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A $2.3 million debt has triggered personnel changes at Wests Tigers, with a more significant long-term realignment of ownership expected when joint venture partners, Western Suburbs, are asked to guarantee finances of the NRL club.
Co-owners, Balmain, without any viable licensed club support, cannot meet a call to settle their half of the debt and are currently in default for over $200,000 and have been served notice of this.
Following a tense meeting on Monday night at which key staffers were put on notice, it is anticipated the newly-united Wests Group will guarantee debt in exchange for greater voting rights. At present, both Balmain and Wests have five votes each at NRL board meetings but traditionally, Wests Campbelltown have used their single vote to support Balmain, rather than the three delegates from Ashfield and one from Wests Magpies football club.
For 14 years, since the birth of the Concord-based joint-venture club, it has been called "Tigers" even in NRL literature, often referred to as "Balmain" and perceived to be a club identified with Leichhardt legends Benny Elias, Paul Sironen and Steve "Blocker" Roach. Wests Tigers colours are black (Wests and Balmain), white (Wests) and gold (Balmain), yet Magpie fans protest the white is often missing from club merchandise in favour of the two Balmain colours.
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The Wests Group, backed by the resources of successful licensed clubs at Ashfield and Campbelltown, take an inclusive view, rejecting any thought of dumping Balmain and accept it is a natural partner both as a fellow foundation club and a historic neighbour. However, there are opportunities in the new geography of Campbelltown.
Wests Tigers chief executive, Steve Humphreys, recognises this and has moved to block the flow of talented Campbelltown juniors to other NRL clubs but perhaps his Balmain constituency expect him to lean more to Leichhardt where his father, Kevin, dominated the club in the Tigers' glory days.
Humphreys has been unable to come to terms with sacked coach Tim Sheens, who continues to be paid and is therefore adding to the NRL club's indebtedness.
Sheens also insisted Campbelltown's best juniors play in a Balmain NSW Cup team, leading to the humiliating situation last season where a Balmain team thrashed a Wests team by 50 points at Leichhardt, yet some of the Balmain players had grown up in Sydney's south-west with pictures of Magpie Tom Raudonikis on their bedroom walls.
Now, there is a single Wests Tigers NSW Cup team, although it is coached by Paul Fletcher who was in charge of the Balmain team last year. The decision to appoint Fletcher was opposed by most of the Wests Group who preferred a candidate independent of the two joint venture clubs and Humphreys unsuccessfully attempted to rescind it.
A change in delegate from Wests Campbelltown, together with the election of former Wests/Balmain player, Mick Liubinskas, as president of Wests Magpies football club, has produced a rare unity in the Wests Group.
A big meeting of former Wests players and coaches, held in December 2011, expressed anger at the continued minimising of the Magpie emblem on the Wests Tigers jumper and pledged support for Liubinskas.
Former TV weatherman, Mike Bailey, representing Wests Ashfield Leagues club, will take the chair of Wests Tigers later this month, in line with the annual rotation between the joint venture clubs. He will succeed Balmain's Nick Di Girolamo who came to the chair late last year following the resignation of Balmain stalwart, David Trodden.
A debt, possibly as high as $14 million, following the failed redevelopment of their old leagues club at Rozelle, is the catalyst for Balmain's financial troubles.
Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club has historically supported Balmain but recently made a commitment to the Wests Tigers franchise, upsetting Balmain delegates who hoped they could use the money to pay off debt.
While funds are expected to soon flow to NRL clubs from last year's record $1.2 billion broadcasting deal, these will be paid to Wests Tigers, not Balmain.
Any joint venture shares acquired by Wests from Balmain in exchange for guaranteeing debt would be returned to Balmain once it was settled.
St George Illawarra reached a similar decision when the Steelers were unable to meet a financial call eight years ago. St George was given a casting vote and the chair, breaking any future deadlocks, although the club continues to receive support from the Illawarra.
Co-owners, Balmain, without any viable licensed club support, cannot meet a call to settle their half of the debt and are currently in default for over $200,000 and have been served notice of this.
Following a tense meeting on Monday night at which key staffers were put on notice, it is anticipated the newly-united Wests Group will guarantee debt in exchange for greater voting rights. At present, both Balmain and Wests have five votes each at NRL board meetings but traditionally, Wests Campbelltown have used their single vote to support Balmain, rather than the three delegates from Ashfield and one from Wests Magpies football club.
For 14 years, since the birth of the Concord-based joint-venture club, it has been called "Tigers" even in NRL literature, often referred to as "Balmain" and perceived to be a club identified with Leichhardt legends Benny Elias, Paul Sironen and Steve "Blocker" Roach. Wests Tigers colours are black (Wests and Balmain), white (Wests) and gold (Balmain), yet Magpie fans protest the white is often missing from club merchandise in favour of the two Balmain colours.
Advertisement
The Wests Group, backed by the resources of successful licensed clubs at Ashfield and Campbelltown, take an inclusive view, rejecting any thought of dumping Balmain and accept it is a natural partner both as a fellow foundation club and a historic neighbour. However, there are opportunities in the new geography of Campbelltown.
Wests Tigers chief executive, Steve Humphreys, recognises this and has moved to block the flow of talented Campbelltown juniors to other NRL clubs but perhaps his Balmain constituency expect him to lean more to Leichhardt where his father, Kevin, dominated the club in the Tigers' glory days.
Humphreys has been unable to come to terms with sacked coach Tim Sheens, who continues to be paid and is therefore adding to the NRL club's indebtedness.
Sheens also insisted Campbelltown's best juniors play in a Balmain NSW Cup team, leading to the humiliating situation last season where a Balmain team thrashed a Wests team by 50 points at Leichhardt, yet some of the Balmain players had grown up in Sydney's south-west with pictures of Magpie Tom Raudonikis on their bedroom walls.
Now, there is a single Wests Tigers NSW Cup team, although it is coached by Paul Fletcher who was in charge of the Balmain team last year. The decision to appoint Fletcher was opposed by most of the Wests Group who preferred a candidate independent of the two joint venture clubs and Humphreys unsuccessfully attempted to rescind it.
A change in delegate from Wests Campbelltown, together with the election of former Wests/Balmain player, Mick Liubinskas, as president of Wests Magpies football club, has produced a rare unity in the Wests Group.
A big meeting of former Wests players and coaches, held in December 2011, expressed anger at the continued minimising of the Magpie emblem on the Wests Tigers jumper and pledged support for Liubinskas.
Former TV weatherman, Mike Bailey, representing Wests Ashfield Leagues club, will take the chair of Wests Tigers later this month, in line with the annual rotation between the joint venture clubs. He will succeed Balmain's Nick Di Girolamo who came to the chair late last year following the resignation of Balmain stalwart, David Trodden.
A debt, possibly as high as $14 million, following the failed redevelopment of their old leagues club at Rozelle, is the catalyst for Balmain's financial troubles.
Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club has historically supported Balmain but recently made a commitment to the Wests Tigers franchise, upsetting Balmain delegates who hoped they could use the money to pay off debt.
While funds are expected to soon flow to NRL clubs from last year's record $1.2 billion broadcasting deal, these will be paid to Wests Tigers, not Balmain.
Any joint venture shares acquired by Wests from Balmain in exchange for guaranteeing debt would be returned to Balmain once it was settled.
St George Illawarra reached a similar decision when the Steelers were unable to meet a financial call eight years ago. St George was given a casting vote and the chair, breaking any future deadlocks, although the club continues to receive support from the Illawarra.
Balmain is gone, gone and gone to the big financial scrapheap in the sky and please take the current CEO of the Wests tigers with you.
