HBG, Independent Directors Sacked

Tom Shines said:
Do you think the three Independent Directors …just reinstated after a firestorm that had the potential to do damage to their careers …. Have decided to go back for potentially more of the same ? I don’t see why they would bother to be someone else’s sock puppet….who cares who they report to if they are outvoted every time … There has to be more to the story ..
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You might be right Tom.

I actually agree with you...that's why it's so strange.

What we do know is despite all this, they agreed to return.

Naturally, the next question is only under what circumstances?

Something...some assurance...some way of working, at least in principle and at least sounding good enough on paper, has given them the confidence to return.

To me...the only way I would personally consider it, and begrudgingly at that, would be if I was a WT board member in name only but, for all intents and purposes, an NRL administrator in function.

Otherwise, like you, I cannot understand why they would return. There's going to be bad blood there.

The matter of the NRL allowing an HBG majority board is ludicrous, but the NRL thinks that conceding a majority with some oversight is better than "taking over" and facing a legal challenge with all the media scrutiny that comes with it. Remember...Vegas is around the corner....all this would steal headlines from that.

The other thing is the NRL has a lot of anecdotes and complaints, but has anyone produced hard evidence? By having NRL oversight via the independents, it could be a way to start building a first hand understanding of what the hell is going on in there.

There's way more to this that isn't being revealed. We just don't know what that is.
 
Tired Tiger said:
When John Singleton was engaging with the Bears to take over management rights of NSW’s Central Coast stadium after their joint venture with Manly collapsed, he bemoaned to me: “Where’s the strongman over at North Sydney I can negotiate with?”

NRL club Wests Tigers, another joint-venture club formed following the Super League war, has the same problem.

As Brian Cook, a Western Suburbs player during my time coaching at the Magpies, said of the fragile relationship with fellow 1908 foundation club Balmain, “There’s no JR Ewing running the show” – a reference to the fictional character in the US sitcom, Dallas.

Wests Tigers is 90 per cent owned by the Magpies’ licensed club, Wests Ashfield, whose parent company is the Holman Barnes Group.

That group also owns licensed clubs at Flemington Markets and Croydon, and will control one planned for Rozelle on the site of the old Balmain Leagues Club.

The choice of the name, Holman Barnes – after former Wests halfback Keith Holman and former Balmain fullback Keith Barnes – is designed to reflect the equality of the joint venture, despite Balmain owning only 10 per cent.

Barry O’Farrell, Charlie Viola and Michelle McDowell were appointed as chair and independent directors of Wests Tigers in January.

Barry O’Farrell, Charlie Viola and Michelle McDowell were appointed as chair and independent directors of Wests Tigers in January.Credit:Steven Siewert

Wests Ashfield, after settling all Balmain’s debts, gifted them their share and fund their junior teams.

It’s not as if the HBG directors are opposed to a strongman “running the show”. There have been overtures to John Coates, the former 30-year chair of the Australian Olympic Committee and a recently retired senior vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, to be drafted in as boss.

Coates is a lifelong Magpie but respects the Balmain legacy. His roots are so strong that he recently made a rare visit to Sydney from the Gold Coast, where he now lives, to attend a 60-year reunion of the Waratah Shield-winning team of his alma mater, Homebush Boys High School.

However, Coates’s battles with ill health and his need to be close to planning for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics forced him to decline. “I’d love to see the club do well, particularly with our vast catchment area of talent,” he said.

Wests Tigers have received $34 million in subsidies from the licensed clubs in the 25 years since the joint venture was formed. Basically, the Holman Barnes Group directors want to be consulted on commercial decisions in return.

This resulted in the move last week to oust four independent directors of the NRL club, including chairman Barry O’Farrell, a former NSW premier, ahead of a board restructure. The HBG directors were particularly riled at having been shut out of stadia policy decisions and details of the contract of the now former Wests Tigers chief executive, Shane Richardson.

On Thursday, O’Farrell and fellow directors Annabelle Williams and Michelle McDowell agreed to return to their posts after an intervention by Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V’landys. The fourth, Charlie Viola, is not expected to return.

