Breaking news: HBG takeover

[Vicious]

Excerpts from a post on Linkedin today from independent director Charlie Viola:

“We had been working wonderfully well with management and felt like the board had been aligned at all times including the owners representatives who were at every board meeting, and party to every decision and every bit of material.

“I am a passionate Wests Tigers fan, I loved the fact I could contribute, so I am disappointed to no longer have a role and I don’t agree with the actions taken by Holman Barnes Group. I also refute any claims that communication wasn’t at a high standard. Their representative was at every meeting. They had a representative on every sub committee.”

Very interesting.
Nobody will support HBG involvement with Wests Tigers if this statement is found to be true.

 

[Vicious]

If the NRL uncover poor governance on behalf of HBG and mistruths from its representative/s on this matter, there will be ramifications. What that will be, who knows but they will ensure it brings proper corp governance.

I think that is inevitable.

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

There is absolutely a chance they have bungled this up.
There is also a chance they had a genuine reason for dismissing the independent board members and if that is the case everyone glass been jumping to conclusions for no good reason.

The board minutes will make it easy if Richo was correct on establishing good corporate governance.

As a director myself (not with Wests Tigers of course) The decision to remove all independents and not Richo if decisions were being made without board engagement doesn’t make sense.

Some of the agreements made are significant and been months in the making these would’ve been at the board in some fashion especially in a small organization that is top heavy as the Wests Tigers are.

Richo has mentioned numerous times corporate governance and if this was bypassed he shouldn’t have been supported in the statement.

That is the challenge I have currently which is why I’m not in the HBG camp. Things don’t align with the statement made by HBG or the actions during the year.

 

[Vicious]

Even if the independent board members had over-reached (which most don’t believe), do you not think a less public reaction including warnings would have been more appropriate? This HBG are just dumb as f$&k.

The HBG may have dug their own grave.
We will surely find out soon enough.

 

[Tim Sheens]

As I wrote in the jersey thread regarding the new predominantly orange version, we are Wests Tigers, not the Balmain Magpies. Yet here we are in just weeks.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Because up to this point it’s been such smooooooooth sailing!

Pearl clutchers and certain shade of orange fans are getting upset at this? lol. The club has been a lost cause for decades. This is far from even top 5 off season shenanigans.

I agree. You can’t rank it until you see the fallout. If it’s something that’s blown over by Xmas, then it’s just something that’s given us something to get fired up about in the boring monotony of the off season.

 

[innsaneink]

You have been having a crack at me for no good reason.
Don’t have a crack at people if you can’t cop a return serve.
You should know that by now.

LOL....you think I cant cop that juvenile username dig?
It gave me a laugh and makes you look like the child you are.
I dont like trolls and liars....good enough reason for me to have a crack at you

 

[Vicious]

The board minutes will make it easy if Richo was correct on establishing good corporate governance.

As a director myself (not with Wests Tigers of course) The decision to remove all independents and not Richo if decisions were being made without board engagement doesn’t make sense.

Some of the agreements made are significant and been months in the making these would’ve been at the board in some fashion especially in a small organization that is top heavy as the Wests Tigers are.

Richo has mentioned numerous times corporate governance and if this was bypassed he shouldn’t have been supported in the statement.

That is the challenge I have currently which is why I’m not in the HBG camp. Things don’t align with the statement made by HBG or the actions during the year.

Fair enough and we should hopefully get the full truth behind it all very soon.
I don’t think the rugby league journalists will let it rest until we do and hopefully PVL and the NRL step in to work out who is in the wrong and revoke the HBG licence if they are proven to be in the wrong.

 

[innsaneink]

Very interesting.
Nobody will support HBG involvement with Wests Tigers if this statement is found to be true.

