Breaking news: HBG takeover

Rock Hopper Steve said:
Come on mate it's me your talking to now, you have been snapping at his arse all year, the club's all in on him now you need to wear it if he goes most of the roster goes too

Do you really want to rebuild again.
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I’ve said this a dozen times, and no one has given me a good counter argument. If the squad goes because of Benji, what’s the big deal? He hasn’t gotten results out of them anyway. Do we keep Benji to keep not getting results with them? If they leave, what’s it matter?
 
GNR4LIFE said:
I’ve said this a dozen times, and no one has given me a good counter argument. If the squad goes because of Benji, what’s the big deal? He hasn’t gotten results out of them anyway. Do we keep Benji to keep not getting results with them? If they leave, what’s it matter?
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All the experts who played the game unanimously agree the clubs on the up.
 
coivtny said:
Yes he made them and he copped plenty. I can’t recall whether he started them or returned fire and I’m sure you’d agree it’s not worth anyone’s while to trawl back to find out whether he was the instigator or the retaliator.
I think BZN is late 70s and sometimes you have to make allowances. He’ll hate me for saying that but I’d discount his comments a little.
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The weird thing is when @BZN was magpies196 something , before he changed it , I thought he was a nice old bloke looking for a chat. Then ….the last few years .
 
GNR4LIFE said:
I’ve said this a dozen times, and no one has given me a good counter argument. If the squad goes because of Benji, what’s the big deal? He hasn’t gotten results out of them anyway. Do we keep Benji to keep not getting results with them? If they leave, what’s it matter?
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I genuinely don’t know how you can look at what’s currently taking place & think Benji is even an issue… no coach will be successful so long as these nutters are running the club in fact if they sack Benji no coach would even want to take on this joke of a club.
 
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A few years ago o had a conversation with Dennis at Wests Ashfield.
He come across as a nice bloke and told me he loved the Magpies, now loves the Wests Tigers and loved being part of the board to make sure good decisions were being made for the rugby league club.
About 9 months later I had another discussion with a board member at that time and when I mentioned my previous conversation with Dennis, this person said Dennis sits on the board, but doesn’t have much say on rugby league related decisions.
Based on those conversations I assumed Dennis didn’t have too much influence on the board and was a bit shocked when he was recently appointed as chairman.
Now that Dennis is basically the last man standing of the long term board and the same turmoil keeps happening over and over again, it’s hard to think he is not the main catalyst behind it all.
Maybe he puts on an act when speaking with people he doesn’t know as he certainly had me fooled.
 
liltiger said:
All the experts who played the game unanimously agree the clubs on the up.
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Been hearing how we are on the up since 2011. Yeah, getting off the bottom of the ladder was something, and I don’t see us finishing last next year either. But I do think we have a ceiling of 11th or 12th. And I’m sorry, I know it triggers some, but that is down to Benji. Our spine for a lot of the year was puss. That’s on the coaching. And I know this thread isn’t about this, but I didn’t bring his name into this.
 
pacey said:

Inside story: The 2026 jersey reveal that crushed Wests Tigers’ independent board​

A jersey deemed ‘too Balmain’ has helped trigger the dramatic downfall of Wests Tigers’ independent board in a stunning corporate power play, leaving CEO Shane Richardson in a precarious position.
Michael Carayannis
Michael Carayannis
@mcarayannis

2 min read
December 1, 2025 - 7:15PM
News Sport Network
https://archive.md/LNooN#comments
Shane Richardson is under pressure following the dismantling of the independent board.

Shane Richardson is under pressure following the dismantling of the independent board.
The new Wests Tigers jersey – dubbed too Balmain dominant – is among the list of the four grievances which led to four independent board members lasting less than a year before being blindsided by their axing.

Some of the directors only learnt of their removal via the media before being informed formally by the Holman Barnes group.
The decision by Holman Barnes to regain full control of the Wests Tigers after trumpeting the implementation of an independent review should be cause for concern for the Tigers faithful.
For the first time in a while it seemed like the Tigers were on the right track. The club was profitable and stable with the four now dumped independent board members – Barry O’Farrell, Annabelle Williams, Charlie Viola and Michelle McDowell — all professional heavyweights.
But again the Tigers are now on the brink of implosion with the Holman Barnes Group – who has been embroiled in their own governance issues this year – again running the show.

“Tigers haven’t had the best track record,” Jarome Luai says as he talks about what comes next for him at the Wests Tigers
It is understood that the relationship between the owners of the Tigers and some of the board members was at breaking point because of a string of recent decisions.
Among them includes the recently launched Wests Tigers new jersey – dubbed as too gold – and the club’s stadiums policy which they weren’t given a chance to veto.

Another big issue was a push from the independent board members who wanted to update the shareholding agreement.
While the Tigers board was supposed to be independent, the Holman Barnes Group still had control over a range of key decisions such as the hiring and firing of senior players and signing off of staff members.


Initially there was support for this change when it was raised months ago. Discussions progressed and centred around the club being profitable and having operating expenses in the account for the next two or three years. If that could be achieved then there could be a change in the shareholding agreement which enables the board to make all the decisions — not just the smaller ones.
But in more recent weeks there had been a shift from Holman Barnes which ultimately led to the removal of the majority of the Tigers board on Monday.


The other major problem according to Holman Barnes was a breakdown in communication between the two boards. This despite two Holman Barnes board members being appointed to the Tigers board ensuring they should have been kept abreast of any major decisions.
Holman Barnes chief executive Daniel Paton also sits on a shareholding deed committee which includes members of the Tigers board. Paton will be among the changes on the Tigers board.
While coach Benji Marshall won’t be impacted by the changes. The same can’t be said for chief executive Shane Richardson.
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So HBG want to sign off on players that Benji signs? Ridiculous. Based on this, my guess is that they are salty that we signed someone (possibly Taylan May?) without getting their approval. If this is the case, Richo must resign for his own sake. They are interfering with the football department. This is no way to run a club.
 
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HBG continues to break their own rules to save their own skin. The quickly developing Rozelle Village and Balmain Leagues Club site has to feel like a major threat for HBG, hence this new rumble and the rash decisions.

Our family went down to Ashfield for the Tigers v Warriors game in Round 21, and we won’t do it again. It was below average, the atmosphere was flat, the service was poor, and the food was subpar.

In the end, it’s about the complete experience, and you can only survive on the pokies for so long.
 
GNR4LIFE said:
I’ve said this a dozen times, and no one has given me a good counter argument. If the squad goes because of Benji, what’s the big deal? He hasn’t gotten results out of them anyway. Do we keep Benji to keep not getting results with them? If they leave, what’s it matter?
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It will take a lot longer than a 5 year plan to start over again this time if it was to happen.

Another 2 sides are going to weaken the talent pool even more.

I don't believe Benji had the complete roster needed to get dramatically improved results, still don't think where there yet either.

As for his coaching ability he's still learning but the apprenticeship is coming to a conclusion hopefully next season or the next, he's a smart guy he will get there.
 
Lestronge said:
The weird thing is when @BZN was magpies196 something , before he changed it , I thought he was a nice old bloke looking for a chat. Then ….the last few years .
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Yep agreed. Recent 'contributions' littered with outright racism/anti-semetism, sexism and even attributing fault in domestic violence incidents to the female victims. Appalling.
 
tigahhh said:
club is imploding
board members sacked
ceo now inlimbo

OK but WHY didn’t the coach do better????????????????????

fuark i wonder why. look at the joint
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You seem younger rhan most here …. Go and find another club would be my advice… Im too old to do the same
 
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