HBG, Independent Directors Sacked

We need to complain to the NRL so they are aware of our distaste.


Type of Enquiry > Compliant
What is it related to > Other
Title > Wests Tigers Ownership
Body > This can be generated from ChatGPT by using the below prompt.

Prompt:

Draft a formal request to the NRL asking them to review the Holman Barnes Group’s licence following their removal of the newly appointed independent Wests Tigers board. Emphasise that the decision appears self interested, conflicts with good governance standards, and does not reflect the best interests of the Wests Tigers, the NRL, its fans, or the long term stability of the club. The tone should be firm, factual, and centred on governance integrity and stakeholder impact.
 
Is it really surprising the 90%owners of an entity seek to appoint their own directors. Inevitable outcome unfortunately. Never made any sense. The only silver lining is this may indicate larger investment into the club.

Wests are minted but invest at a much lower clip than Panthers Group and Bulldogs Leagues.
 
As others have said, us forum contributors represent about 0.5 percent of people who go to games, buy merchandise and memberships. The other 99.5% would see another one page spread on the WestsTigers dysfunctional board and not get beyond the headline. They basically would not care.

Of course the main problem is they hold the license for the franchise and they are accountable to nobody as they basically can’t be voted out of job. Yes they contribute a lot of money to the club, but so does the cooperate sector through the hard work of Richo and people like Barry O’Barrel.

My general interest in the NRL is on a steady decline after decades of fanaticism and this will sink it lower
 
Depends on the agreement that they formed. Sounds like HBG put a lot of catches in there.
I hope the Tigers board has a way to push back against this. What kind of "independant board" can just be disbanded. It proves that HBG cannot be trusted with anything it says. As they're rep last year Romero clearly laid out that Wests Tigers were completely independant from HBG and would act without interference. Yet here we are.
 
They’re probably filthy with the commercial decision of having an orange jumper as the home jersey.
It would seem like something worth getting the owners to sign off on before proceeding.

Given the club’s historical sensitivities, it was pretty stupid for O’Farrell and co to rubber stamp this fashion faux pas.

I mean what did they think was going to happen 🤷‍♂️
 

Attachments

  • 0AA1117E-705E-4265-A27B-9F33388FB796.jpeg
    0AA1117E-705E-4265-A27B-9F33388FB796.jpeg
    355.7 KB · Views: 6
Been hearing how we are on the up since 2011. Yeah, getting off the bottom of the ladder was something, and I don’t see us finishing last next year either. But I do think we have a ceiling of 11th or 12th. And I’m sorry, I know it triggers some, but that is down to Benji. Our spine for a lot of the year was puss. That’s on the coaching. And I know this thread isn’t about this, but I didn’t bring his name into this.
I get it, I agree with you I think before all this garbage started that we might have jagged 7th or 8th if the injury gods were really, really kind to us. If we have our usual run with injuries I think your pretty close to the mark of where we'll end up.
Benji I can't be too hard on atm. He came into the job noone else wanted cause the place was a shambles, the roster was broken and there didn't even look like any sort of light at the end of the tunnel. My issue atm is his assistants, he needs more experience next to him. In saying that, my comment was just conveying the consensus that the Tigers as a whole were seen around the game as being on the rise and not just the laughing stock anymore. Generally it's just us fans looking at the glass half full in hope. No idea what happens now though imo if everything was left alone this was the year I think Richo evaluated Benji. It was his sink or swim year.
 
Are ‘independent’ Board members so naive as to not consider the fractured history of the club and the eternal need for Wests/Balmain balance in EVERY decision?
Having listened to Paton's statement and and read the press release a couple of times the issues raised as the reasoning for the removal notices are at odds with this. HBG have two representatives on the Wests Tigers Board, Leo Epifania and Denis Burgess. As a result, the claimed lack of communication is impossible to fathom - they have two embedded personnel in the organisation itself.

The Wests Tigers board would have a set of guidelines outlining their "rules of engagement" so unless they were acting outside of those rules were they not acting in the best interests of the JV?

If, and that is a big if, the orange jumper and the stadium policy, were not in the best interests of HBG, they had the right to veto the decisions. The Wests Tigers Board have scored runs, finalising deals to get Cambo and Leichardt upgraded, selling out the jumpers, making a profit and developing a stategic stadium plan. All of this under the noses and direct influence (30% of the board membership) of HBG.

The fractured history should not be an issue for the board and neither should there be a need to have a Balmain/Wests balance in their decision making. They need to be cogniscant of the history but decision making should always be in the best interests of Wests Tigers, which by default is in the best interests of HBG.

The independent directors were recommendations from the inquiry into HBG's running of Wests Tigers. Their mandate being to provide frank and fearless advice in order to make decisions in the best interests of the club and its owners.

The board has not even seen out its first year, if there were concerns about the direction and decison making there were other options than to make a half arsed statement and leak ludicrous orange jumper rumours. Examples could have included tightening the reigns on the decision making process, changing the scope of the boards "rules of engagement" or simply saying no to decsions and sending them back for reconsideration.

Blowing up the ship mid course is drastic action. There is a bad smell about this - and it doesn't appear to be from the Wests Tigers Board. Perhaps I am wrong in my assessmant - but based on what has been presented by HBG it is hard to look at it in another light.

IF this is in the best interests of West Tigers HBG needs to get some runs on the board pretty quick by putting a lid on the shitfight it has created.
 
Last edited:
We need to complain to the NRL so they are aware of our distaste.


