HBG, Independent Directors Sacked

[mikey]

There will always be a cult following at LO and it's doubtful that will change in the next 15 years if it does its good business sense to change the % played there.

How long has it been there and it still sells out, the trend has shown no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

If anything it's stronger.

 

[Big Red]

Good question, but they should still be made aware and have a discussion about it before the reveal, out of courtesy if nothing else don’t you think ?

Jersey design should be the responsibility of a sub-committee that includes the WM and BT representatives.

If the sub-committee doesn’t report back ti the board they should be given a warning.

That’s how communication issues should be managed, not through sacking 4 high profile independent directors resulting in the resignation of one of the best CEO’s in the game.

 

[hammertime]

Do they also realise that getting rid of an ex-premier can also create a lot of enemies. You never know when the liberals will be back in power and we have a lot of committed funding from govt. (More than HBG group has tipped in over last 15 years)

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

You're right but you're wrong.
The prevailing feeling is that the Magpies were too passive in their ownership.
This time around there's a different attitude intent on stamping the Magpies ownership on the club.
The first symbolic step was the football staff meeting the Wests Ashfield staff, which had never happened previously.
They'll never admit it but having the team run around in what is basically a Balmain jersey in '26 was seen as Richo and mates giving the owners the middle finger.
It was by all measures a terrible misjudgement.

If people continue to live in the past we will never progress and be successful.

What Richo did wasn’t a terrible misjudgment it actually showed the true colors of those involved at the top for all to see.

They have zero interest in the Wests Tigers being successful.

 

[Vicious]

Jersey design should be the responsibility of a sub-committee that includes the WM and BT representatives.

If the sub-committee doesn’t report back ti the board they should be given a warning.

That’s how communication issues should be managed, not through sacking 4 high profile independent directors resulting in the resignation of one of the best CEO’s in the game.

I agree.
It still doesn’t make keeping secrets or hiding things from the 90% shareholders right either.

 

[cochise]

That was a very irrational and poor decision.
I am guessing they were foolishly thinking that was a way to assert their authority and not get the same backlash they would get if just sacking Richo directly.
Terrible decision and whoever was behind it should be remremoved

Surely based of your belief on how people were acting rogue on the WT Board then Surely a decision that big would have been made by the entire HBG Board and not one person?

So are you calling for the removal of the HBG board?

 

[mikey]

You're right but you're wrong.
The prevailing feeling is that the Magpies were too passive in their ownership.
This time around there's a different attitude intent on stamping the Magpies ownership on the club.
The first symbolic step was the football staff meeting the Wests Ashfield staff, which had never happened previously.
They'll never admit it but having the team run around in what is basically a Balmain jersey in '26 was seen as Richo and mates giving the owners the middle finger.
It was by all measures a terrible misjudgement.

You really are delusional.

 

[Big Red]

I agree.
It still doesn’t make keeping secrets or hiding things from the 90% shareholders right either.

The punishment didn’t fit the crime, if there even was one.

 

[Vicious]

Surely based of your belief on how people were acting rogue on the WT Board then Surely a decision that big would have been made by the entire HBG Board and not one person?

So are you calling for the removal of the HBG board?

No, only the protagonists within the HBG

 

[BZN]

I can't believe that some of you want to give HBG another chance. All they have done is sack Richo, take over the board, and then bring back Barry to try to cover it up as if they somehow lost the battle. They have continuously made poor or underhanded decisions for far too long!
I want new owners who will dissolve this notion of a Joint Venture. Make it 1 club from top to bottom. Clean house of this BS as much as possible.

If things were as bad as most of you on here think they are, why would BOF and the other board members agree to return?

I've noticed you're a strong critic of HBG which includes Wests Ashfield and Wests Magpies whether you like it or not, so I've got a question for you that I have asked of two others and not received a reply.

How do 'you' differentiate between following Balmain TIGERS and Wests TIGERS.

To me it seems a big majority of anti-HBG followers would feel they are still following the same team, Balmain.
It seems to me there wouldn't be any psychological difficulty in going from one Tigers team to another Tigers Team either, as compared to changing from Magpies to Tigers.
Also 99% of people on here that refer to our JV team refer to us as TIGERS, not Wests, so the Wests part of our JV name apparently means nothing.
Please explain.

 

[Jim Halpert]

Red, blue and black are the most marketable colours in sportswear.
This is pretty common knowledge.
There's a reason why clubs like the Broncos put out a black jersey last year.
There's a reason why Penrith use black.
It's extremely desirable as a jersey colour.

Orange is very much a niche market, black has universal appeal.
At the very least they should've run it by the board.
Selling out is meaningless. Magpies gear sells out all the time because they don't order enough in.
Don't kid yourselves that the Tigers would be any better.

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

If you read a certain persons very recent comments, they know they are skating on very thin ice, don’t worry about that.

I don’t for a second think they care nor do they believe they’re on thin ice.

They made the play for power and won, the HBG CEO is on the board with 4 other mates. They have totally voting power control for all decisions. The structure is actually worse than what it was 2 years back.

 

[Vicious]

The punishment didn’t fit the crime, if there even was one.

I agree that the punishment didn’t fit the crime.
I wouldn’t call it a crime, just very conniving and disrespectful.

 

[cochise]

No, only the protagonists within the HBG

But the removal of the independents surely was a decision made by the HBG board?

 

[Vicious]

I don’t for a second think they care nor do they believe they’re on thin ice.

They made the play for power and won, the HBG CEO is on the board with 4 other mates. They have totally voting power control for all decisions. The structure is actually worse than what it was 2 years back.

Time will tell.
I would nearly go as far as to say I know they are aware they are skating on thin ice.

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

Red, blue and black are the most marketable colours in sportswear.
This is pretty common knowledge.
There's a reason why clubs like the Broncos put out a black jersey last year.
There's a reason why Penrith use black.
It's extremely desirable as a jersey colour.

Orange is very much a niche market, black has universal appeal.
At the very least they should've run it by the board.
Selling out is meaningless. Magpies gear sells out all the time because they don't order enough in.
Don't kid yourselves that the Tigers would be any better.

Good story shame it’s not 2010.

Most jersey sales world wide in 2025 - 2 gold/yellow in top 10 including a full gold - no black & white, only 1 black

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

Time will tell.
I would nearly go as far as to say I know they are aware they are skating on thin ice.

I really hope they know and as such focus on stepping up & leading by example with unity, stability and trust.

 

[Big Red]

I agree that the punishment didn’t fit the crime.
I wouldn’t call it a crime, just very conniving and disrespectful.

That’s an apt description of how the HBG treated the four independent directors. The HBG board should resign.

 

[innsaneink]

I agree.
It still doesn’t make keeping secrets or hiding things from the 90% shareholders right either.

Pure speculation

 

[Suzie-Q]

If anything it's stronger.

The crowds certainly seem more consistent, as if a few games at a suburban ground are something league fans enjoy.