WT Ownership, The Board & Senior Management - MEGA Thread
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BlackWhiteGold
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An explosive meeting on Friday morning is set to determine the fate of Wests Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis as the club’s most influential figure fights to retain his job along with his right-hand man, chief executive Justin Pascoe.
In a major development that has created renewed instability for rookie coach Benji Marshall as he prepares to launch his head coaching career, Hagipantelis will take part in an independent review meeting on Friday.
Pascoe will follow in coming days as their positions at the helm of the embattled club hang by the barest of threads amid fresh talk of internal bickering.
The Tigers’ majority owners the Holman Barnes Group ordered an independent review into the club last month following yet another season of bitter disappointment, which culminated in a second successive wooden spoon.
There was speculation at the time that the review would bring about the downfall of Pascoe and Hagipantelis, the latter having ploughed more than $10 million into the club through sponsorship.
Those fears appear to be coming to fruition despite the review still in the throes of completion. The respective roles of Hagipantelis and Pascoe were expected to be central to the review, which was ordered by the Holman Barnes Group after a group of fans secured more than 2,000 signatures on a petition calling for change.
Remarkably, speculation over the future of Hagipantelis comes only weeks after he told this masthead that his tenure as chair had been extended for a further three years.
It is believed some other members of the board are now disputing those claims. Their argument is that his board position was extended, not necessarily his role as chair.
Hagipantelis will speak to the former NRL chief financial officer Tony Crawford – one of the two men chosen to conduct the independent review – on Friday morning.
He is unlikely to hold back given the sense that the review was a witch-hunt designed to claim the scalps of the chair and the chief executive, who are closely aligned.
The review was expected to speak to more than 40 figures from across the game about the Tigers as the club sought answers for nearly a decade of mediocrity. Change has already taken place on the coaching level – Tim Sheens parted ways with the club at the end of the season, with Marshall stepping into the head coaching role a year ahead of schedule.
Sheens’ loyal lieutenant David Furner also left the club while they are exploring the appointment of a head of football, having sought out former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and Parramatta’s Mark O’Neill.
Talks with Cheika are yet to advance given his World Cup commitments and the ongoing review, which is due to be completed as early as next week. The board of the Holman Barnes Group will then digest the findings before deciding on the best way forward.
The sense is that Hagipantelis and Pascoe may not be part of the new guard. Pascoe has been chief executive for nearly a decade, a time when the club has made strides off the field but gone backwards on it.
Hagipantelis has been happy to take the bullets for his chief executive while pouring millions of dollars into the Tigers. Money, however, is not an issue for the club given the financial might of the Holman Barnes Group.
In a major development that has created renewed instability for rookie coach Benji Marshall as he prepares to launch his head coaching career, Hagipantelis will take part in an independent review meeting on Friday.
Pascoe will follow in coming days as their positions at the helm of the embattled club hang by the barest of threads amid fresh talk of internal bickering.
The Tigers’ majority owners the Holman Barnes Group ordered an independent review into the club last month following yet another season of bitter disappointment, which culminated in a second successive wooden spoon.
There was speculation at the time that the review would bring about the downfall of Pascoe and Hagipantelis, the latter having ploughed more than $10 million into the club through sponsorship.
Those fears appear to be coming to fruition despite the review still in the throes of completion. The respective roles of Hagipantelis and Pascoe were expected to be central to the review, which was ordered by the Holman Barnes Group after a group of fans secured more than 2,000 signatures on a petition calling for change.
Remarkably, speculation over the future of Hagipantelis comes only weeks after he told this masthead that his tenure as chair had been extended for a further three years.
It is believed some other members of the board are now disputing those claims. Their argument is that his board position was extended, not necessarily his role as chair.
Hagipantelis will speak to the former NRL chief financial officer Tony Crawford – one of the two men chosen to conduct the independent review – on Friday morning.
He is unlikely to hold back given the sense that the review was a witch-hunt designed to claim the scalps of the chair and the chief executive, who are closely aligned.
The review was expected to speak to more than 40 figures from across the game about the Tigers as the club sought answers for nearly a decade of mediocrity. Change has already taken place on the coaching level – Tim Sheens parted ways with the club at the end of the season, with Marshall stepping into the head coaching role a year ahead of schedule.
Sheens’ loyal lieutenant David Furner also left the club while they are exploring the appointment of a head of football, having sought out former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and Parramatta’s Mark O’Neill.
