources talking under the condition of anonymity have also questioned the independence of one of the two men appointed to undertake the review.
Former NRL chief financial officer Tony Crawford and Gary Barnier are in charge of the review set to be completed by the end of the month.
The questioning of independence surrounds Barnier, who is one of 13 Wests Tigers Foundation members announced on the club’s website that have donated $100,000 to the club over a four-year period. The Barnier Family is also listed as one of the “Foundation 13” with another $100,000 donation to the club. So too is Hagipantelis and Coates.
The donation for this group is a tax-deductible $100,000 for a lifetime involvement — it can be made in pairs and payment plans up to four years.
Barnier strongly opposes suggestion that his financial contribution means he has a conflict of interest.
“I took the decision to provide money to the club through that Foundation 13, which meant I could contribute - because I can afford to contribute - but I get nothing in return for it,” Barnier told this masthead.
“It’s just like a super-high level of membership, I suppose. That’s the beginning and end of it. I’m not getting paid for this review.
“I’ve offered to do it because of my emotional connection and my family’s emotional connection with the club. That’s all it is. I can’t think of any possible conflict of interest.”
Civil war erupts at Wests Tigers as axe hovers over chairman Lee Hagipantelis
Tigers powerbrokers have discussed the possibility of bringing the likes of former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell, as well as former AOC president John Coates, onto the board.www.smh.com.au
That’s simple, just stump up more money than Brydens and it’s yours, when there sponsorship runs out.
So we built a centre of excellence at Concord, have Leichhardt and Campbelltown and now want a stadium at Liverpool as well. I smell a rort and a big one at that.Wests Tigers make pitch for new 20,000-seat stadium at Liverpool
By Chris O'Keefe and Michael Chammas
October 5, 2023 — 4.10pm
The Wests Tigers, in partnership with Liverpool Council, have approached the NSW government with a proposal to build a 20,000-seat stadium in the heart of Liverpool CBD to make it the club’s permanent home.
The proposal, which is in its infancy, is now in jeopardy following the Herald’s revelations earlier today that Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis is on the brink of being overthrown.
Hagipantelis and Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun met NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper earlier in the week to pitch the plan to government.
The preferred site is on the corner of Hume Highway and Remembrance Avenue in Liverpool and takes in Whitlam Aquatic Centre, the netball facility and potentially Hillier Oval – the former Oasis site, owned by Canterbury Leagues Club.
The plan would depend on up to 3000 new apartments being built on the site, with a mixture of private homes, public housing and build-to-rent properties.
The Tigers would play up to two games per year out of Leichhardt Oval, with the rest to be played out of Liverpool.
The Tigers also have contingency plans in place with Inner West Council and Campbelltown City Council in the hope of upgrading their two existing home grounds at Leichhardt and Campbelltown.
It is hoped the revenue from developing the land into apartments would offset the majority of the cost of building the stadium. It is estimated the maximum cost to taxpayers would be less than $100 million.
If the Oasis site was re-zoned, allowing residential redevelopment, the Bulldogs, who own the land, could be in for an estimated windfall of $40 million-$50 million if they decided to sell.
The plans also include provision for a new aquatic centre, an aged-care facility and a conference centre, similar to the newly built facility at Panthers Leagues Club.
Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis declined to comment when contacted by the Herald on Thursday.
The NRL last year made preliminary inquiries about building its own stadium in south-west Sydney, approaching the Wests Tigers and the Bulldogs to gauge their appetite for playing out of a potential new venue in Liverpool or Rossmore near Western Sydney airport.
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo spoke to both Bulldogs and Tigers officials as the code considered a move to acquire an asset similar to the AFL’s ownership of Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. That plan has since fallen over.
The two likely options on the table were a new stadium at the 26,000 square metre former Oasis site in Liverpool, which is owned by Canterbury Leagues, or a vacant block of land near Western Sydney Airport in Rossmore.
Wests Tigers make pitch for new 20,000-seat stadium at Liverpool
Wests Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis and Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun met NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper earlier in the week to pitch the plan to government.
If we don't take it on, someone else will, besides it's in our heartland areas now.
I guess they wouldn't play out of Cambo anymore if Livo got up. They would get a lot more people to games there. Train at Concord, play at Livo. I wouldn't care if they dumped Leichhardt.
www.weststigers.com.au
is the southwest really our heartland anymore?
To'a adds two more years
Wests Tigers is delighted to announce a further contract extension for 23-year-old centre, Starford To’a.
For sure. I don't believe Liverpool is a rugby league heartland any more. Nor is the old BRET catchment area. Most kids either play aussie rules, soccer, or union. Anyone can see cambo is the future recruitment area.
It's just up the road from Campbeltown, so basically in between Balmain and Campbelltown, so I think yes, what other club could claim it? Only the dogs or AFL and I'd prefer us then them?
