Look like we need another major sponsor for 2014....
The crisis engulfing Wests Tigers has taken another turn with their major sponsor, the billionaire property developer Harry Triguboff, telling the club to look for another major backer.
The comments by the founder and managing director of Meriton come as details emerge of an $8 million rescue package put forward during a meeting between NRL chief executive Dave Smith and key officials from Western Suburbs and Balmain. That potential package was due to be discussed during a critical meeting of the Wests Tigers board on Thursday night.
Fairfax Media understands Smith has offered four repayable instalments of $2 million in exchange for a restructure of the club board. Smith is believed to be pushing the club to install a seven-member board, which would include two Balmain directors, two Wests directors and three NRL-appointed directors. The delegation - Wests Tigers and Wests Ashfield chairman Mike Bailey, Wests Tigers deputy chairman and Balmain director Nick Di Girolamo, Wests Ashfield chief executive Simon Cook and Balmain chairman Leslie Glen - met with Smith on Wednesday night.
The move comes after Fairfax Media last week revealed the Tigers needed an injection of $1 million to survive - funds the rich Wests Ashfield were not prepared to provide unless given full control of the joint venture's board.
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Triguboff's remarks, on ABC's
The Business on Wednesday night, highlight how much the club's boardroom problems could be affecting the joint venture.
Asked if he was happy with the way the club was progressing, Triguboff said: ''No, I'm not happy at all. I've been with them for many years, and I believe that probably it's better that somebody else becomes the major sponsor. I think that they need somebody that really will devote more time to it than I can.''
Triguboff, the merger's inaugural major sponsor, lamented the power struggles at the club, as well as the fact he was not asked for help while Balmain attempted to re-develop their Rozelle leagues club - which has left the Tigers side of the merger struggling financially. ''I think I could have been of help to them when they were trying to develop their site in Balmain, but they never came to me,'' he said.
''It's not that I wanted to buy it, but I thought I could be of help, because I think I could talk on their behalf to the council much better than what they could do. They didn't use that help of mine. But that's only part of the problem. The other problem is that the Tigers from Balmain have done badly, and the Tigers from the Western Suburbs have done very well. The balance of power has changed now towards the ones in the west.''
He maintained he would not pull his financial investment out of the club unless the Tigers found a replacement.
''They'll definitely sort it out,'' he said. ''We have young kids coming up which are very good, we have new management, so I hope everything will be OK. But I think that
I'll always be there.
''If they can't find anyone, I'm always there. But if they can find somebody who really understands football better than I do
I don't understand much
I like it, I love it, I look at it. So if they can, they can. If not, I'm always there for them anyway.''
Triguboff's frank assessment came less than 24 hours before the club's board meeting. Alongside financial decisions, directors were due to discuss a review of the coaching structure at the club.
What has become clear recently is that coach Mick Potter will almost certainly lead the club into the second year of his contract, despite board agitations to sack him earlier this month.
The board is understood to be focusing on the coaching staff around Potter, including the prospect of hiring current Melbourne assistant coach David Kidwell, who is moving back to Sydney.
''I just want to get on with winning footy games - it's a distraction I could do without,'' Potter said, ahead of his side's clash with South Sydney on Friday night.
