Breaking news: HBG takeover

[Tom Shines]

The state’s liquor and gaming watchdog has put the majority owners of Wests Tigers on notice following the latest boardroom dramas engulfing the club.

The Holman Barnes Group, the Tigers’ 90 per cent shareholder, has sacked four independent Wests Tigers directors including chairman Barry O’Farrell, a move that has clouded the future of chief executive Shane Richardson.

The developments have piqued the interest of Liquor & Gaming NSW, the body that sacked the Parramatta Leagues Club board in 2016 for ceasing to become an effective governing body. They were the same directors who had sat on the Parramatta Eels club board when the club was embroiled in a salary cap scandal.

“Liquor & Gaming NSW is not currently investigating any matters involving Western Suburbs Leagues Club or the Holman Barnes Group,” said a spokesperson for Liquor & Gaming NSW.

“However, we are monitoring these latest developments involving the board.

“Registered clubs must operate with the highest standards of integrity in the interests of their members as required under the Registered Clubs Act.”

NRL 2025: Clubs regulator puts Wests Tigers owners on notice

The watchdog that sacked the Parramatta Eels board over governance failings is now monitoring the owners of the Wests Tigers.

www.smh.com.au

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The NRL closely monitoring the situation, as are Liquor and Gaming. the walls are closing in on HBG.

Not investigating…but Monitoring ..ok … isn’t what they should be doing anyway ?

 

[Bus 2 Terrigal]

What would you prefer....

A- Wests Magpies back in the NRL at the expense of Wests Tigers

B- Wests Tigers to remain in the NRL as it is?

A or B...?

I doubt ill get a straight answer

I’d prefer to see the Gosford Townies return to Grahame Park - it’s been 26 long years 🙄

 

[pawsandclaws1]

I think with PVL involved sanity might prevail , unless I’ve missed something whilst sleeping.
Sometimes I think the nrl encourages stories like X teams are the pinup teams Y teams are the dregs , and everyone else in between . Just as it creates drama and narratives , and adds to the spectacle . But I can’t see how letting the tigers be run. Off a cliff is good for business for the nrl. It was fun whilst it lasted re. 3 spoons , but now it f it continues our place in the nrl , surely should be in question , as a viable entity moving forward . Especially with consortiums in Brisbane , Adelaide , Christchurch , Rockhampton/Bundaberg , central coast , all waiting to stick thier hand up for a team.
The logo should be wests tigers at all grades. The Harold Matt’s kids should pull on the same jersey as luai and Bula . There should be connective tissue there.
But there’s literally zero. The first time you put on a wests tigers jersey is jersey flegg for a year or / then your back wearing the magpies again . Training in the middle of Sydney for some reason . It makes zero sense and never has … queue crazy magpies logic about how it does make sense …

PVL brings an NRL wide view to the issue and his involvement is mandatory. The ongoing destabilisation of the club is not a good look for the NRL nor its sponsors.

 

[Lestronge]

Thats your opinion.. but when you're at war with idiots, sometimes they need to be told they are idiots

I don’t even know why you’re bothering anymore . He’s literally had people dot point stats at him and he’s ignored them and gone off on some tangent that was debunked within 2 hr did the press release re. Tigers board did things outside of the board meetings .
I’ve done it … you’ve done it ,@tomshines has done it (we aren’t the best of friends) … the guy is playing Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon politics . He has an agenda he’s getting out there to add doubt to the consensus narrative . He doesn’t need to deal with facts . Simply making shit up , and doubling down on it and presenting it as a counter argument is enough. We aren’t like 10 years into this type of debating style .
It’s completely bad faith acting at his very design . That’s the point. I’d let it go if I was you. I noticed last night he shifted his narrative slightly to seem more reasonable .. all games .

 

[innsaneink]

Also a De La Salle Ashfield old boy (my old Alma mater). Most boring weatherman of all time.

At least you guys got to play league

We had to play yawnion at ABHS

 

[coivtny]

What would you prefer....

A- Wests Magpies back in the NRL at the expense of Wests Tigers

B- Wests Tigers to remain in the NRL as it is?

A or B...?

I doubt ill get a straight answer

It’s a B from me.

 

[BAGNF05]

We’re legit pushing the self destruct button as a football club and it’s sickening.

We finally turn over profit, crowd attendance rising, membership numbers on the rise, marquee players signing, on field performances improving after 3 wooden spoons in a row with a clear plan for the future but most importantly over anything the fans started to believe.

Then this happens….

Over what the jerseys being more orange than black, after the last 5 seasons of our jerseys being predominantly black.

