It took so long to develop that probably the value of everything has changed..
It's time to take the fight back to HBG
- Thread starter balmain boy
- Start date
mtd#2
Well-known member
Wouldn't that all be factored into the contracts?
LukeyTuiaki
Well-known member
HBG being tight and not wanting to investment in something, instead doing the cheaper short term option of renting? This seems out of character for this Group, have shown much more foresight and strategic ability previously…
Joel Helmes
Well-known member
It’s almost like they aren’t really totally invested in a Balmain Leagues Club. Hmm 🤔
So is it supposed to be a
Wests Tigers Leagues Club....or another Balmain Leagues?
Because the latter sounds like another step backwards...
Wests Tigers Leagues Club....or another Balmain Leagues?
Because the latter sounds like another step backwards...
Honkylips
Well-known member
If its not finacial viable then HBG should walk away. Why would you do anything else?
Honkylips
Well-known member
Or the goalposts have changed and they are re-crunching numbers. Would you buy property that isnt worth the price its being sold for?
Joel Helmes
Well-known member
They are well within their rights to walk away completely, I’m not fussed.
426Tlgerland
Well-known member
HBG have been going along with out the new club so maybe they think they don’t need it , besides rent it would cost a truck load to set the club up ready to trade , or if they buy it you add the cost of it plus set up , would be millions of dollars , I think they walk
Of note here;The developer of Rozelle Village has been warned it will be in breach of NSW government approval conditions if it fails to deliver a Wests Tigers leagues club as promised within the $285 million mixed-use complex.
Construction of the housing and retail project is under way at the location of the former Balmain Leagues Club on Victoria Road, where the Tigers team starring Benji Marshall celebrated their grand final victory in 2005, joined by thousands of jubilant fans.
Wests Tigers supporters Ruby Thoroughgood, Joanne Dover and their dog Turbo across the road from the Rozelle Village construction.Steven Siewert
As Perifa denies playing hardball over the terms of a lease agreement, Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne has put it on notice, concerned the venue may be scaled back or taken away from the Tigers.
In a letter to the developer, seen by this masthead, he said only Wests Ashfield Leagues Club, which is operated by Holman Barnes Group, could occupy the floor space for a registered club on the site.
“This long-awaited new club for Wests Tigers supporters and the community is not an optional extra. For more than 15 years the local community has fought to ensure a club for Wests Tigers supporters remained at the heart of this redevelopment,” Byrne said.
The development of the former Balmain Leagues Club site is due to be completed by 2028.Steven Siewert
“Having fought so long for this club to be delivered, we simply will not allow it to be taken away at the last moment.”
Balmain Leagues Club closed in 2010 and was left vacant and dilapidated for a decade-and-a-half amid a series of false starts before the state-significant development was approved last year.
The redevelopment is due to be completed in 2028, about the same time as a $40 million renovation of Leichhardt Oval is scheduled to be finished.
Byrne said the opening of a Tigers leagues club and the update of one of their spiritual home grounds could be a renaissance for the team in the inner west “and we refuse to let that opportunity be wasted”.
Holman Barnes Group, which owns 90 per cent of the Tigers and holds the balance of power on the Tigers’ board, remained “committed to returning a registered club back to the site of the old Balmain Leagues Club”, chief executive Daniel Paton said.
But other sources with knowledge of discussions, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Perifa had been trying to command commercial rates for the club, and Holman Barnes Group had been stonewalled to the point it was almost untenable.
Contacted on Tuesday, Perifa co-founder Fabrizio Perilli said Byrne was “jumping at shadows” and there had been “no hard-nosed commercial negotiation”.
He said he was waiting to hear back from the Tigers’ owners about whether they wanted to buy the space set aside for the leagues club, or lease it.
An artist’s impression of the Rozelle Village development.Perifa Group
“We need to deliver a registered club. That’s our obligation,” Perilli said. “The Balmain Leagues Club has a historical and heritage connection to the site, which is really important to us. We recognise and respect that.
“[Holman Barnes Group] will either be a tenant or an owner. They’ve got to make a decision. Our preference is that they buy.”
In addition to the club, Rozelle Village will feature 227 apartments and 59 affordable homes in three towers between 14 and 16 storeys, as well as a supermarket and public plaza.
Perifa is embarking on the development after in January being named as the first beneficiary of a $1 billion NSW government scheme to guarantee pre-sales of thousands of new apartments.
A $100 million gaming and dining empire, Holman Barnes Group emerged from the Western Suburbs Magpies side of the Tigers’ joint venture as its main financial backer.
It has also taken an interest in sports other than rugby league, assuming control last week of the Central Coast Mariners team that competes in soccer’s women’s A-League.
What was the site of the original Balmain Tigers Leagues club , Victoria Road - Rozelle
Which was relinquished by Balmain and effectively became the Rozelle Village debacle from 2010 up till now
As mentioned had a space set aside for a "Tigers Leagues Club" as part of the terms of development
However that space will be owned and controlled by Wests Ashfield ie; Western Suburbs Leagues club (syn Holman Barnes Group). Effectively leaving Balmain Tigers firmly pegged in a corner with a 10% share in the joint venture, even IF another club is established (and generates income) on the site of their old leagues club
..