Talks with Cheika are yet to advance given his World Cup commitments and the ongoing review, which is due to be completed as early as next week. The board of the Holman Barnes Group will then digest the findings before deciding on the best way forward.
The sense is that Hagipantelis and Pascoe may not be part of the new guard. Pascoe has been chief executive for nearly a decade, a time when the club has made strides off the field but gone backwards on it.
Hagipantelis has been happy to take the bullets for his chief executive while pouring millions of dollars into the Tigers. Money, however, is not an issue for the club given the financial might of the Holman Barnes Group.
Halbrowne61
Well-known member
If this was brewing why the announcement about his extension ?
Pardon my ignorance but was there a formal club announcement or just media talk ? I can’t recall.
Once again we use the old military term, Ready,Fire, Aim not Ready, Aim, Fire.
Bloody hopeless
Tom Shines
Well-known member
”Pouring millions of dollars into the Tigers”..
He is a sponsor ffs.. getting a marketing benefit for his ambulance chasing law firm he owns ..
He isn’t giving them the money out of the goodness of his heart..
He is a sponsor ffs.. getting a marketing benefit for his ambulance chasing law firm he owns ..
He isn’t giving them the money out of the goodness of his heart..
innsaneink
Well-known member
One of the other independant board members either stood down or was sacked .....Myatt.
Board need twon independants to be constitutional...Lee was to be the other indi...he thought he was re-electd as chair again the dope
Fallen Angel
Well-known member
Ya done son
You need to take these profiles with a grain of salt. I used to work with one of the directors and they were in a very low level job (this is in the last 4 to 8 years). Myself and a few others at work were astonished when they were promoted to the board given the roles they previously performed had minimal responsibility, and the person was known as a below average performer who was eventually made redundant (they also used to take a lot of cigarette breaks). So I wouldn’t say we are okay in the business side at all.
hammertime
Well-known member
Not really man. It's not a business decision. They do it for the community or an emotional connection.
My old man had a box at the Knights. Never was about the advertising.... could have partially had to do with the fact it was positioned above the cheerleaders though!
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gallagher
Well-known member
They're the pigs making the poop.
hammertime
Well-known member
Thanks bro.
But honestly, I think we need a leg up on the business side. Some of the guys read okay on paper, but they are middle management or sole traders. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, it's just that it's not the right experience to make calls on a significant-sized organization like the Tigers.
They really need to have been managing firms of 80+. No one on there, besides Lee, could make that claim I believe.
hammertime
Well-known member
Yeah, but he stayed on that side because of a mad tactical play from their management to bring back Ivan. Our board didn't see it coming. It was a Big ballsy fast moving call, that meant removing Gus, and one that paid off.
So yeah, you can put it down to Nathan, but he's there because of the vision from their board.
It's a complete tax wtite off. Nothing comes out if his pockets personally.
The blowhard takes credit for that but not the failures.
jirskyr
Well-known member
No the report is that Tony Andreacchio (not necessarily the entire Board) may have written to Lee H to suggest he stand aside as Chair, but not vacate his Board spot.
BOF used to be our old Chairperson, doesn't everyone remember?
Don't really get involved in board talk cause I have no idea who they are, what they do and how well they do it. Not sure you can blame everything on them.
I do know I want Lee nowhere near the club, he is an embarrassment the way he carries on in the media. And seems completely clueless.
I do know I want Lee nowhere near the club, he is an embarrassment the way he carries on in the media. And seems completely clueless.
Tigersmurf
Well-known member
Given the press leaked the Chairman extension as soon as it allegedly happened, plus the fact the club didn't formally announce it, seems to raise the possibility that Lee or Pascoe seem to be the most likely persons leaking information to the media. Given that none of the press we have received this year has been positive, it could be construed that the Chairman has in fact been undermining his own club by talking to the press. If that is the case then his position is surely untenable and I expect him to be removed irrespective of whether it is fact or perception.
Just my opinion based on the "facts" in todays media.
Just my opinion based on the "facts" in todays media.
innsaneink
Well-known member
It's business for Brydens... They have us... They have the blues, I believe they tip some into Manly dogs and another SYD team... Also we're involved with Sydney Kings
pawsandclaws1
Well-known member
Thanks for the clarification.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
Yes really…
they advertise a lot in other media… “Have you been injured at work … call us so we can take a third of your lump sum payout for our fees”..
This is a bit different to your old man paying $10k a year for a box..so he can get on the pis with his mates at the games
I agree 100% with your post
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