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Wests Ashfield directors learnt of a whistleblower complaint against Richardson only after V’landys met with HBG chief executive Daniel Paton following the board sackings. A frustrated Richardson resigned from his post, unable to work with the owners.

The dismissal of the independent directors was ridiculed across NRL land, particularly with two Wests-aligned directors – HBG chair Dennis Burgess and Magpies general manager Leo Epifania – sitting on the Wests Tigers board.

Epifania insists they were not privy to some decisions. He cites a 15-year agreement to play games at an upgraded Leichhardt Oval.

“The south-west corridor is one of the biggest growth areas in Australia,” he said. “While important progress has been made, we would like to see the bigger picture and map out how a rugby league gold mine can provide Wests Tigers with long-term success.”

Epifania acknowledges Richardson negotiated a $50 million upgrade of Campbelltown Sports Stadium with Campbelltown City Council and launched a junior Centre of Excellence with Macarthur University to help develop the rich seam of football talent in the region.

Epifania, who played 117 games for the Magpies, including 24 in first grade, insists there has never been an agenda to oust Balmain from the joint venture. “There is no intention for Wests Magpies to return as a standalone club in the NRL. It’s never been discussed,” he said.

Former Holman Barnes Group director Tony Andreacchio with current chair Dennis Burgess back in 2021.

Former Holman Barnes Group director Tony Andreacchio with current chair Dennis Burgess back in 2021.Credit:Edwina Pickles

“The only contention that regularly arises is the fact Wests Magpies have never been respected in the joint venture and always tainted as the bad guys. An opportunity to discuss a fairer representation would go a long way in ending 25 years of war.”

Epifania rejects any notion that Burgess, a board member of Wests Ashfield for 20 years, is a devious, Machiavellian character, responsible for sacking rivals. In November last year, long-term Wests Ashfield directors Rick Wayde and Tony Andreacchio, as well as Dave Gilbert, were sacked, followed by chair Julie Romero.

The three directors were punted for “not acting as directors,” a nebulous catch-all crime equivalent to the NRL’s “bringing the game into disrepute”.

With his long, platinum hair and background as a bass guitarist with rock band The Masters Apprentices, Burgess doesn’t look like some shadowy puppeteer.

He is one of 20 debenture holders who control HBG via a constitution that demands five of the debenture holders hold seven of the board seats at Ashfield. The 1956 founders of the club deliberately structured it this way to ensure the club continued to propagate rugby league, particularly the Magpies brand.

Debentures are held for five years, with the 20 holders voting directors on and off the island.

Epifania, a recent debenture holder, says, “There have been many attempts to tamper with the debenture system, but it would just cause more damage than good. The club is very clear on its purpose, and most debenture holders understand that life and people change, so they must always be open-minded about the direction the club is heading.”

Mick Liubinskas, another HBG director who has been a debenture holder since 2009, played 122 top games for Wests and spent one season at Balmain (1979). He backs Epifania’s comments, saying: “Debenture holders with personal interests, or who are motivated in securing power and votes, are not acting in the best interests of the club. It’s a system that needs to be protected.”

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He points out the Magpies football club and licensed Ashfield club have “never been more united”.

Essentially, the debenture system is little different from the system at the ARLC, where directors vote themselves back on. The difference, of course, is that the ARLC has a strongman in chair V’landys, who is acceptable to stakeholders, while HBG does not.

Given the obligation Holman Barnes has to its 20 debenture holders to propagate rugby league, it’s difficult to see the directors agreeing to a Wests Tigers board that does not have them controlling the purse strings.

Sound financial stewardship has seen the group hold over $30m in cash, including the revenue from the successful Markets club – which, ironically, was once owned by Balmain.

O’Farrell is returning as chair for a third time – another irony considering Wests Tigers have been mired in political turmoil for a quarter-century. Meanwhile, the club will presumably await the arrival of a coat of only three colours: black, white and a gold that isn’t too close to the old Balmain jumper.
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What a crappy article. Roy and his mates

“The south-west corridor is one of the biggest growth areas in Australia,” he said.

Oh my goodness, what a joke, Ashfield have not shown much appetite for this area.

