Breaking news: HBG takeover

[Tom Shines]

And yet a little over a year ago, we were led to believe Balmain were on their way back 🤣🤣🤣

Man … you blokes have had a lot of mileage out of that one … wasn’t the bloke that said that on his hospital bed or something ?

Anyway ..trying to defend one group of seventy something idiiots by pointing to another group the same doesn’t really move the needle much …

 

[Yossarian]

FTR, there are dinosaurs on both sides. Was only a year or two ago that the blue Wiggle said he would bring back Balmain if he had the money.

And nobody took him seriously and he was widely criticised for his out of date thinking.

 

[TheEnz]

Whilst I am extremely disappointed about the direction taken with the recent sackings and I totally agree that the HBG needs an extreme overhaul, what I will say is that most of the pieces of the current roster were put together before the independent directors came in...so i don't think it is the end of the world or a completely unmanageable situation where everyone walks or throw their toys out of the pram. For me the key to some short term stability is to keep Richo and Benji in place and well supported by the HBG as I don't think you are going to recruit a quality coach or CEO in the current environment. If Richo goes than all bets are off. The only way it could be saved is if they find a CEO that is switched on from a footy perspective and can manage the "personalities" in the HBG group a bit more diplomatically...I get the feeling that Richo is a bit of a my way or the highway kind of guy and that could be very grating to the HBG board.

 

[hammertime]

And yet a little over a year ago, we were led to believe Balmain were on their way back 🤣🤣🤣

If you think there was support on the forum for idiots like this too, you'd be mistaken.

 

[twentyforty]

He's saying there's no reason why the Magpies emblem shouldn't be in the state comp as the Wests Tigers representative. It's one and the same anyway. Every player and football staff member in every grade is employed by 'Wests Tigers.' All WSDRLFC actually do is put on game day at Lidcombe.

The belief that Western Suburbs Magpies run their own operation in NSW Cup, SG Ball, and Harold Matthews, and Balmain run their teams in Ball and Matts, is wrong. It's all administered and resourced out of Concord. Keeping the team names and mascots is largely political.

Again, I ask the question..why don’t we have a Wests Tigers reserve grade team?

 

[GNR4LIFE]

trouble is unlike hypotheticals we actually have wests dinosaurs involved with the club now that is the problem
that balmain dinosaur has nothing to do with the club

Yet the five fossils calling 2SM ruffled your feathers 🤔

 

[UnderTheBus]

Sounds to me like Dennis is the cog in the wheel that needs to go. Can anyone get a mutiny happening?

Not while they can hide behind the debenture system. They seem to be knifing each other one by one, so our only hope is that keeps happening and there's no one left.

 

[Vicious]

You’re suggesting SR and BOF conspired to create a situation to prompt the HBG to react for their own nefarious purposes? Which one of them is Otto Von Bismarck?

I feel you’re asserting a level of thought and competence that simply is nonexistent in this case.

No I am suggesting SR and BOF somehow thought they could get away with it without any repercussions or were happy to push their luck.
Maybe it was desperation knowing they would just be banging their heads against the wall trying to get some of their agendas agreed to by the HBG.

 

[hammertime]

@BlackWhiteGold Can we run an anonymous poll here? See if people want

- Wests Tigers
- Magpies
- Balmain

Would be interesting to see if everyone is on the same page.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Harry is the biggest myth since Bigfoot.

He at one time wanted to buy the Tigers that's not a myth.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

@BlackWhiteGold Can we run an anonymous poll here? See if people want

- Wests Tigers
- Magpies
- Balmain

Would be interesting to see if everyone is on the same page.

Why? That’s just encouraging divisiveness.

 

[Tom Shines]

Why? That’s just encouraging divisiveness.

I think we can handle it .,. Plenty of practice

 

[coivtny]

Balmain or Western Suburbs will not be returning the NRL.
I know we live in a crazy world full of crazy people, but surely everybody understands that ?

