WT Ownership, The Board & Senior Management - MEGA Thread

[The Ladies Man]

Corey Parker 🤣🤣
I thought Ennis had his head on backwards, Corey is something else.

 

[Go_You_Good_Things]

As per Lauren's post, Holman Barnes Group (i.e. Wests Ashfield rebranded) hold voting power on both the Wests Magpies Pty Ltd Board and Wests Tigers Board.

HBG have 4 of the 7 votes at Wests Magpies Football Club ("Magpies FC"), the remaining 3 elected by Football Club members. This is how they were able to wrap the current Magpies FC chairman over the knuckles for his recent outburst.

HBG also have 4 of the 8 seats on the Wests Tigers Board, with a 5th seat going to Magpies Football club, a 6th to Balmain Football club, then 2 independents. However it appears that the 5th "Magpies FC" seat, by voting control at Magpies FC, also goes to a HBG person.

So who are the members on the Wests Tigers board?
Tony Andreacchio - HBG who is also on the Board at Magpies FC
Dennis Burgess - debenture Wests Ashfield (HBG)
Simon Cook - CEO Wests Ashfield (HBG)
James Myatt - Balmain's appointee
Julie Romero - Wests Ashfield (HBG)
Danny Stapleton - is somehow an independent even though he's Balmain to the core
Rick Wayde - Wests Ashfield and Magpies FC (HBG)

So you see how HBG use their Magpies control to put a 5th HBG person on the Wests Tigers Board. This means even if there was a split vote at Wests Tigers (and I have no idea if these exist, if there are factions within the WT Board), HBG cannot be out-voted. In theory, if there was a Magpies FC WT Board member independent of West Ashfield, they could vote with the 2 independents plus Balmain chair to block motions from HBG.

In the original WT days, it was Balmain and Wests 50/50 split of Board members (5 each), with the Chairperson rotating. But that led to the in-fighting we are familiar with.

It certainly is hard to understand how Stapleton could in any way be considered an independent.
These board selections seem to be smoke and mirrors.
Did the 50/50 split change around the same time that Wests paid out Balmain's debts, etc ?

 

[Needaname]

As per Lauren's post, Holman Barnes Group (i.e. Wests Ashfield rebranded) hold voting power on both the Wests Magpies Pty Ltd Board and Wests Tigers Board.

HBG have 4 of the 7 votes at Wests Magpies Football Club ("Magpies FC"), the remaining 3 elected by Football Club members. This is how they were able to wrap the current Magpies FC chairman over the knuckles for his recent outburst.

HBG also have 4 of the 8 seats on the Wests Tigers Board, with a 5th seat going to Magpies Football club, a 6th to Balmain Football club, then 2 independents. However it appears that the 5th "Magpies FC" seat, by voting control at Magpies FC, also goes to a HBG person.

So who are the members on the Wests Tigers board?
Tony Andreacchio - HBG who is also on the Board at Magpies FC
Dennis Burgess - debenture Wests Ashfield (HBG)
Simon Cook - CEO Wests Ashfield (HBG)
James Myatt - Balmain's appointee
Julie Romero - Wests Ashfield (HBG)
Danny Stapleton - is somehow an independent even though he's Balmain to the core
Rick Wayde - Wests Ashfield and Magpies FC (HBG)

So you see how HBG use their Magpies control to put a 5th HBG person on the Wests Tigers Board. This means even if there was a split vote at Wests Tigers (and I have no idea if these exist, if there are factions within the WT Board), HBG cannot be out-voted. In theory, if there was a Magpies FC WT Board member independent of West Ashfield, they could vote with the 2 independents plus Balmain chair to block motions from HBG.

In the original WT days, it was Balmain and Wests 50/50 split of Board members (5 each), with the Chairperson rotating. But that led to the in-fighting we are familiar with.

Yeah great, now we just have infighting within one half of the joint venture.
Who is the 8 th board member?

 

[The Fresh Oil]

So messy. No wonder the club is shit.

Give it to Benny. He’ll shaft the club as well but at least it’ll speed up the folding.

 

[liltiger]

It certainly is hard to understand how Stapleton could in any way be considered an independent.
These board selections seem to be smoke and mirrors.
Did the 50/50 split change around the same time that Wests paid out Balmain's debts, etc ?