An unfortunate situation in terms of ... Having a "Tigers leagues club" again not really meaning anything in terms of shifting the balance of power in the JV...
wstigers11
Well-known member
Strip
The
License
The
License
LukeyTuiaki
Well-known member
wondering what the next course of action is to get the HBG out of our team. They had a go, couldn’t do it, time for someone else. The NRL have a duty to the fans to provide us with the same chance of success within reason, and as the rightful owners of the franchise license should find another holder for the Tigers license. Our club is the only one ran like a local football club. The debenture system is ancient, most HBG director would struggled in any other business that wasn’t the foolproof task of monitoring pokie dens.
I did enjoy noticing the HBG members of the Tigers board lined up on the field in a guard of honour before the awful 68-0 performance against Penrith. They were all giggling and enjoying themselves, then they saw up close how good ‘their’ team is… bet they all didn’t stay till the final whistle. I did. I’m a fan - they’re all just a L.A.R.P.ing at being competent football strategists.
I did enjoy noticing the HBG members of the Tigers board lined up on the field in a guard of honour before the awful 68-0 performance against Penrith. They were all giggling and enjoying themselves, then they saw up close how good ‘their’ team is… bet they all didn’t stay till the final whistle. I did. I’m a fan - they’re all just a L.A.R.P.ing at being competent football strategists.
LukeyTuiaki
Well-known member
If the NRL ever did, I would purchase a lifetime membership.
Honkylips
Well-known member
Agree mate.
wstigers11
Well-known member
Tiger poddy boys said there’s a daily Tele article incoming on HBG but couldn’t say the context …
cone
Well-known member
Sadly nothing will come of this, until fans stop giving this organisation money, we’ll continue to be run by amateurs
wstigers11
Well-known member
Depends what it is maybe? Hopefully?
BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ca...-another-season-slips-by-20260906-p60utb.html
Call to arms for Wests Tigers fans after another season slips by
Chris Barrett
·
6 min read
·
Sep 6, 2026
Chris Barrett
Fed up by years of dysfunction and disappointment, disgruntled Wests Tigers fans are set to push for the reinstatement of an independent board and a greater say in the direction of the under-performing club.
The Tigers have missed the finals for the past 15 seasons – by far the longest dry spell of any team in the competition – and have only qualified for the play-offs three times since Balmain and Western Suburbs merged in 1999.
With another underwhelming campaign now over, Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne has issued a call to arms for supporters to mobilise as part of a new independent group called Wests Tigers Unite to be formed in the off-season.
“At the start of this season, Wests Tigers supporters deliberately held off establishing a permanent supporters’ organisation,” Byrne said. “Like every Tigers fan, we hoped the club had finally turned a corner and wanted to get behind the team.
“Regrettably, this season has shown the underlying problems remain unresolved.
“After 15 years without finals football, Wests Tigers supporters have shown extraordinary loyalty. Yet they still have no meaningful say in the future of the club they love.”
After a bright start to the year, the Tigers’ finals chances evaporated with eight losses in a row.
Benji Marshall’s team was also at the centre of two of the biggest soap operas of the season: the signing of Jarome Luai by the PNG Chiefs and Adam Doueihi’s refusal to play against Canberra in July.
Off the field, questions continue to be asked about Tigers majority owners, the Holman Barnes Group, whose decades-old governance model places power over the $100 million licensed club operation in the hands of 20 so-called debenture holders.
The only one of its kind remaining in the state, the debenture system has been the subject of an investigation by Liquor and Gaming NSW after multiple complaints were made about it.
HBG took over the Tigers board after it removed chairman Barry O’Farrell and three other independent directors in December in an intervention that prompted chief executive Shane Richardson to quit.
The sacked directors were reinstated amid supporter protests and pressure from the NRL, but the owners restructured the board to give them effective control, scrapping the independent-led board after less than 12 months.
“When it all blew up in December, the undertaking was that Barry O’Farrell would be reinstated as chair and our understanding was an independent board would be reinstated, and that’s yet to occur,” said Gary Barnier, one of the architects of a 2023 governance review that led O’Farrell and other independents to briefly have the balance of power on the Tigers board.
“The sooner it happens, the better we’ll all be.
“Professional sporting organisations that are successful have professional governance and professional structures. Wests Tigers will benefit from putting those things in place.”
After finishing 15th this season, down two spots from 2025, the new Tigers fan group aims to build on the movement that arose last year when the independent directors were unseated and seasoned operator Richardson left.
Byrne said the administration and ownership of the Tigers remained unaccountable to fans and members “who have stuck by the club through thick and thin”.
“It’s no coincidence that the only time that the performance of the organisation has improved was in the period that an independent board was in place,” Byrne said. “Re-establishing that is a necessity for turning the club around.
“Our goal is simple: to organise supporters, represent their views and advocate for governance arrangements that make the club more accountable to its members.
“This is not about division. It’s about giving one of rugby league’s biggest and most passionate supporter bases the seat at the table it deserves.”
