HBG, Independent Directors Sacked

[The Chad]

His dad was a great singer.

Debatable.....

 

[The Chad]

He won't be able to make any decisions.

That isn't true. While I understand the frustration & to a degree, the panic, CEO's at this club have been free to do their job for as long as I can remember.

It's either that is true, or we all back track the venom spat at Pascoe.

 

[Joel Helmes]

Nick and Declan bring us their reaction to the loss today of our CEO, Shane Richardson.

Back to Square One as Richo Walks Away | Wests Tigers Podcast & Forum

It’s been a sad day for Wests Tigers with highly-regarded CEO Shane Richardson walking away from the club. The man they call ‘Richo’ had been doing a sterling job in getting Wests Tigers back on <a class="mh-excerpt-more"...

weststigerspodcast.com.au

 

[AdelaideTiger]

The NRL were never going to do anything, they never do. Our best remaining chance is another extinction event whereby an asteroid hits Wests Ashfield during a meat tray raffle taking out the remaining dinosaurs as they graze over a roast dinner in the bistro.

🤣👏

 

[TigerNeddyK]

Ok well this is just terrible.

I’m reasonably young and I have NEVER seen the Wests Tigers play an NRL Finals game as I started following the club in 2012. My granddad follows the bulldogs, the rest of his family follow the dragons, my dad followed North Sydney Bears, my uncle and sister follows Rabbitohs, I believe my aunt follows Sharks and my other cousins follow Raiders. I’ve never lived near any Wests Tigers catchment area, but one day as a kid I decided the Wests Tigers would be my team and what a dreadful choice I made. As an aside I didn’t even know the Wests Tigers were a joint venture until 2018 at least I reckon and I subsequently used that to brag about how many premierships we’d won technically.

I remember being extremely saddened by Benji leaving but was still hopeful in the coming years with the emergence of Brooks, Tedesco, Moses and Woods until they all left (except Brooks but unfortunately he wasn’t that good, however will also be fond of him for sticking it out). The replacement signings of Josh Reynolds, Moses Mbye, James Tamou etc. etc. all washed up has-beens who tried but weren’t really that good. We lost Ivan and got Madge who I thought would make us genuine contenders but it wasn’t to be. Then Sheens and Benji come back and I’m starting to feel some hope (as I only remembered one year of Sheens coaching) except turns out Sheens can’t coach and our roster is literally a reserve grade side (how many of our wooden spoon players are still in FG?).

Then it happened the review or whatever that sacked the board sacked the CEO. Maybe this would ignite the change. I see the news “Shane Richardson interested in Tigers job” and read up about him and start to feel that if we can get this guy we might have a chance. We get Luai who initially I was skeptical of but he played very well in 2024. We then start clearing out the roster, bringing quality in and removed overpaid has beens like Bateman, Klemmer and other stupid contracts. We get players like May, the other May, Skelton, Turuva, Hunt which all fulfilled vital gaps in our roster.

2025 was a solid year. We started strong until Galvin derailed a large portion of the mid-season but we hung in there and had a respectable year with 9 wins and many losses within 6 points. Richo then signs some very solid depth to replace the Ron Massey Cup level depth we previously had (Tumeth, Matamua etc.). Resigned important players such as Pole, To’a and most importantly King Seyfarth and was on the way to getting Bula and Luai locked up. We now had a very strong roster locked in for multiple years and for the first time since probably 2016ish I felt like we actually had a shot at finals and in my mind we were definitely making it either 2026 or 2027.

I also had started to actually attend games again and was looking at becoming a member for the first time in my life after the draw lined up with the times I was able to watch games. I was going to be a jersey and maybe some more merch to show my appreciation to Richo for making us no longer the laughing stock of the NRL.

But now it’s all come crashing down. I now believe we are a decade from playing finals again. I firmly believe we have no chance with HBG running the joint unless they allow what needs to be done to be done. It is honestly so painful to watch this team harm itself on repeat. Over the years everyone has been blamed from the players to coaches to staff to CEOs but it’s clear as day what the primary issue has been all along and that’s HBG. When we finally get a good CEO and an improving roster with a new but promising coach the tables were turning and we were firmly in contention but they just hit the self-destruct button as they couldn’t believe the club could do that well or something.

