Taking a wrecking ball to the club! (Recent Media Reports)

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hammertime said:
Julie the lower/middle manager, Dennis the failed musician, Vince the used car salesman and Steve the lovable lawyer.

Inspiring group
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LOL it’s like a who’s who of cliches isn’t it . Like if Ricky Gervais was going to right a comedy about a group of middling people trying to cling to some semblance of power and prestige , he couldn’t come up with 4 more appropriate backgrounds . Maybe a Real Estate agent , or an ex sportsmen “who could have gone pro” .
Lol it’s an interesting psychological study !
 
vlad said:

Long-term debenture holder calls for Wests Tigers’ ownership structure system to be blown up​

The infighting between the owners of the Wests Tigers has exploded with one-long time debenture holder calling for the system to be scrapped immediately.
Michael CarayannisMichael Carayannis
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January 2, 2025 - 6:19PM

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One of the longest serving debenture holders at the Holman Barnes Group – the owners of the Wests Tigers – has sensationally called for the ownership structure to be changed immediately in the wake of three board members being banned.

John Hardgrove – who has been a debenture holder for more than three decades – said it is time for a major revamp of the Holman Barnes Group governance structure.

The debenture agreement was launched in 1955 as part of the formation of Wests Ashfield Leagues Club to assist with the running of the Western Suburbs Magpies. The debenture system has remained even through the many changes which have occurred in the past 70 years including a merger with Balmain.

The debenture system consisting of 20 people appoints from within five people to sit on the Holman Barnes Group board.

It costs just $100 to join the elite group.

Two other board members are elected via a membership vote by the membership of the Holmans Group clubs which includes Wests Ashfield.

“The debenture system has served its purpose,” Hardgrove said. “I supported the system up until now because it served its original purpose of protecting the assets of the club and the support of rugby league.

“What’s happening now is outside the original intent of the group. We need to look at another system that will protect the interests of the club, its assets and the long history of a foundation rugby league club as well as the Wests Tigers.

“The debenture system is no longer fit for purpose. A new system needs to be developed and this could require an administrator to be appointed while this is being done.

What has been done to these three people is grossly unfair and lacks procedural fairness.”

Recently banned duo Rick Wayde and Tony Andreacchio were elected by the members while fellow exiled board member David Gilbert was one of five debenture board members.

While there are a maximum of 20 debenture holders there are just 16 active debenture members.

They include; Hardgrove, Gilbert and current Holman Barnes board of directors Julie Romero, Dennis Burgess, Stephen Montgomery and Vince Tropiano.

Other debenture holders include Kevin Hammond, Daniel Lane, Clare Burgess, Fiona Shand, Russell Smith, Brian Cook, Mick Liubinskas, Scott Beynon and Peter DiMichiel (chairman).

Paul Marsh – who acted for Gilbert, Wayde and Andreacchio in their dealings against Holman Barnes – is also a debenture holder.

Wayde was banned for eight years, Andreacchio (six) and Gilbert (six months) for a range of alleged misdemeanours.

“The penalties are a joke,” Hardgrove said. “I’ve seen what they were charged with and the penalty they were given. The penalty does not fit the alleged crime even if you believe they deserved some sort of penalty.

“What they have been given is a joke and seems to be ploy for other people to gain even more control.”

The debenture holders meet six times a year but because of the ongoing conflict there has not been a formal meeting since October.

“The meeting was called off in December but the Christmas dinner went ahead,” Hardgrove said. “It was fairly tense.”

Two debenture holders are to be appointed to the Holman Barnes Group next month.

Gilbert and Dennis Burgess are up for re-election.

Meanwhile, a fan led petition calling for a review into the Holman Barnes Group has attracted more than 1000 signatures. The Wests Tigers Unite fan-base are calling for change.

“The Wests Tigers need to stand on its own two feet and have the best possible representation at board level,” said Wests Tigers United spokesman Joel Helmes. “We have been a fan base who have been divided foes 25 years, this is the moment the club comes together once and for all.”
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cktiger said:
He’s already replying him to himself.🤣
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Both of you are doing Gods work thank you
 
Lestronge said:
LOL it’s like a who’s who of cliches isn’t it . Like if Ricky Gervais was going to right a comedy about a group of middling people trying to cling to some semblance of power and prestige , he couldn’t come up with 4 more appropriate backgrounds . Maybe a Real Estate agent , or an ex sportsmen “who could have gone pro” .
Lol it’s an interesting psychological study !
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It’s been 70 years in the making and was going ok until Wests Tigers. The very thing that continued the gift of prestige to the hierarchy, as they donated the clubs money to various sporting organisations and charities, has also been the most needy. They have a desire to bloody win. They want to pursue this crazy notion of excellence?
 
