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

[Wiz]

I'd vote you over Romero mate even after a full slab!

Good on you “stop” @hammertime. It’s a low bar to better than Romero. The club needs some heavy corporate hitters on board which is not me.

 

[Kaito]

I would agree, except it's currently August 2025. The review dropped Dec 2024. We've still got a temporary board and Romero has just replaced a experienced gun with a bloke who looks like he hasn't showered in months. They also haven't released any sort of statement to affirm their commitment to the review, despite the media circus.

The signs are enough to get people concerned.

For sure I'll pay that HT. Don't think anyone was really
anticipating losing Andreacchio either to be honest.
I understand people's concern, I'm more pissed off
though - there is no reason to suggest we are not
committed to the review, I haven't seen any reason
besides maybe the delay in appointment of directors.
it sounds crazy but I'm hands free and happy with
Richo at the wheel for the moment. It's not even
the end off the season and we're fretting about the
survival of our club. I don't know I might be crazy

 

[Kaito]

I have had plenty of beers today….

Haha, you're doing well Wiz. Oh man, Benny would
have been a trip to drink with. Could charm Medussa

 

[Wiz]

Haha, you're doing well Wiz. Oh man, Benny would
have been a trip to drink with. Could charm Medussa

Mate, he could put them away. He was smashing the JDs and coke. Matt Nable was there too. He was an encyclopaedia of Balmain Tigers history. A top bloke. I said my bit, bought them a round of drinks and then left. I didn’t want to be a hanger on. But they are all from the inner west where I grew up so we had lots in common. I think Benny was surprised about how much I knew about the club and the HBG (I used to know Simon Cook as well). Anyway, I now see Benny in a new light and I am happy for that.

 

[hammertime]

For sure I'll pay that HT. Don't think anyone was really
anticipating losing Andreacchio either to be honest.
I understand people's concern, I'm more pissed off
though - there is no reason to suggest we are not
committed to the review, I haven't seen any reason
besides maybe the delay in appointment of directors.
it sounds crazy but I'm hands free and happy with
Richo at the wheel for the moment. It's not even
the end off the season and we're fretting about the
survival of our club. I don't know I might be crazy

The problem is Richo isn't at the wheel. He's at the mercy of people with far less qualifications. How can these guys ask an ex NSW premier to reinterview? Who is going to interview him? Them? It's insulting.

I used to think it was Andreacchio who was part of the problem. But he wasn't. He stepped up.

I'll take it all back if I'm wrong. But the few moves we have seen so far is enough to start applying the blowtorch. We have a big year next year - hurry the bloody hell up Romero!!

 

[Wiz]

The problem is Richo isn't at the wheel. He's at the mercy of people with far less qualifications. How can these guys ask an ex NSW premier to reinterview? Who is going to interview him? Them? It's insulting.

I used to think it was Andreacchio who was part of the problem. But he wasn't. He stepped up.

I'll take it all back if I'm wrong. But the few moves we have seen so far is enough to start applying the blowtorch. We have a big year next year - hurry the bloody hell up Romero!!

100% mate. The people asking Barry to reapply are far less qualified than Barry is. It’s embarrassing. I don’t blame him for walking away.

 

[hammertime]

Good on you “stop” @hammertime. It’s a low bar to better than Romero. The club needs some heavy corporate hitters on board which is not me.

The fact you have enough self reflection to say that, puts you well in the stratosphere compared to Romero and Dennis.

 

[Wiz]

The fact you have enough self reflection to say that, puts you well in the stratosphere compared to Romero and Dennis.

I do know a player manager, some old Balmain Tigers folk and a few contacts around town. But to put things in perspective, when I worked with Romero she must have been 10 to 15 years older than me but in a much more junior position that she was made redundant from due to poor performance. Benny did tell me today that her husband passed away recently which is very sad. Personally, she was nice and friendly, just nowhere near qualified for the HBG chairman role. I can’t even believe she could ever have got into that role to be honest. Only at the tigers!!!!

 

[Kaito]

Power trippers. Barry is moving different since we
got the approval for Leichhardt, haven't heard from
or of him practically all year. Hasn't done much tbf

 

[Kaito]

The problem is Richo isn't at the wheel. He's at the mercy of people with far less qualifications. How can these guys ask an ex NSW premier to reinterview? Who is going to interview him? Them? It's insulting.

I used to think it was Andreacchio who was part of the problem. But he wasn't. He stepped up.

I'll take it all back if I'm wrong. But the few moves we have seen so far is enough to start applying the blowtorch. We have a big year next year - hurry the bloody hell up Romero!!

I don't know much about Romero or anything about
her business acumen but RIP her husband @Wiz

 

[balmain boy]

So i have quotes back from the daily telegraph for a full page $ 33K and half page ad $16K - but they do 40% to 80% discounts depending the on the day etc.

I want to start a go fund me page which asks for money to take out a full page ad in the Tele that has an open letter to HBG, Balmain Tigers and Wests Tigers boards as well as past administration, directors and anyone else trying to hijack and sabotage the Wests Tigers that is cherished by us the fans.

The ad would state that we want to keep the WT

That we want Richo and Barry to be able to implement all the recommendations of the report including adding 4 independent directors and not the same HBG directors that were there last time.

And that we want all the infighting to stop.

And that any money that we raise more than the costs of the advertising will be used to put into a kitty to use as a third party or sponsor deal to extend and keep Lachlan Galvin at the club for ten years because we believe he is the face of the new WT generation from the southwest.