I don’t think I have it within me to support another team so long as the Wests Tigers are still in the comp (at this point I almost want to NRL to burn the joint), but I can say for certain I will not in any way financially support this club. No membership, no merch, no games. I know there are people at the club with nothing to do with this who suffer as a result but HBG NEED to feel the consequences of their actions.

I would strongly encourage everyone who can be there to go to the March next Saturday. Email HBG, The NRL, The club about your frustrations. Stop financially supporting them in any way. Refund your membership if possible. No longer buy merch and I reckon if we can somehow do a mass boycott of the Round 2 game at Leichhardt we can really show them how much this hurts us. If somehow we can limit the crowd to under 1k and have a majority Cowboys fans the game will take notice. The TV stations and the NRL won’t like the look of it.

In the past I was always disappointed when a promising player would leave but honestly if Bula, Luai and some others were to leave I would not blame them one bit. This club is an absolute basket case.

Shane was the greatest person this club ever had and I am absolutely devastated by this.

100 %

 

[weststigers]

That isn't true. While I understand the frustration & to a degree, the panic, CEO's at this club have been free to do their job for as long as I can remember.

It's either that is true, or we all back track the venom spat at Pascoe.

If you say so Chad

 

[The Chad]

If you say so Chad

Has any other CEO been handcuffed from making decisions?

HBG are not a new entity to the club. Everyone was quite happy putting pitchforks into Lee & Pascoe- they made decisions under HBG leadership too.

I understand the frustration people are facing. But the reality is- not a whole lot changes. We are whipping ourselves into a frenzy about perceptions.

 

[crazycat]

Shaun Mielekamp was brought into the club & that was a coup in itself. Great, smart operator & an obvious choice to replace Richo.

It could be argued his track record is superior.

Yea, apparently Shaun was behind the Mariners and they have done really well.

Really trying to work out why you would hire Manly's GM.. Also trying to work out why Manly's GM would come here. Strongly suspect he would have ice cold feet by now.

 

[The Chad]

Yea, apparently Shaun was behind the Mariners and they have done really well.

Really trying to work out why you would hire Manly's GM.. Also trying to work out why Manly's GM would come here. Strongly suspect he would have ice cold feet by now.

For whatever reason there seems to be some link between Manly & the club- the whole Scott Fulton thing was weird. Mestrov is weird.

The most obvious answer is already in the building.

 

[weststigers]

Has any other CEO been handcuffed from making decisions?

HBG are not a new entity to the club. Everyone was quite happy putting pitchforks into Lee & Pascoe- they made decisions under HBG leadership too.

I understand the frustration people are facing. But the reality is- not a whole lot changes. We are whipping ourselves into a frenzy about perceptions.

I believe that you believe that. I'm not going to fight you.

Look...you're probably right. The CEO can probably make some decisions around what brand copy paper we buy and maybe our internet provider.

 

[crazycat]

Has any other CEO been handcuffed from making decisions?

HBG are not a new entity to the club. Everyone was quite happy putting pitchforks into Lee & Pascoe- they made decisions under HBG leadership too.

I understand the frustration people are facing. But the reality is- not a whole lot changes. We are whipping ourselves into a frenzy about perceptions.

I agreed with this up to November 2025.

You always have a bit of politics and stupidity. Pascoe and Lee did have a fairly free reign and while I recall there was talk in delaying some contracts, I don't believe the delays were from HBG (could be wrong).

The problem was the coaching. The problem still is the coaching and getting a first class establishment.

I have said "the board doesn't matter" but when you have HBG making such chaos, it now matters.


The only positive I can see is the people waited till December. I respect that. I still want HBG to be gone, but I respect that they waited till after the normal season.

 

[The Chad]

I believe that you believe that. I'm not going to fight you.