There will be nothing sweeter than seeing success
on the field & I speak 4 everyone I think. It's going
to be bitter-sweet watching us do well, finally.

They get to watch from the sidelines. Too much misery
 
twentyforty said:
It’s been 70 years in the making and was going ok until Wests Tigers. The very thing that continued the gift of prestige to the hierarchy, as they donated the clubs money to various sporting organisations and charities, has also been the most needy. They have a desire to bloody win. They want to pursue this crazy notion of excellence?
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By they I mean us.
 
Iron Fist said:
WOW! You found a photo of Rick seated next to Lee at Tommy Raudonikas' funeral. Well done mate. You've really put a cat amongst the pigeons here.

Lee and Pascoe were puppets, used and abused for as long as HBG (including Wayde) saw a use for them. Lee provided $1m in sponsorship, and took all the PR for the shit HBG power block were driving. Pascoe was a yes man to them.
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Was thinking that a while back - Imagine answering to the idiots.

I also don't trust Wayde, He has been there or there abouts for the majority of this mess
(Happy to hide behind Pascoe and Lee) and seems only now to have turned since he's been ousted.
That said, He was looking to listen and implement the changes to the WTs' Board
- I see that as a lesser evil atm.
 
batboy said:
Was thinking that a while back - Imagine answering to the idiots.

I also don't trust Wayde, He has been there or there abouts for the majority of this mess
(Happy to hide behind Pascoe and Lee) and seems only now to have turned since he's been ousted.
That said, He was looking to listen and implement the changes to the WTs' Board
- I see that as a lesser evil atm.
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Wayde isn’t blameless in the Wests Tigers fiasco but I think he showed some genuine concern for the club in undertaking the review and endorsing the recommendations.

That alone shows that he can act in the best interest of the club and is capable of reason.

Plus he did save the Magpies in the 80’s so he does have some runs on the board albeit from a completely different era.

He shouldn’t be anywhere near the Wests Tigers board though. He had from eight years to get results and failed just Burgess, Romero and co.
 
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Still nothing from Romero and Burgess , crickets , they would be sitting in an office going what have we done , who’s still on our side , any word on people jumping ship besides one , Can’t call meeting it will show sign of weakness , we need the people to stand up and put a vote of no confidence in the current board , grubs are hiding
 
Does anyone know the section of the constitution dealing with the 27,000 members of Wests and their right to vote on constitutional change? Who has the authority to put a question to those members and the percentage of yay or nays to have a motion carried?
 
426Tlgerland said:
Still nothing from Romero and Burgess , crickets , they would be sitting in an office going what have we done , who’s still on our side , any word on people jumping ship besides one , Can’t call meeting it will show sign of weakness , we need the people to stand up and put a vote of no confidence in the current board , grubs are hiding
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They are probably conferring on how they can ban Wests Tigers supporters from talking negatively about HBG or be banned from the club/grounds.
 
They won't have to ban me from entering any of their premises because I won't be going while any of these self centred incompetent grubs have any say in the running of those establishments.
 
I still think we may come out of this crapfest that we have been put through by the "elite debenture holder directors",in a positive fashion if the Dept of Liqour and gaming,Clubs NSW and the NRL do get heavily involved..
There are many new and regulated rules that govern the Clubs of NSW,strict policy changes,new rule changes and an abundance of licensing changes..
I urge many of you to do some research in all of the Departments I have mentioned,I know many of us wont because it is boring reading unless you can understand the scope of changes..

My point being that maybe there can be change to the debenture structure and it can be replaced by a more sensible format that will be fairer to the members to have a choice of who they want to represent them..
The NRL could be the hammer that comes down hard as they also inject a lot of capital to all the NRL clubs and the Tigers logo is a huge brand that sells..
I have stated before,Iam all in to be a member and supporter of the Wests Tigers,my Balmain past is just that the past and I highly respect my Magpies brothers and sisters and their past,however there seems to be a very small minority on the board of HBG that wont let our great club progress to the heights that I really think it can achieve if it is ran in the correct manner as a professional sporting body..cheers..all the best for 2025,,
 
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