It is yet to be determined what that looks like in practice, but there are myriad examples of supporters being able to exercise their will in Australian and world sport.
In the NRL, members don’t have a say on club boards at most clubs any more, although they can still nominate and vote for directors of select teams, such as Canterbury and Penrith.
In European soccer, supporters also have greater agency at member-owned clubs, such as Barcelona and Real Madrid, and in Germany’s Bundesliga, which mandates that members of a club hold at least 50 per cent of voting rights plus one vote.
HBG has branched out into soccer recently, buying a stake in National Premier Leagues NSW team APIA Leichhardt and taking over the Central Coast Mariners in the A-League Women competition.
Supporters will be able to register their interest in Wests Tigers Unite at the One Last Roar concert at Leichhardt Oval on September 19, which is being held before the venue is renovated.
Call to arms for Wests Tigers fans after another season slips by
Chris Barrett
·
6 min read
·
Sep 6, 2026
Chris Barrett
Fed up by years of dysfunction and disappointment, disgruntled Wests Tigers fans are set to push for the reinstatement of an independent board and a greater say in the direction of the under-performing club.
The Tigers have missed the finals for the past 15 seasons – by far the longest dry spell of any team in the competition – and have only qualified for the play-offs three times since Balmain and Western Suburbs merged in 1999.
With another underwhelming campaign now over, Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne has issued a call to arms for supporters to mobilise as part of a new independent group called Wests Tigers Unite to be formed in the off-season.
“At the start of this season, Wests Tigers supporters deliberately held off establishing a permanent supporters’ organisation,” Byrne said. “Like every Tigers fan, we hoped the club had finally turned a corner and wanted to get behind the team.
“Regrettably, this season has shown the underlying problems remain unresolved.
“After 15 years without finals football, Wests Tigers supporters have shown extraordinary loyalty. Yet they still have no meaningful say in the future of the club they love.”
After a bright start to the year, the Tigers’ finals chances evaporated with eight losses in a row.
Benji Marshall’s team was also at the centre of two of the biggest soap operas of the season: the signing of Jarome Luai by the PNG Chiefs and Adam Doueihi’s refusal to play against Canberra in July.
Off the field, questions continue to be asked about Tigers majority owners, the Holman Barnes Group, whose decades-old governance model places power over the $100 million licensed club operation in the hands of 20 so-called debenture holders.
The only one of its kind remaining in the state, the debenture system has been the subject of an investigation by Liquor and Gaming NSW after multiple complaints were made about it.
HBG took over the Tigers board after it removed chairman Barry O’Farrell and three other independent directors in December in an intervention that prompted chief executive Shane Richardson to quit.
The sacked directors were reinstated amid supporter protests and pressure from the NRL, but the owners restructured the board to give them effective control, scrapping the independent-led board after less than 12 months.
“When it all blew up in December, the undertaking was that Barry O’Farrell would be reinstated as chair and our understanding was an independent board would be reinstated, and that’s yet to occur,” said Gary Barnier, one of the architects of a 2023 governance review that led O’Farrell and other independents to briefly have the balance of power on the Tigers board.
“The sooner it happens, the better we’ll all be.
“Professional sporting organisations that are successful have professional governance and professional structures. Wests Tigers will benefit from putting those things in place.”
After finishing 15th this season, down two spots from 2025, the new Tigers fan group aims to build on the movement that arose last year when the independent directors were unseated and seasoned operator Richardson left.
Byrne said the administration and ownership of the Tigers remained unaccountable to fans and members “who have stuck by the club through thick and thin”.
“It’s no coincidence that the only time that the performance of the organisation has improved was in the period that an independent board was in place,” Byrne said. “Re-establishing that is a necessity for turning the club around.
“Our goal is simple: to organise supporters, represent their views and advocate for governance arrangements that make the club more accountable to its members.
“This is not about division. It’s about giving one of rugby league’s biggest and most passionate supporter bases the seat at the table it deserves.”
It is yet to be determined what that looks like in practice, but there are myriad examples of supporters being able to exercise their will in Australian and world sport.
In the NRL, members don’t have a say on club boards at most clubs any more, although they can still nominate and vote for directors of select teams, such as Canterbury and Penrith.
In European soccer, supporters also have greater agency at member-owned clubs, such as Barcelona and Real Madrid, and in Germany’s Bundesliga, which mandates that members of a club hold at least 50 per cent of voting rights plus one vote.
HBG has branched out into soccer recently, buying a stake in National Premier Leagues NSW team APIA Leichhardt and taking over the Central Coast Mariners in the A-League Women competition.
Supporters will be able to register their interest in Wests Tigers Unite at the One Last Roar concert at Leichhardt Oval on September 19, which is being held before the venue is renovated.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
Is that what supporters “agreed” at the start of the season ? I don’t recall that .. it certainly wasn’t what was discussed at the rally in December
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
-
OFFICIAL Q&A Club discussion with Shaun Mielekamp- Latest: LeichhardtTiger
-
-
-
Staff online
-
DempsModerator