It was up to the independant board and Richo to help things a long, for example the Westsern Sydney University agreement, Cambo upgrade
 
Interim Wests Tigers chief executive Shaun Mielekamp believes he is equipped to take on arguably the toughest job in Australian sport and has vowed to personally call every disgruntled fan to outline his blueprint for the club.

Mielekamp will take over from Shane Richardson following revelations that coach Benji Marshall has committed to the club until 2029 and sacked chairman Barry O’Farrell will return for a third stint in the role. Mielekamp’s promotion from general manager of football, as well as Marshall’s three-year contract extension, were confirmed at Tigers headquarters on Friday.

In his first interview, former Central Coast Mariners CEO Mielekamp revealed he has ambitions to assume the role full-time.

“I’m really excited about the interim role, and I’m going to really lean into it and embrace that,” Mielekamp told this masthead. “It is in my DNA, so I will work extremely hard and of course I want to do such a good job that it’s impossible for me not to be the CEO long-term.

“What I do know is if I do a tremendous job and they appoint someone else, they’re going to be brilliant because they’re going to have to do a better job than what I’ve done. But absolutely – do I see that I’m going to deliver so well in this job that I’ll be the long-term CEO? That’s the goal.”

In a rare show of unity, all club stakeholders are keen for Marshall to extend his stay to provide stability.

Wests Tigers interim CEO Shaun Mielekamp.

Wests Tigers interim CEO Shaun Mielekamp.Credit:Getty Images

“There’s a collective agreement that Benji is vital in keeping the unity and stability of the club, and we’re backing him,” Mielekamp said.

Marshall’s re-signing is viewed as a vital step towards ensuring key players Jarome Luai and Jahream Bula also recommit.

“It’s at the top of the pile,” Mielekamp said of the star spine players. “We’ve got two guys who want to be here, who want to be with the coach.

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“We’ve got good people, so I’m sure that things will work out pretty positively. Let’s just take a breath and just move forward.”

Tigers fans have vented their displeasure about the latest boardroom brawling, with many contacting the club directly. Mielekamp has begun calling all of them back and has promised to give every member who wants one a personal audience.

“I’ve actually spent all morning calling members, every second I get a gap,” he said. “I’ll call every member that’s asked for a refund, that’s written in and made a complaint. I’ve got through some, I’ve got a lot to get to.

“My message to the members is every member can come and meet me directly. As part of your membership you do have a voice and you have the opportunity to come and meet me … All our members want the same thing. So let’s communicate.”

Despite a history of bickering between the Balmain and Western Suburbs factions – and within the HBG itself – Mielekamp believes the infighting is over.

“The reason I’ve got confidence is everybody I’ve met – every board and every stakeholder – they all want the same thing,” he said.

“So it’s just about communication. I’m actually surprised by how distracted everyone has got at times. When they wind it back, what’s really important is the players, that they’ve got the resources, they’ve got the structure. And our members.

“Just having that clarity for everybody, that’s actually what this is really about. They all do want the same thing. There are a lot of scars, there is a lot of history, but moving forward everybody I speak to actually wants the same thing – a bit of unity and stability, some good communication. I’m very confident that this is something that we will move forward on.”

The twin announcements come as Holman Barnes chairman and influential club powerbroker Dennis Burgess quits the Tigers board.

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Burgess’ position has come under scrutiny throughout the week when it emerged that his Instagram account follows hundreds of sexually explicit pages.

He denied those headlines were the cause of his resignation in an interview with News Corp, claiming instead that his withdrawal from the Tigers board is being made to create stability at the joint venture.

Burgess will remain chairman of HBG, which will hold a five-person majority on the club’s new nine-member board.
 
jirskyr said:
Unfortunately it's worse than that, it's a victim's mentality.

He still believes Wests Magpies doesn't have a fair representation, despite majority ownership and calling the shorts, plus taking over the NSW Cup team.

And then he says "25 years of war"... really, he thinks Magpies and Balmain have always been at war and still are? Including since Balmain was bought out 11 years ago and their clubs subsumed into Wests Ashfield?

