SMH Article 'We’ve lost faith in them’: Balmain consider shock exit from Wests Tigers merger

[diedpretty]

Bring it on. Please oh please make this happen. The merger hasn't worked. It has no soul. People talking about all the fans and sponsors walking away are kidding themselves. What matters is success. If the Balmain Tigers (one of the most iconic 'brands' in rugby league potentially playing out of the most iconic suburban ground in rugby league) go it alone and, god forbid, manage to make the finals more regularly than three times every 25 years, then they will have a massive (existing - both pre and post merge - and new) fanbase. Please Harry, kill this pathetic chimera and bring back the (proper) Tigers.

Lol stop trolling Mr Leo.

 

[TillLindemann]

Hearing reports a Balmain / Glebe Dirty Reds merger is on the cards, Nofo being touted as marquee signing.

 

[SwervinMervin]

Gutter journalism, sensationalism, beat-up, a sole comment generates Headlines. Good luck trying to entice new players to the club in this environment

We can pretend it is a beat up or gutter journalism or whatever, but the reality is this is not Blue Wiggle or some ex player who has gone rogue, it is a Director of the Balmain Tigers Footy Club. Ultimately it probably comes to nothing, but it does highlight the calibre of director we have in the JV entities. I don't know much about Gary Leo (apart from the fact he must write his own Wikipedia profile - check it out) but if his brain dead comments are anything to go by then he packed his head into one too many scrums.
We seriously need to get decent governance at this club. Just when you think we have made progress, guys like Leo and that muso from HBG pop up like cancerous bowel polyps. They have got no place in running a professional rugby league club anymore. I can't stand the Roosters, but if I am being honest with myself it is becasue I am more than just a bit envious of how they unlevel the playing field with the quality of their leadership at board level. Our board leadership is more like a bunch of small timers jostling for power at the local masonic lodge. As the (now treacherous) ex PM, Paul Keating, said "in the horserace of life, always back the horse named self-interest. At least you know it's trying!"

 

[Vicious]

Storm in a teacup.
If Wests Tigers ever dissolve the NRL won’t allow either of Balmain Tigers or Western Suburbs Magpies to replace them, they would simply be banished to playing Ron Massey Cup at best.
The Bulldogs would merge themselves into the Macarthur-Campbelltown region and the Eels would take over the Balmain Inner West territory,

 

[hsvjones]

It just shows judging by the response numbers to this that we all moved on from the old and are happy with WestsTigers as our brand. Good time to make all grade under thr same name to complete the switch.

I would still like the club to come out and shut this down as a professional organisation would.

 

[SwervinMervin]

Hearing reports a Balmain / Glebe Dirty Reds merger is on the cards, Nofo being touted as marquee signing.

Apparently Sydney Uni are up for a comeback as well. An inner west tripartite venture. It would be great. We could then add their 0 premierships and 10 wooden spoons to our tally. They could be flat track bullies in Ron Massey Cup.

 

[Buttface]

Benny will chuck in a dollar, he knows a bargain when he sees one.

There is no way I’m going in with Benny Elias. You can’t turn ya back on him. He stabbed his own club.

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

I no longer want to see
balmain heritage jerseys
Magpies heritage jerseys
I want Wests tigers in all grades including reserve grade
it has been 25 years since the merger, bunch of dinasaurs on both sides of JV

 

[Tom Shines]

Balmain want to leave but with what. They have Leichardt and thats about it. You would think they need to stay to even stay alive

A Leichhardt which is years away from a modest renovation …

 

[SwervinMervin]

Storm in a teacup.
If Wests Tigers ever dissolve the NRL won’t allow either of Balmain Tigers or Western Suburbs Magpies to replace them, they would simply be banished to playing Ron Massey Cup at best.
The Bulldogs would merge themselves into the Macarthur-Campbelltown region and the Eels would take over the Balmain Inner West territory,

You are 100% right, but don't you think the bigger issue is that a Director of Balmain Tigers is so out of touch with reality as to think Balmain could be resurrected as an NRL club? How does someone that brain dead get on the board in the first instance. In the word of the great (but fictional) Logan Roy, "these are not serious people". Keith Barnes would be rolling in his grave.

 

[Tucker]

Balmain want to leave but with what. They have Leichardt and thats about it. You would think they need to stay to even stay alive

It isnt a serious proposition. They wouldnt get a license to start with.
I think its more a way of laying the boot into the HBG publically and drawing attention to their manoueverings.