Having an each way bet now to cover your arse....smart move

 

[Vicious]

LOL....you think I cant cop that juvenile username dig?
It gave me a laugh and makes you look like the child you are.
I dont like trolls and liars....good enough reason for me to have a crack at you

You don’t like liars but you are happy to run with the heard without knowing any factual evidence.
That’s not contradictory at all.
Posters such as BWG, Mighty Tiger and BAGNF05 just to name a few back up their statements with evidence which makes sense.
That is called discussion which is what this forum is meant for.

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

Here is an excerpt from the joint statement of all 4 independent directors.

“We reject any suggestion of a lack of communication with Holman Barnes Group. Holman Barnes Group is represented on the board of the Wests Tigers and its representative has been present at all Wests Tigers board meetings and provided with all board information. No concerns have been raised by the representative of Holman Barnes Group at any Wests Tigers board.”

Interesting that all 4 have come forward together, with I think 2 now having open comments and PVL statement intentionally mentioning politics.

Just hope the minutes were captured.

 

[Goyougoodthng]

There is absolutely a chance they have bungled this up.
There is also a chance they had a genuine reason for dismissing the independent board members and if that is the case everyone glass been jumping to conclusions for no good reason.

Putting the club and and the nrl into disrepute, memberships being cancelled, bad press, upset fans, possible issues with player re-signings.....
Do you personally believe they have a good enough reason for all the chaos?

 

[innsaneink]

I agree. You can’t rank it until you see the fallout. If it’s something that’s blown over by Xmas, then it’s just something that’s given us something to get fired up about in the boring monotony of the off season.

Chairman and three independants dismissed isnt enough fallout?
I know there may be more to come....or we may not find out much at all, everyone seems to be sure any NRL investigation will eventually be public knowledge, not if they can help it imo...the four steps back this has caused after our 3 forward this season is just another own goal and something we dont need

 

[cktiger]

What a stupid comment. Grow up stupid.

Really? Stupid…. or totally accurate?
Balmain won’t be back and I’m ok with that but getting very sick of Wests dinosaurs ( the same ones that got them in that predicament in the first place) trying to rewrite the past and forget why they’re even here at all.

 

[Vicious]

Interesting that all 4 have come forward together, with I think 2 now having open comments and PVL statement intentionally mentioning politics.

Just hope the minutes were captured.

It’s now gone too far without the truth being exposed.
I know the HBG are very good at making bad decisions, but I honestly didn’t think they would be dumb enough to bring this unnecessary type of heat on themselves without good reason.

 

[BAGNF05]

Chairman and three independants dismissed isnt enough fallout?
I know there may be more to come....or we may not find out much at all, everyone seems to be sure any NRL investigation will eventually be public knowledge, not if they can help it imo...the four steps back this has caused after our 3 forward this season is just another own goal and something we dont need

And back to the same board set up with an 0-14 finals record dating back to 2011. Fantastic.

 

[Vicious]

Putting the club and and the nrl into disrepute, memberships being cancelled, bad press, upset fans, possible issues with player re-signings.....
Do you personally believe they have a good enough reason for all the chaos?

Not in that sense, but if it’s proven that important decisions were being made without them making it to board level, I would then think they have the right to do what they have done.

 

[cochise]

Not in that sense, but if it’s proven that important decisions were being made without them making it to board level, I would then think they have the right to do what they have done.

Wouldn't that be grounds for removal of the CEO?

 

[cktiger]

Interesting that all 4 have come forward together, with I think 2 now having open comments and PVL statement intentionally mentioning politics.

Just hope the minutes were captured.

They will be.
I am on the board of a club mate.
The minutes of every board meeting are recorded these days.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Interesting that all 4 have come forward together, with I think 2 now having open comments and PVL statement intentionally mentioning politics.

Just hope the minutes were captured.

Let’s say for sh*ts’n giggles, this all comes back to Burgess as the HBG rep having, as the independent directors have outlined, been privy to & involved in all key decisions. And he has misled his own HBG board members & CEO to achieve a desired outcome. I wonder if it can be as simple as him being ousted from WT & HBG, the independent directors reinstated to the WT board & a new HBG rep installed.