cochise
Well-known member
Notice that there wasn't any action from us after the independent board was implemented?
Chammas Article
- Thread starter GNR4LIFE
- Start date
Reality Hurts?
Are you still here? B2T put you away a few posts ago.
Hi cochise..thanks for sharing your view on board reform and the club's financial direction.
I'm genuinely interested in this journey towards self-sufficiency...it's something I think we all want to see for Wests Tigers in the long term.
That said, I've asked a few times, including @Jolls, exactly where the funding has been coming from, and his response was simply "it doesn't matter where it comes from". I appreciate the sentiment behind that, but transparency around funding is part of fostering trust.
Knowing how Wests Tigers sustains itself, especially during a rebuild, isn't just about $$$, but about accountability, transparency and vision.
From what I understand, HBG remains a key contributor, yet there's mention of Wests Tigers generating its own largest stream.
If that's the case, I'd like to hear more specifics...are we talking sponsorships, memberships, merchandise, grants?
And what are the steps being taken to truly make Wests Tigers self-sustaining?
It's one thing to hope we won't rely on pokies and booze or external support...but a roadmap would help ground that hope in reality.
No digs here...just wanting clarity.
Because if the club is turning a corner, that's something we should all be able to rally around.
Hard to say… could it be worse?
Benny Elias did offer to buy the club.
Congratulations WSB...you landed on the coveted post 666.
I hope you'll be ok going forward 👍.
Shame most of those are 40-50 years ago (Blessed with a good memory)
Gotta take every small victory you can get I suppose?
Now it's just a magpie on the Sleeve...
More than likely privately owned and in a much better position re. Every other club that privatised .
HBG didn’t save the club . They saved the current structure and themselves . It’s the biggest straw man argument of all time . The nrl would have just resold the license and club , maybe to Perth , maybe to wests Brisbane , who knows .
Bear in mind the current COE and infrastructures were not even a glimmer in anyone’s eye at the time. .
Howdy cktiger...Appreciate your input.
The Elias offer is an interesting piece of the puzzle...hard to say what direction thing's might've taken.
This journey's had no shortage of what-ifs.
Jolls
Well-known member
BZN, I think you misunderstood me. The funds come from two sources - HBG though their clubs and from the NRL. The NRL is a grant that covers day to doay operations and the cap My comment regarding it doesn't matter was in reference to what clubs earn what amount of money from what source. I think the previous post made it pretty clear when I spelt out the key aspects fo the constitution. The HBG contribution comes from profit generated by operating the clubs. The club's other key consitutional requirement is to support Wests Tigers - although the wording is outdated as it still refers to the NSW RL.
The grant from the NRL covers:
- player payments and minimum wages as a supplement to the Salary Caap. For example, in 2023 the base grant was around A$18 million, intended to help meet the $12.1 million salary cap plus mandatory minimum wages.
- off-field Operations such as administration, community engagement, compliance, education, welfare, marketing, facilities, and digital services. (Source: Wikipedia - NRL)
I'm not sure if you are trying to dig out an answer that says Wests are contibuting more than Balmain to prove some sort of irrelevant point or genuinely intersted. If you are genuinely intersted - as a member of the club - jump in and take a look at the audited books.
PrattenParkMagpie
Well-known member
Emperor Nero has been deceased nearly 2000 odd years, Doubt WSB has very much to worry about in that regard.
TIGERS
Well-known member
Sarcasm.
cochise, you say HBG isn't carrying the load yet also claim the largest form of funding comes from the Wests Tigers...not HBG.
That's a contradiction worth unpacking.
The fact is to my understanding, HBG is the financial engine behind Wests Tigers, whether you want to credit it or not.
Their venues generate significant revenue, particularly through pokies and hospitality that's channeled into the club.
Unless your suggesting Wests Tigers have somehow spun up an entirely independent income stream post reform [which hasn't been demonstrated publicly] your assertion doesn't hold.
To say "Wests Tigers are funding Wests Tigers" is circular.
Where do you think the clubs $$$ originates?
Without HBG's contributions... player development, pathways, and core operations would be threadbare.
That's not just my opinion...it's observable reality.
If you're advocating for self sufficiency, fantastic...but don't rewrite the current structure to suit the narrative.
A roadmap away from pokies dependence requires transparency, alternative revenue sources, and strategic partnerships.
Until then, dismissing HBG as non contributing is misleading at best.
cochise
Well-known member
The NRL give all clubs a grant, i can't remember the exact amount but it is $13m+. This in reality is for the content thst the clubs provide that the NRL then sells to broadcasters. The HBG provided the Wests Tigers with $1.7m last year.
The Wests Tigers also be earn $1.6m from membership of 10000 and had the aim of a $8.5m corporate portfolio for this season.
So yes the majority of funding comes from the club itself and not HBG.
This bloke is purposely being obtuse, or plain dumb.
After the NRL grant of $18m, HBG funded $1.5m to Wests Tigers RLFC (2024).
In comparison to WT's regional rival, Canterbury Leagues funded $7m to Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs RLFC.
HBG are hardly the financial engine behind Wests Tigers when they're contributing less than 10% of external funding to the joint. In contrast Canterbury Leagues contribute 30% to the Bulldogs. And this doesn't even include organic revenue streams which are all considerably higher at the Bulldogs.
Red88_Tiger
Well-known member
From an observation point and not really knowing it also looks like they don’t put much money into the magpies cup side either
Every grade is operated by Wests Tigers RLFC.
The reserve grade team is just branded Western Suburbs Magpies, same as how SG Ball and Harold Matts teams are branded Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies. Organisationally, there is no separation! Every player, every coach, every support staff member that works with these teams are contracted or employed by Wests Tigers. The $18m NRL grant, the $1.5m HBG funding, and West Tigers organic revenue streams contribute to operating NRL, NRLW, reserve grade, Jersey Flegg, SG Ball, Tarsha Gale, Harold Matts, Lisa Fiola, Andrew Johns, Laurie Daley, and development (cubs) teams, as well as the club's administration, sales, community programs, and media requirements.
Operationally, all teams are administered by Wests Tigers RLFC at Concord. So you can see how the club is spread very thin financially.
HBG contribute funding to running Balmain Tigers DRLFC junior teams - $275k in 2024. They also contribute $225k to Wests Magpies, for what I'm unsure. Perhaps to assist Lidcombe Oval match days. I suspect this figure will be much higher for FY2025 given Wests Magpies have taken out a 21-yr lease on Lidcombe Oval now.
Wests Campbelltown support junior footy in Western Suburbs junior district and macarthur, group 6. They have nothing to do with Wests Tigers RLFC.
This myth of Wests Tigers teams, rep Magpies teams, and rep Balmain teams being operated by different parties needs to end. It's all run by the one organisation - Wests Tigers RLFC.
Bus 2 Terrigal
Well-known member
... and a NSW Cup team, and junior rep teams, and ownership of the Wests-Ts 👍
innsaneink
Well-known member
This needs to be pinned!