Part of me wonders if this is still all about the Tiger brand, that some old folks just can't handle that both clubs agreed the Tiger was more marketable mascot. And you could call it the Western Suburbs Lidcombe Campbelltown Tommy Raudonikis Dallas Donnelly Magpie Black & White Tigers, but they'd still rankle at having Tigers tacked on.
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I've always thought a crest with the WT Tiger at the front but the Balmain and Magpies emblems integrated was the right thing to do with a slogan "Brothers in battle" or "together we stand"

I don't know if that would solve anything now or if anyone agrees.
 
Tired Tiger said:
Interim Wests Tigers chief executive Shaun Mielekamp believes he is equipped to take on arguably the toughest job in Australian sport and has vowed to personally call every disgruntled fan to outline his blueprint for the club.

Mielekamp will take over from Shane Richardson following revelations that coach Benji Marshall has committed to the club until 2029 and sacked chairman Barry O’Farrell will return for a third stint in the role. Mielekamp’s promotion from general manager of football, as well as Marshall’s three-year contract extension, were confirmed at Tigers headquarters on Friday.

In his first interview, former Central Coast Mariners CEO Mielekamp revealed he has ambitions to assume the role full-time.

“I’m really excited about the interim role, and I’m going to really lean into it and embrace that,” Mielekamp told this masthead. “It is in my DNA, so I will work extremely hard and of course I want to do such a good job that it’s impossible for me not to be the CEO long-term.

“What I do know is if I do a tremendous job and they appoint someone else, they’re going to be brilliant because they’re going to have to do a better job than what I’ve done. But absolutely – do I see that I’m going to deliver so well in this job that I’ll be the long-term CEO? That’s the goal.”

In a rare show of unity, all club stakeholders are keen for Marshall to extend his stay to provide stability.

Wests Tigers interim CEO Shaun Mielekamp.

Wests Tigers interim CEO Shaun Mielekamp.Credit:Getty Images

“There’s a collective agreement that Benji is vital in keeping the unity and stability of the club, and we’re backing him,” Mielekamp said.

Marshall’s re-signing is viewed as a vital step towards ensuring key players Jarome Luai and Jahream Bula also recommit.

“It’s at the top of the pile,” Mielekamp said of the star spine players. “We’ve got two guys who want to be here, who want to be with the coach.

Loading
“We’ve got good people, so I’m sure that things will work out pretty positively. Let’s just take a breath and just move forward.”

Tigers fans have vented their displeasure about the latest boardroom brawling, with many contacting the club directly. Mielekamp has begun calling all of them back and has promised to give every member who wants one a personal audience.

“I’ve actually spent all morning calling members, every second I get a gap,” he said. “I’ll call every member that’s asked for a refund, that’s written in and made a complaint. I’ve got through some, I’ve got a lot to get to.

“My message to the members is every member can come and meet me directly. As part of your membership you do have a voice and you have the opportunity to come and meet me … All our members want the same thing. So let’s communicate.”

Despite a history of bickering between the Balmain and Western Suburbs factions – and within the HBG itself – Mielekamp believes the infighting is over.

“The reason I’ve got confidence is everybody I’ve met – every board and every stakeholder – they all want the same thing,” he said.

“So it’s just about communication. I’m actually surprised by how distracted everyone has got at times. When they wind it back, what’s really important is the players, that they’ve got the resources, they’ve got the structure. And our members.

“Just having that clarity for everybody, that’s actually what this is really about. They all do want the same thing. There are a lot of scars, there is a lot of history, but moving forward everybody I speak to actually wants the same thing – a bit of unity and stability, some good communication. I’m very confident that this is something that we will move forward on.”

The twin announcements come as Holman Barnes chairman and influential club powerbroker Dennis Burgess quits the Tigers board.

Loading
Burgess’ position has come under scrutiny throughout the week when it emerged that his Instagram account follows hundreds of sexually explicit pages.

He denied those headlines were the cause of his resignation in an interview with News Corp, claiming instead that his withdrawal from the Tigers board is being made to create stability at the joint venture.

Burgess will remain chairman of HBG, which will hold a five-person majority on the club’s new nine-member board.
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Seems like a good appointment but more importantly, I hope BOF and the independants are happy with this.
 
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