It’s embarrassing.

If Richo stands down over this then it might be the biggest loss the club has ever had, easily leapfrogs Teddy, Moses, Galvin etc.

This would be far more damaging than anything we’ve ever experienced. Makes you question how much you can really take before the passion wares off.

HGM has finally shown us who’s really to blame for the last 15 years of chaos.

Sad sad day for the club.

Anyone with a third of a brain can see all this, including those at NRL HQ. I have faith that these idiots have finally shot themselves in the foot and there will be consequences.

 

[hammertime]

Why? That’s just encouraging divisiveness.

I was hoping it would create the opposite.

 

[Vicious]

True but somehow psychologically it relieves the tension building up in people's heads, annoying comments tend to make some people cut loose.

Those same people you are now defending RHS are out of touch with reality and cannot handle the truth.
I thought you were smarter than to defend complete utter imbeciles.

 

[jrtiger]

Not investigating…but Monitoring ..ok … isn’t what they should be doing anyway ?

these things rarely move quickly. the march may compel them into taking action quicker though.

 

[coivtny]

At least you guys got to play league

We had to play yawnion at ABHS

But your main sport was belting De La Salle boys around Ashfield station. By “you” I mean Ashy High boys, not you personally.

 

[Lestronge]

PVL brings an NRL wide view to the issue and his involvement is mandatory. The ongoing destabilisation of the club is not a good look for the NRL nor its sponsors.

Yep. And when you invite the fox in the henhouse , who knows what’s going to happen. He might go have an outcome that implodes the club. Surely HBG have the intelligence to understand you never involve upper management . It never ends well . But here we are …

 

[hammertime]

We’re legit pushing the self destruct button as a football club and it’s sickening.

We finally turn over profit, crowd attendance rising, membership numbers on the rise, marquee players signing, on field performances improving after 3 wooden spoons in a row with a clear plan for the future but most importantly over anything the fans started to believe.

Then this happens….

Over what the jerseys being more orange than black, after the last 5 seasons of our jerseys being predominantly black.

It’s embarrassing.

If Richo stands down over this then it might be the biggest loss the club has ever had, easily leapfrogs Teddy, Moses, Galvin etc.

This would be far more damaging than anything we’ve ever experienced. Makes you question how much you can really take before the passion wares off.

HGM has finally shown us who’s really to blame for the last 15 years of chaos.

Sad sad day for the club.

Well articulated @teddy23

 

[Alex Seyfarth's #1 Fan]

apparently now it is being reported Richardson had put forward a proposal to change the wests magpies nsw cup team to Wests Tigers
apparently hbg were not happy with that proposal

Interesting that even the last two clowns in charge (Lee & Justin) also saw that this was necessary for the club to move forward.

 

[Tom Shines]

these things rarely move quickly. the march may compel them into taking action quicker though.

Ok,,, I’m not so sure ..I’ll have to wait and see ,,,they have the same issue with HBG itself who actually run licensed clubs … if they allow that to operate ,then why worry about a football team ?

 

[mtd#2]

I am not the one making abusive comments in relation to something with no relevance to the post you replied to.
Read things properly and think before you speak.

Thats rich
GO back and read 20 pages of your bullshit dribble where you don't directly answer questions and keep repeating the same statement like a politician

 

[Bus 2 Terrigal]

It’s a B from me.

The “as it is” tag at the end of option B would seem problematic.

We’ve been living through “as it is” for a few decades now, and everyone here seems most unhappy with how it’s been going 🤣

 

[mtd#2]

We’re on a football forum talking and disagreeing about how said football club is run. Bit dramatic to label it as a war.

It's a war

The future of the club depends on what happens next

Name calling is usually a sign that you know your argument is weak.

You called me homophobic when I made reference to a male/female relationship with the term "loverboy"... You never apologised.

As les Pattison once said.. "may your balls turn bi-cycle wheels and backpedal up your ass"...

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

chris Lawrence has had his say on the hbg shambles

 

[mtd#2]

I can tell.you the players do not care about this stuff, providing they get assurances from the people they report to which is Benji and Richo.

You can tell me? Are you talking to players in the current squad right now about what's happening?

If either of Benji or Richo depart then yes it will likely cause disruptions to our playing roster.
Unless that happens you are basing all your anger on your own speculation.

Oh so you're up to date with all the news on the HBG side but are ignoring speculation that Richo might walk?

You think the players turned up today thinking all is Rosey?

Climb out of your hole.

Remember true champions do not look for excuses.

go tell your mates at HBG... They looked for excuses and punted the guys who got us back on track as a club