Pretty sure that was the deal, Balmain gave up seats to N.R.L appointed independent members in exchange for a loan from the N.R.L.
Holman Barnes group repayed the loan once Balmain were about to default on their repayments on the condition that they got the seats Balmain vacated to the N.R.L.
The deal was also that Balmain have an indefinite time period to repay Holman Barnes group for the money they paid to the N.R.L once the money is paid back then Balmain will reclaim their original number of seats on the board and the merger returns to a 50/50 ownership setup. Though in fairness Balmain havnt got a hope in heck of paying the money back though.
That's my take on it, it could be wrong there are countless people on the forum that would be more clued up on it than me, but I'm pretty sure it's around those lines.

 

[corvo]

My head is spinning

 

[izotope]

Pretty sure that was the deal, Balmain gave up seats to N.R.L appointed independent members in exchange for a loan from the N.R.L.
Holman Barnes group repayed the loan once Balmain were about to default on their repayments on the condition that they got the seats Balmain vacated to the N.R.L.
The deal was also that Balmain have an indefinite time period to repay Holman Barnes group for the money they paid to the N.R.L once the money is paid back then Balmain will reclaim their original number of seats on the board and the merger returns to a 50/50 ownership setup. Though in fairness Balmain havnt got a hope in heck of paying the money back though.
That's my take on it, it could be wrong there are countless people on the forum that would be more clued up on it than me, but I'm pretty sure it's around those lines.

Pretty generous if true.

Maybe we all need to chip in and buy balmains seats

 

[crazycat]

I think therein lies the problem, sacking coaches combined with poor recruiting over the last decade and keeping overhyped favourites on big contracts has taken its toll ..instead of sorting the place out and making it more professional it's only become a much bigger basket case ..I mean,who really gives a club legend who was a great player,a 5 year NRL coaching gig WITH NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN COACHING AT ANY LEVEL..😡

Tell us again about this years poor recruiting?

Sure if Bateman started the season with us, maybe we would have beaten Newcastle. That's not a poor recruitment though.

>> and keeping overhyped favourites on big contracts has taken its toll
Hell yes. We should block all contact with Issac Moses. I don't care if Sualili comes, it's just not worth it.

The experience thing, I thought we were right to say NO to Todd Payten. Same situation as Benji, very different coach but the same situation. As it turns out Todd is a decent coach.

Benji though will fail if we give him the mess we have now.

 

[Tiger_Fanatic3]

Did anyone see this at the game or on tv ?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1645310616721326080

 

[jirskyr]

Yeah great, now we just have infighting within one half of the joint venture.
Who is the 8 th board member?

The Famous Lee H

 

[jirskyr]

Pretty sure that was the deal, Balmain gave up seats to N.R.L appointed independent members in exchange for a loan from the N.R.L.
Holman Barnes group repayed the loan once Balmain were about to default on their repayments on the condition that they got the seats Balmain vacated to the N.R.L.
The deal was also that Balmain have an indefinite time period to repay Holman Barnes group for the money they paid to the N.R.L once the money is paid back then Balmain will reclaim their original number of seats on the board and the merger returns to a 50/50 ownership setup. Though in fairness Balmain havnt got a hope in heck of paying the money back though.
That's my take on it, it could be wrong there are countless people on the forum that would be more clued up on it than me, but I'm pretty sure it's around those lines.

I think that's more or less it, except I think with the leagues club merger, Balmain has relinquished any further claim to "historical board seats". In other words, Wests have not taken over the Balmain loan, they've absorbed all debts and the club itself.

Tigers Football Club were unable to furnish their NRL loan, so Wests agreed to cover the loan in full and at the same time proposed a merger between Wests Leagues and Balmain Leagues, because I don't think Balmain Leagues had the money to cover their own Football Club, i.e. pay for the juniors and the reserve sides (which is why the Ryde Eastwood club got involved for a while).

@cochise knows the details better than me, but I am pretty sure that when they proposed the merger of Wests Leagues and Balmain Leagues (voted on by members), the deal was that Wests would cover all Balmain debts in all departments and in return Balmain would relinquish all remaining assets (leagues club premises and Board seats) to the new entity, still to be called Wests Ashfield. Wests then honoured the "spirit" of the merger by allowing Balmain to retain a seat on the Board, when technically Wests Ashfield had the rights to control the entire board.

I believe Wests Ashfield also now fund all Balmain junior district operations since the merger. And you'll note that the interim Balmain Leagues clubs at Five Dock and Flemington Markets were relinquished to Wests - Five Dock was sold off and Flemington was rebranded as "The Markets Club".