Look...you're probably right. The CEO can probably make some decisions around what brand copy paper we buy and maybe our internet provider.

Apparently they are free to approve their own Annual Leave mid-season & have free reign on what they post on Social Media during that time too. Seems they are allowed to freely advocate weird hair styles & dodgy fashion choices.

As well as making deals around stadiums, player signings etc. Even get the green light to work on achieving a Centre of Excellence if the desire is there.

 

[Dr_Ice]

Whose self interest though. What did HBG gain by doing this? WT barely makes money and most NRL clubs dont. They have much bigger fish to fry with their own clubs.

What did they actually achieve by doing this? "They have more control over WT". But what are they gonna achieve with this control.

Agree completely. They wanted and will get more control (unless NRL have a lever to make them have independent directors again), however they have proven that they do not have the required abilities.

No corruption as some believe, just doubtful decision making

 

[cochise]

I thought it was a combination of elected representatives and debentures but I could be wrong. I've never really looked into it.

5 directors appointed by the debenture holders 2 by the general membership.

Though they sacked and banned the 2 general membership board members last year.

 

[The Chad]

I agreed with this up to November 2025.

You always have a bit of politics and stupidity. Pascoe and Lee did have a fairly free reign and while I recall there was talk in delaying some contracts, I don't believe the delays were from HBG (could be wrong).

The problem was the coaching. The problem still is the coaching and getting a first class establishment.

I have said "the board doesn't matter" but when you have HBG making such chaos, it now matters.


The only positive I can see is the people waited till December. I respect that. I still want HBG to be gone, but I respect that they waited till after the normal season.

Unless the coaching staff decide they want out, I don't think anything changes for next season at all.

By which time, a new CEO, board & front office will be in place & have an opportunity to put things in place.

Decisions from Bula & Luai MIGHT be impacted, for future seasons. But they were already under some scrutiny anyway.

 

[Dr_Ice]

I'm hoping Marshall walks and takes both May boys, Luai and Bula with him. If it's imploding let it implode properly. Maybe then the N.R.L will finally do something.

We won 3 straight spoons and no-one stepped in to help. Someone has to come last. This is self inflicted!

 

[weststigers]

Apparently they are free to approve their own Annual Leave mid-season & have free reign on what they post on Social Media during that time too. Seems they are allowed to freely advocate weird hair styles & dodgy fashion choices.

As well as making deals around stadiums, player signings etc. Even get the green light to work on achieving a Centre of Excellence if the desire is there.

As long as you believe you are right that's all that matters.

The only thing is, they all got speared over the stadium thing...allegedly. COE...a free facility with taxpayer funded money...ypu think they'd stop that? Player signings? Only once they were out of the way.

Interesting that Richo would have clauses in his contract around having an independent board. He stated today that he knocked them.back the first time around because the board was HBG controlled. Can you tell me why a CEO would insist on that if they thought a stacked HBG board would let him do his job properly?

 

[BeeCeen]

Unless the coaching staff decide they want out, I don't think anything changes for next season at all.

By which time, a new CEO, board & front office will be in place & have an opportunity to put things in place.

Decisions from Bula & Luai MIGHT be impacted, for future seasons. But they were already under some scrutiny anyway.

It is very difficult to see any promising player, coach or administrator hitching themselves to the club given what has just transpired. It is utter madness.

It’s obviously much deeper than perceptions, but the perceptions also matter. The destruction of brand value (for sponsors) and loyalty (for fans) is very, very serious.

 

[Dr_Ice]

Worst thing I've read all day, from HBG:

We again wish to reassure our fans and the broader NRL of our commitment to the joint venture.

Go committ yourselves elsewhere you useless pricks.

Should be a given shouldn’t it. No comment should be required

 

[weststigers]

5 directors appointed by the debenture holders 2 by the general membership.

Though they sacked and banned the 2 general membership board members last year.

Please help Chad understand no one has any power other than this small group of debenture holders....including any CEO operating under a majority HBG board.