Type of Enquiry > Compliant
What is it related to > Other
Title > Wests Tigers Ownership
Body > This can be generated from ChatGPT by using the below prompt.

Prompt:

Draft a formal request to the NRL asking them to review the Holman Barnes Group’s licence following their removal of the newly appointed independent Wests Tigers board. Emphasise that the decision appears self interested, conflicts with good governance standards, and does not reflect the best interests of the Wests Tigers, the NRL, its fans, or the long term stability of the club. The tone should be firm, factual, and centred on governance integrity and stakeholder impact.
Thanks pacey. Ive done it. All - just please flood them about using the license terms. It may not too much, but gotta try what angles we can.
 
It would seem like something worth getting the owners to sign off on before proceeding.

Given the club’s historical sensitivities, it was pretty stupid for O’Farrell and co to rubber stamp this fashion faux pas.

I mean what did they think was going to happen 🤷‍♂️
I thought HBG said last year we are an independant board, so why do we need their input into anything?
 
Having listened to Paton's statemand and read the press release a couple of times the issues raised as the reasoning for the removal notices are at odds with this. HBG have two representatives on the Wests Tigers Board, Leo Epifania and Denis Burgess. As a result, the claimed lack of communication is impossible to fathom - they have two embedded personnel in the organisation itself.

The Wests Tigers board would have a set of guidelines outlining their "rules of engagement" so unless they were acting outside of those rules were they not acting in the bbest interests of the JV?

If, and that is a big if, the orange jumper and the stadium policy, were not in the best interests of HBG had the right to veto the decisions. The Wests Tigers Board have scored runs, finalising deals to get Cambo and Leichardt upgraded, selling out the jumpers, making a profit and developed a stategic stadium plan. All of this under the noses and direct influence (30% of the board membership) of HBG.

The fractured history should not be an issue for the board and neither should there be a need to have a Balmain/Wests balance in their decision making. They need to be cogniscant of the history but decision making should always be in the best interests of Wests Tigers, which by default is in the best interests of HBG.

The independent directors were recommendations from the inquiry into HBGs runnign of Wests Tigers. Their mandate being to provide frank and fearless advice in order to make decisions in the best interests of the club and its owners.

The board has not even seen out its first year, if there were concerns about the direction and decison making there were other options than to make a half arsed statement and leak ludicrous orange jumper rumours. Examples could have included tightening the reigns on the decision making process, changing the scope of the boards "rules of engagement" or simply saying no to decsions and sending them back for reconsideration.

Blowing up the ship mid course is drastic action. There is a bad smell about this - and it doesn't appear to be from the Wests Tigers Board. Perhaps I am wrong in my assessmant - but based on what has been presented by HBG it is hard to look at it in another light.

IF this is in the best interests of West Tigers HBG needs to get some runs on the board pretty quick by putting a lid on the shitfight it has created.
They had runs on the board by implementing an independent board last year. They have now lost all credibility. They need to go.
 
It would seem like something worth getting the owners to sign off on before proceeding.

Given the club’s historical sensitivities, it was pretty stupid for O’Farrell and co to rubber stamp this fashion faux pas.

I mean what did they think was going to happen 🤷‍♂️
While i agree with you, there are two on the board so they would have had visibility and its supposed to be independant anyway. We can't move quick if things are decided through multiple committees. What other organisations work like that? None.

I honestly think a black would look good too. Like the Broncos. I reckon richo would have had plans at some point in the year to do it. The bronocs was brought out for mental health round.

Why didnt the HBG guys raise this with the board like adults? They have probably secretly keeping notes to make their power grab. They've done it 3 times now, twice on hbg board. Now WT. Its a immature and childish way?fo operate
 
HBG board meeting:

“Ok guys so onto our beloved WESTS [Tigers] NRL team. So that new CEO dude has managed to get that to return a profit for the first time in over a decade, he’s also managed to get the government to provide funding for 2 of the home grounds. He’s also got one of our most talented rosters we’ve had in forever and everything seems to be moving in the right direction with a good chance of finals footy”

“Objection, what’s this “finals footy” you speak of”

“Not too sure but I think it’s what all the good teams do after Round 27. Anyway all seems to be looking quite good there, memberships way up etc. so guess there isn’t really much more to say”

“Hey I heard they just released new jerseys, what do they look like?”

“Oh yeah let me just get them up… give me a sec, ah wallah”.
View attachment 30421

Dennis Burgess -
View attachment 30423

“That looks too much like that other club we merged with, SACK ALL THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS”

[PS this is satirical].
I think it's true. 🤣

(PS. nothing would surprise me with this mob of clowns. 🤡)
 
It would seem like something worth getting the owners to sign off on before proceeding.

Given the club’s historical sensitivities, it was pretty stupid for O’Farrell and co to rubber stamp this fashion faux pas.

I mean what did they think was going to happen 🤷‍♂️

Dennis sits on the board of Wests Tigers, does he not? He and Leo would have been very much informed. Nevertheless, childish behavior from perennial losers who can't keep their egos in check and want to be the star of the show
 
The keys hitting the table with his resignation will be the only thing your likely to hear
Totally agree would be shocked if Richo sticks it out now, why would he no stability and constant fighting. Luai was smart with the clauses and will probably go to the Bears now. I think Benji will see out the next two years but then move on to the media again. Dark times indeed luckily I live in NZ and have the warriors to support.
 

Latest posts

Staff online

Back
Top