 

[TYGA]

For the sake of accountability we need a change of leadership. One that operates in silence. You never hear from Storm or Roosters leaders.

 

[liltiger]

I think that's more or less it, except I think with the leagues club merger, Balmain has relinquished any further claim to "historical board seats". In other words, Wests have not taken over the Balmain loan, they've absorbed all debts and the club itself.

Tigers Football Club were unable to furnish their NRL loan, so Wests agreed to cover the loan in full and at the same time proposed a merger between Wests Leagues and Balmain Leagues, because I don't think Balmain Leagues had the money to cover their own Football Club, i.e. pay for the juniors and the reserve sides (which is why the Ryde Eastwood club got involved for a while).

@cochise knows the details better than me, but I am pretty sure that when they proposed the merger of Wests Leagues and Balmain Leagues (voted on by members), the deal was that Wests would cover all Balmain debts in all departments and in return Balmain would relinquish all remaining assets (leagues club premises and Board seats) to the new entity, still to be called Wests Ashfield. Wests then honoured the "spirit" of the merger by allowing Balmain to retain a seat on the Board, when technically Wests Ashfield had the rights to control the entire board.

I believe Wests Ashfield also now fund all Balmain junior district operations since the merger. And you'll note that the interim Balmain Leagues clubs at Five Dock and Flemington Markets were relinquished to Wests - Five Dock was sold off and Flemington was rebranded as "The Markets Club".

Oh wow, thanks for clarifying that, so the nuts and bolts of it is now Balmain Leagues no longer exists, there is only Wests Ashfield. Would have been great if they rebranded Balmain Leagues as Wests Tigers Leagues Club.

 

[cochise]

Oh wow, thanks for clarifying that, so the nuts and bolts of it is now Balmain Leagues no longer exists, there is only Wests Ashfield. Would have been great if they rebranded Balmain Leagues as Wests Tigers Leagues Club.

That is correct, the development on the old Balmain Leagues Club site will finally go ahead, I believe work starts on that this year. When completed there will be a Leagues Club on the site that will be owned and operated by the Holman Barnes Group (Wests Ashfield).

The Holman Barnes Group is trying to embrace and respect the history of Balmain Leagues, hence their rebranding to the Holman Barnes Group that will oversee the 4 clubs they will operate, Wests Ashfield, The Market Club, Croydon Sports Club and the new Balmain Leagues Club.

 

[liltiger]

That is correct, the development on the old Balmain Leagues Club site will finally go ahead, I believe work starts on that this year. When completed there will be a Leagues Club on the site that will be owned and operated by the Holman Barnes Group (Wests Ashfield).

The Holman Barnes Group is trying to embrace and respect the history of Balmain Leagues, hence their rebranding to the Holman Barnes Group that will oversee the 4 clubs they will operate, Wests Ashfield, The Market Club, Croydon Sports Club and the new Balmain Leagues Club.

Is that the development back door Benny and his mates were trying to push through but hit road blocks with council, other thing is I imagine with the backing of 4 Leagues clubs Wests could become a powerhouse

 

[cochise]

Is that the development back door Benny and his mates were trying to push through but hit road blocks with council, other thing is I imagine with the backing of 4 Leagues clubs Wests could become a powerhouse

The development has changed many times since Benny's involvement and has gone through numerous owners and developers in that time as well. The Holman Barnes Group will have 4 clubs when it is completed but 2 of them are quite small.

 

[liltiger]

The development has changed many times since Benny's involvement and has gone through numerous owners and developers in that time as well. The Holman Barnes Group will have 4 clubs when it is completed but 2 of them are quite small.

Thanks for clearing that up, it was so convoluted.

 

[matchball]

Look at the cake they put on for Klemmer 200th.
A generic cake with post it notes. Great last minute save lol.
Whoever put that together should be embarrassed.

 

[Bird is the Word]

Look at the cake they put on for Klemmer 200th.
A generic cake with post it notes. Great last minute save lol.
Whoever put that together should be embarrassed.

I believe it was Sharon in payroll…

 

[Curaeus]

Every large organisation I was ever involved with underwent almost routine periodic changes (board and management hirings, firings etc) to fix problems, revitalise the business, bring new ideas into the place etc. Members and fans of WT unlike some other clubs, have zero leverage when it comes to forcing change. I think Lee has already confirmed this. Wests Ashfield, our majority owners, could, presumably, make changes to our board and senior management if they wished, or were persuaded to do so. Unless that happens, its hard to see the status quo not remaining.