And that if there are any Balmain Tigers or Wests Magpies old folk who want to keep the torch alight they are welcome to put on their jerseys and play against each other at Lidcombe Oval whenever they want but leave us all ALONE.

I think this will get more media attention than the cost of the ad itself.

There's no need to advertise, it does nothing more than what a petition does, only it costs an arm and a leg.

 

[balmain boy]

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 ?

Both Balmain and Wests have been managed by the most incompetent, complete and utter morons for the past 30 years.
The only way Wests Tigers can move forwards is via no involvement getting Wests Ashford or Balmain. A purely independently run club is the only way forward. 30 years of complete failure from both sides of the joint venture, incapable of sound judgement

 

[TIGERS]

Look let’s not get too carried away;

To nick a phrase from Orwell. “4 directors shall be independent, but some directors are more independent than others…” it seems like a lot of cringe board room jostling over “who picks the pickers”.

Is making Barry O’Farrell re-apply for the role of Chairman the same thing as sacking him as chairman? No. Also let’s not forget that Barry O’Farrell was a bloody politician who lost his job once ASIC discovered not reporting bottles of penfolds grange for his buddies. He also HAD the role of chairman and nicked off for some role in India instead if I recall…

But then again if he’s good enough now why does he need to reapply? Perhaps there are two sides to this argument. I can understand HBG being extremely cautious around this topic based on how deeply Lee HPT embedded his tendrils into the club and turned it into his fantasy football advertising hobby horse.

Maybe it’s a bit of a double standard to insist upon an independent review for the old chairman and but then expect to railroad or rubber stamp the full time replacement without similar independence in the process. Just saying.

I think what we are all terrified of is (well, I am anyway,) is that we muddy the corporate waters enough to lose Richo. For me he is just an absolute godsend and I fear our club is doomed without him to steer us through the next 3 seasons.

For the most part I’ve been on board with the HBG’s graciousness to Balmain in terms or debt and representation on WT board, and also the way they have acted to reform the board, and the results and actions taken so far.

 

[twentyforty]

Look let’s not get too carried away;

To nick a phrase from Orwell. “4 directors shall be independent, but some directors are more independent than others…” it seems like a lot of cringe board room jostling over “who picks the pickers”.

Is making Barry O’Farrell re-apply for the role of Chairman the same thing as sacking him as chairman? No. Also let’s not forget that Barry O’Farrell was a bloody politician who lost his job once ASIC discovered not reporting bottles of penfolds grange for his buddies. He also HAD the role of chairman and nicked off for some role in India instead if I recall…

But then again if he’s good enough now why does he need to reapply? Perhaps there are two sides to this argument. I can understand HBG being extremely cautious around this topic based on how deeply Lee HPT embedded his tendrils into the club and turned it into his fantasy football advertising hobby horse.

Maybe it’s a bit of a double standard to insist upon an independent review for the old chairman and but then expect to railroad or rubber stamp the full time replacement without similar independence in the process. Just saying.

I think what we are all terrified of is (well, I am anyway,) is that we muddy the corporate waters enough to lose Richo. For me he is just an absolute godsend and I fear our club is doomed without him to steer us through the next 3 seasons.

For the most part I’ve been on board with the HBG’s graciousness to Balmain in terms or debt and representation on WT board, and also the way they have acted to reform the board, and the results and actions taken so far.

I doubt the previous chair had anything to do with the review. He was earmarked for getting the boot well before the start of the review while his input during the review was zero.

 

[TIGERS]

I doubt the previous chair had anything to do with the review. He was earmarked for getting the boot well before the start of the review while his input during the review was zero.

You mean Lee or the former chairman of HBG?

 

[twentyforty]

You mean Lee or the former chairman of HBG?

Lee.

 

[cochise]

I doubt the previous chair had anything to do with the review. He was earmarked for getting the boot well before the start of the review while his input during the review was zero.

He was not earmarked for getting the boot before the review, that is unfair on the guys that conducted the review.

 

[Furious1]

The concern is (from my point of view) that the recommendations from the review have not been implemented in full and that we have some of the same, sorry incompetent fools making the decisions.
Things should have turned the corner completely with the appointment of Richardson and there is no doubt Richo has been working his arse off trying to get this place where it should be, only to be undermined by the people above him again. This is the last chance to get this right and somehow we go back to some of the people that have a history of getting it wrong.
Surely it doesn't take 8 or 9 months to find competent, independent board members? If this isn't sorted shortly I can see Richo departing on medical grounds. Hard to soar like an eagle when your surrounded by turkeys.

 

[coivtny]

The problem is Richo isn't at the wheel. He's at the mercy of people with far less qualifications. How can these guys ask an ex NSW premier to reinterview? Who is going to interview him? Them? It's insulting.

I used to think it was Andreacchio who was part of the problem. But he wasn't. He stepped up.

I'll take it all back if I'm wrong. But the few moves we have seen so far is enough to start applying the blowtorch. We have a big year next year - hurry the bloody hell up Romero!!

How do you think people like Baird, Perrottet, Berejiklian and other ex-Premiers get salaried jobs after politics? They are interviewed. It shouldn't be above BOF.

 

[CTownTiger]

Can someone list the recommendations?

I don’t know if they ever announced the full recommendations but I think the biggest one atm is the board was reduced to Barry O’Farrell, and a representative from each of HBG, Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies. And they were supposed to add 4 new independent board members by May but they still haven’t.