Balmain set to retain stake in Wests Tigers as deadline extended
- Thread starter Benjirific
- Start date
Abraham is pretty much spot on. I can remember seeing dull as dishwater games against the Raiders and Cows at Leichhardt in the early years when both were crap. Equally I can remember seeing games against the Dogs and highly ranked teams like Newcastle and Melbourne at Campbelltown. Its another unhelpful and unnecessary Masters article high on rhetoric and low on facts. He should stick to writing on the peptide story. His sources are pretty good there.
I don't know anyone who comes from a Magpie heritage who doesn't feel like we've been the poor cousin in this in this JV for most of the last 16 years. Maybe it's real and maybe perception. Maybe it's a case that a team is identified mainly by its mascot, hence its natural people associate WT mainly with Balmain. If that's the case not enough was/has been done to level the recognition of Western Suburbs. Perhaps it seems over sensitive but until the shoe is on the other foot you don't know how it feels.
I have an opinion (and that's all it is) that that will change with Wests Ashfield taking control. Cook is obviously saying all the correct diplomatic things and its seems genuine that Balmain will have a stake in WT going forward but I do believe the Western Suburbs heritage will be celebrated more going forward. Wests Ashfield is a members club and their board (hence the WT board) will have to adhere to the members wishes; or risk being voted out and replaced. Many of the Wests Ashfield board today are Western Suburbs Magpies through and through and were around long before the JV.
I have an opinion (and that's all it is) that that will change with Wests Ashfield taking control. Cook is obviously saying all the correct diplomatic things and its seems genuine that Balmain will have a stake in WT going forward but I do believe the Western Suburbs heritage will be celebrated more going forward. Wests Ashfield is a members club and their board (hence the WT board) will have to adhere to the members wishes; or risk being voted out and replaced. Many of the Wests Ashfield board today are Western Suburbs Magpies through and through and were around long before the JV.
GNR4LIFE
Well-known member
@Abraham said:
Where are my double standards?
Yes I'm sure you would have found it funny if one the Fanatics found their way on here and said the same things about Balmain.
Gawd…how long was the extension again...?
GNR4LIFE
Well-known member
@Geo. said:
It's the off-sea….....
Wait, no it isn't.
tigermac88
New member
You know, who really cares what the make up of the board will be as long as they do the job to the best of their abilities and do what's best for the club moving forward. I find it funny that some people complain that the magpies are the poor cousin or have been forgotten in the JV. We play equal games out of Campbelltown and Leichardt and the original magpie logo is still used ( the original Balmain logo has never been used on the jerseys)… I think after 16 years it's time for some people just to move on and let it go we all have a team to support whether you're from the Magpies side or the Balmain side Wests Tigers are an amalgamation of our 2 proud foundation clubs. I supported Balmain for 26 years and now am a proud Wests Tigers fan, whether Balmain live or die or Wests Ashfield run the board and control the lot I don't really care because I support the Wests Tigers now not Balmain or the Magpies
Gary_Bakerloo
New member
@Abraham said:
Pretty much everyone on this forum has has been scratching their head as to the motives of Wests Ashfield and posting theories. Roy attempted to answer the question.
To be honest, if you look past all the Balmain v Wests stuff, the following themes come through:
1\. Joint ventures can work
2\. Strong solidarity amongst the Sydney clubs
3\. Sydney Leagues clubs are obviously not happy with how the NRL views them and understates their contribution to the game
Anyway….that's my turn on the merry-go-round.....who's next?
gallagher
Well-known member
@Patts said:
I probably felt a bit that way a bit in the early years. Pearce was coach, there were more balmain players in the squad then wests players, we trained at Leichhardt. But that changed a long time ago. For me it changed when the likes of Benji, Farah, Fulton etc came along. Blokes that hadnt played for either balmain or wests. 2005 then sealed it.
I'm actually suprised that people still feel like the poor cousin.
goldcoast_tiger
New member
@MAFIA said:
Not only the money to repay the debt, but where do they get the money to pay their 25% of the money needed each year.
Or is it expected that they pay no money at all toward costs?
This is sounding dopier every day.
diedpretty
Well-known member
@tigermac88 said:
See this is the problem - We as Wests Tigers supporters agree with what you say - but as Masters pointed out this is not the perception in the wider community. The perception of most non Wests Tigers supporters is its Balmain under another name. The board and this includes Wests Ashfield has never tried to correct this perception. I for one am sick of being told to get over it while the usual suspects on this forum continue to denigrate anyone on here who dares to say that Wests have been largely ignored in this JV.
tigermac88
New member
@diedpretty said:
I don't denigrate anybody, I'm just saying I couldn't care less who runs the Wests Tigers as long as it's run in the best interests of the football club. I can understand your frustration as I have heard us being referred to as Balmain at times over the years and I always correct anybody that tells me I support Balmain but the same can be said for a percent of Magpies fans that will only call us Wests because they can't bear to call us the Wests Tigers or Tigers and I have a couple of close friends that do this and I've even seen it first hand at Campbelltown with the diehard magpies fans never yelling out come on Tiges it's always come on Wests. When I say get over it I'm alluding to the fact that at the end of the day Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies are no longer around in the NRL as stand alone identities OUR team is now the WESTS TIGERS, and I don't care what the perception of the wider community thinks… I'm rock solid Wests Tigers thru and thru and that will never change even if Balmain are involved or not.
@tigermac88 said:
As I have said before,I had the pleasure of meeting Aaron Woods at Campbelltown after the Sharks game…he asked me what side of the JV did I come from,I said Balmain all my life,his response was absolutely magnificent,so did I mate but now we are both Wests Tigers..I couldnt agree more,if individuals want to live in the past and bring up who owns what and who doesnt then thats their own dillema...I absolutely appreciate both sides of the JV steep history,but thats it HISTORY....
Nothing wrong with just using our first name imo…. Or our last.
I think you care more than you think you don't... Tigermac88
Go Wests
Go Tiges
I think you care more than you think you don't... Tigermac88
Go Wests
Go Tiges
wonka
Well-known member
If you feel hard done by imagine being a Steelers supporter.
@kafta said:
At least it was only the St George side of the JV that had Broke the record last night… First time held scoreless 2 weeks running for 90 odd years
Cosimo_Zaretti
New member
@kafta said:
Chalk and cheese. Wests and Balmain are foundation clubs. The Steelers were a brief, unsuccessful experiment like the Adeleide Rams or the Gold Coast Titans.