 

[SwervinMervin]

I no longer want to see
balmain heritage jerseys
Magpies heritage jerseys
I want Wests tigers in all grades including reserve grade
it has been 25 years since the merger, bunch of dinasaurs on both sides of JV

I love the history of both clubs. It is the heritage that gives Wests Tigers just a bit of soul. But that's where it should stay, as history!

 

[Tito Santana]

I no longer want to see
balmain heritage jerseys
Magpies heritage jerseys
I want Wests tigers in all grades including reserve grade
it has been 25 years since the merger, bunch of dinasaurs on both sides of JV

Yep agreed. The people that want to have factions can get fark off.

Knob head Leo shouldn’t be on the board. Who recommends going solo when you have no cash. What an idiot.

 

[Vicious]

You are 100% right, but don't you think the bigger issue is that a Director of Balmain Tigers is so out of touch with reality as to think Balmain could be resurrected as an NRL club? How does someone that brain dead get on the board in the first instance. In the word of the great (but fictional) Logan Roy, "these are not serious people". Keith Barnes would be rolling in his grave.

💯 correct why are people who are out of touch with reality on any board related to Wests Tigers, Balmain Tigers or Wests Magpies ?
If we were smart our board would contain some influential media personalities such as Benny Elias and Joel Caine. We don’t have to particularly like them as people, but they both have good media profiles and both clearly have a soft spot for Wests Tigers. It would be crazy not to utilise their media influence as a positive for Wests Tigers.

 

[Lestronge]

If Balmain had merged with Parra it would have basically been a Parramatta take over with the club only having the token "Tigers" name and somehow managing to get some blue on the jersey.
Until their much publicised financial woes, Balmain was a 50% owner of Wests Tigers.
Whilst Western Suburbs now owns 90% of the club, they have said they will give Balmain every opportunity to build their finances up & become equal partners again, something Parra wouldn't have let happen, they would have taken full control.

And ? That’s my point …. The people running Balmain shouldn’t be ! The same thing happened with Illawarra , now 25 years on , the whole region goes for the dragons , and whilst the Illawarra portion is recognised , maybe tokenism, maybe not , those teething problems have long since evaporated , and to be honest I couldn’t care less which big wig from which side is sitting on the board of a new entity .
The 25 years of going for St George Illawarra has now trumped any old loyalties towards Illawarra people in that region may or may not have had .
What do you think balmain gaining back traction or power is a good thing ?
The only thing good about it would be the HBG losing power . Which to be honest it’s horseshit they’re all back again , that was supposed to happen at the start of the year .
Balmain gaining power would return everything to the bad old days . Stupid old men , fighting with other stupid old men about which nostalgia was the best … seriously “what year is it “

 

[Bigtom]

Both sound like lame musical numbers we were made to do at school with skipping ropes ...maybe mild PTSD from it ...😐

Which is the worse slogan…”Get on the Bus” or “Crocodile Roll”?

How about tigers are always in the f.. fight

 

[jrtiger]

Storm in a teacup.
If Wests Tigers ever dissolve the NRL won’t allow either of Balmain Tigers or Western Suburbs Magpies to replace them, they would simply be banished to playing Ron Massey Cup at best.
The Bulldogs would merge themselves into the Macarthur-Campbelltown region and the Eels would take over the Balmain Inner West territory,

Leo's comments are certainly a storm in the teacup, but the conjecture regarding whether Romero and the HBG board intend to carry out the recommendations of the review is massively concerning.

the next decade and onwards of the club hinges on their sickening self interest.

 

[UnderTheBus]

I no longer want to see
balmain heritage jerseys
Magpies heritage jerseys
I want Wests tigers in all grades including reserve grade
it has been 25 years since the merger, bunch of dinasaurs on both sides of JV

Can my "Sydney Tigers" jersey be an exception 🙂

 

[Vicious]

Leo's comments are certainly a storm in the teacup, but the conjecture regarding whether Romero and the HBG board intend to carry out the recommendations of the review is massively concerning.

the next decade and onwards of the club hinges on their sickening self interest.

How does Romero keep appearing in the board, wasn’t she previously on the board and then left or dropped off ?
Why is it so difficult to get a good cohesive board who want the best for Wests Tigers ?

 

[jrtiger]

How does Romero keep appearing in the board, wasn’t she previously on the board and then left or dropped off ?
Why is it so difficult to get a good cohesive board who want the best for Wests Tigers ?

she's not on the board mate. as the Chairwoman of our major shareholder, who sanctioned the review, it's up to her and the HBG board to action the recommendations to enforce true corporate governance at WT, many of which dilute their power.

unfortunately self interest is rife amongst Holman Barnes Group, especially now that Andreacchio has been ousted as Chair.