Look I shouldn’t be saying this because I was told under strict secrecy but Glebe is looking to pick up our licence.

 

[Tom Shines]

Yes they should come out with a statement supporting Wests Tigers and dismissing the Wests Magpies innuendo.
At the same time how hard is it for Richo to ensure our fans are kept updated with roster movement and junior rep team news ?

What happened mate ,,.didn’t want to answer my question ? You must have asked me dozens so far this offseason right ? 😂

I know you love looking ahead to the future … where do you think this club is headed in respect of the on the field results after this weeks news ? Are you optimistic ?

 

[BZN]

He is entitled to his opinion but not being either a patsy for HBG, shit-stirrer for the sake of it, or drowning us in his repetitive rubbish.

G'day Mikey, good to hear from you as I always respect and enjoy reading your posts and watching your videos.
But there are one or two or three maybe even 4 posters on here I wouldn't give you two and tuppence for.

If you read all of the posts from @Vicious as I did, I think you will find he was very fair to both sides of the argument and, he articulated his thoughts really well and handled the situation really well considering he was under extreme pressure from various posters 'drowning him' with repetitive questioning.... and extreme insults.
From memory, I don't recall any previous stand-out pro HBG posts from him, and I definitely did not get the impression he was stirring the....

The only mistake he made [if you can call it that] was getting sucked in to a whirlpool of angry posters who were only too willing to take their frustration out on 'him'.
I've been the recipient of that a couple of times for defending the Magpies side of the JV when there are not many of us on here to do that, and I won't get sucked in again.

Take care when you're out there on two wheels, you may get run off the road by some kid on an electric scooter.

 

[Vicious]

@BlackWhiteGold Can we run an anonymous poll here? See if people want

- Wests Tigers
- Magpies
- Balmain

Would be interesting to see if everyone is on the same page.

We don’t need a poll, it is clearly above 95% in favour of Wests Tigers.

 

[murrayf]

My Second post, I've been a Balmain fan and now WT fan and sadly the club is a running joke....

Read whatever you like into this.... but if it's on the money this is just juvenile crap from a bunch of misfits and retards who still pine for the days of Lidcombe oval sitting in their luxury dog box drinking Tooths and reminiscing about the good old days.

Re Richo. The former Sharks, Panthers and Souths CEO put forward a plan to change the Wests Magpies NSW Cup team to Wests Tigers, thus including the Balmain side of the merger in the second tier team.

That didn't go down well with the Holman Barnes Group, who heavily favor the Magpies over the Tigers - and Richardson's papers have been marked since that day.

If he goes, it will only add to the turmoil within the club - especially as Luai still has a get-out clause and is a big Richardson fan.

Watch this space.

And the Balmain V Wests BS still continues today 25 years on some of you guys need to get a life regarding this Us V them BS.

90% of the fans today have no affiliation with Wests and Balmain and anyone who thinks Wests or Balmain will come back as a stand alone club are delusional.

I'm just pissed off that there was a light at the end of the tunnel now if Richo goes that light is well and truly snuffed out.

Watch the exit door he won't be the only one.

2026 could be another wood spoon year, it may get really ugly.

40 years ago, Jack Gibson cautioned ‘Winning starts in the front office’ something the mo-ons at HBG don't get.

 

[coivtny]

We don’t need a poll, it is clearly above 95% in favour of Wests Tigers.

Reckon you’re spot on mate.

 

[Vicious]

What happened mate ,,.didn’t want to answer my question ? You must have asked me dozens so far this offseason right ? 😂

I didn’t see your question.
You should know I am not optimistic about our on field prospects for the 2026 season before or after the latest unrest.
I don’t believe in changing teams just because you are unhappy with their results or the direction they are heading, so I’m stuck waiting for a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Vicious]

He at one time wanted to buy the Tigers that's not a myth.

Yes but he didn’t put his hand in his deep pockets.