Jan 1 2025:
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/th...-for-a-combined-15-years-20250101-p5l1iq.html
The three Holman Barnes Group (HBG) directors who were the driving force behind the independent review that forced significant change at the Wests Tigers have been banned by the club’s majority owner for almost 15 years combined.
Tony Andreacchio, Rick Wayde and David Gilbert were all hit with significant bans on New Year’s Eve for a range of alleged misdemeanours dating back several years.
Andreacchio, Wayde and Gilbert were the chief instigators of the review, which was conducted by businessman Gary Barnier and former NRL chief financial officer Tony Crawford.
Their banishment throws into doubt whether the recommendations of the Barnier-Crawford report will be implemented in their entirety.
“The tragedy is the club is in great shape through the work of the CEO and the executive team. The remaining directors are only worried about self-interest and winding back the review which is a problem for the Wests Tigers,” Wayde said.
“In the short term, Shane Richardson and Barry O’Farrell are doing remarkable despite the interruptions. If the Gang of Four get away with this movement, they’ll be intruding even more. That’s the major concern for the Tigers."
Allegations against Andreacchio, who has also been asked to undertake an anger management course, include:
That he yelled at a fellow HBG director, calling him a “f---ing suck” approximately 10 times in front of other board members in an aggressive manner. Andreacchio repeated the comments later on despite being told words to the effect, “You can’t do this”, “Enough’s enough, we’re one team. Calm down”;
That he allegedly became red in the face and made abusive comments to a fellow director in a threatening tone;
That while waiting for a taxi after a function for the West Tigers launch of the 2024 NRL season he approached a fellow director and stood close to him and made a comment to the effect: “You f----- softie”;
That at an HBG board meeting last September he engaged in aggressive behaviour towards a fellow director, calling him a “parrot” in a raised voice.
The allegation against Gilbert was in relation to comments and actions made to a fellow director concerning his allegiances on the board.
The banned trio fell out of favour after current HBG chair Julie Romero led a coup in March which overthrew Andreacchio at the helm of the HBG board. Documents recently obtained by this masthead show that Romero had previously expressed “grave concerns” about the review.
The documents and emails also showed that Romero threatened legal action against Tigers chairman O’Farrell should he hold a Tigers board meeting without her blessing.
Jan 2 2025 -
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/in...s-of-wests-tigers-owners-20250102-p5l1r1.html
Liquor and Gaming NSW has opened an investigation into the running of the Holman Barnes Group, conducting interviews with the three directors who have been banned for a combined 15 years.
The news of Wayde, Andreacchio and Gilbert’s exile prompted Inner West Council mayor Darcy Byrne to call on the NSW government to intervene in the boardroom stoush at the HBG.
“That’s what the fans want, and that is what’s needed for Wests Tigers to survive and thrive,” Byrne said.
“We’ve finally got things moving in the right direction on the football field. Tigers fans can’t afford for backroom brawling to undermine our team’s long-awaited recovery in 2025.”
-more-
