HBG, Independent Directors Sacked

[king_sirro]

Sorry mate- I brushed over something.

I do call out people for speculating to a degree.

Speculate away- honestly.

It's what a forum should be for.

BUT.

Speculating & being adamant that the speculation is RIGHT is where I call it out.

We've had organised marches, people wanting to send back their memberships, demands for HBG board members to step down- but we have not heard the outcome of the HBG claims.

It's a terrible shame to hang someone as guilty only to find out years later they were not.

You always seem to skip over the part where they had years being in control and failed. That is the most significant thing here. Thats the part where the negative speculation towards them comes in. That is not just fair enough and reasonable thinking, its human nature. Theres a reason the majority dont like HBG and its a minority defending them. Usually that tells you something. Its like watching your sister get cheated on, she takes him back with the promise of not doing it again...as a brother, its human nature to be negative to the guy that failed your sister and not trust him...why should we trust a group that has gone behind the fans back?

 

[The Chad]

I must misunderstand this statement, because surely you are not suggesting that fans were requesting to oust the independent board members?

Sorry- not very clear.

The independent board members were in place because of fan requests.

HBG might have felt compelled to announce their removal to fans because of that.

 

[The Chad]

You always seem to skip over the part where they had years being in control and failed. That is the most significant thing here. Thats the part where the negative speculation towards them comes in. That is not just fair enough and reasonable thinking, its human nature. Theres a reason the majority dont like HBG and its a minority defending them. Usually that tells you something. Its like watching your sister get cheated on, she takes him back with the promise of not doing it again...as a brother, its human nature to be negative to the guy that failed your sister and not trust him...why should we trust a group that has gone behind the fans back?

No mate- that is a perfectly reasonable take.

I think that then takes the conversation to what are success factors, and who is responsible for it?

My take- the team in 2025 improved. Not because of the board.

But because the right coach with the right players were doing things on the field.


If you take away on-field success & failure- how have HBG performed over the last decade or so? Did they stop funding Wests & Balmain juniors? Did the Leagues club run dry on money?

We want to argue that HBG & Wests Tigers boards are separate.

Ok.

Who hires the coach? HBG? Or Wests Tigers?

 

[king_sirro]

No mate- that is a perfectly reasonable take.

I think that then takes the conversation to what are success factors, and who is responsible for it?

My take- the team in 2025 improved. Not because of the board.

But because the right coach with the right players were doing things on the field.


If you take away on-field success & failure- how have HBG performed over the last decade or so? Did they stop funding Wests & Balmain juniors? Did the Leagues club run dry on money?

We want to argue that HBG & Wests Tigers boards are separate.

Ok.

Who hires the coach? HBG? Or Wests Tigers?

I will admit, I not privy to the ins and outs of things, but to answer your question, I feel like they haven't performed well. It took the overhaul of the board and how things are run for us to finally turn a profit. Once they were out we developed a clearer direction with where the club wants to base itself, streamlining home game allocation to our traditional homes.You could also throw in the tightening up of leaks once the review was implemented. Yes I will acknowledge the fact that HBG pay for the BDJRL...now to take a cue from yourself, I would ask what the intentions are for them in this regard. Now they may very well be pure and total good will. Alternatively, the intentions could also be the fact that Wests Ashfield is closer to Balmain than Cambelltown, and making sure they have that are secured is important to the Magpie cause. I have no idea, but it could go either way.

 

[diedpretty]

Good old Chad doesnt know anything when defending HBG's actions but defends them consistently as the aggressors, but when it comes to Richardson and OFarrelll still doesn't know anything but comes up with a theory to discredit them.

And you and others only know exactly the same as Chad as to the reasons for what went down. You and others keep making statements saying that they are fact with no evidence whatsoever but then get on your high horse and belittle others who do the same with a different view.

 

[diedpretty]

I feel sorry the champion old Magpie folk who have fully embraced the Wests Tigers and see just as clearly as the rest of us. They unfortunately may feel like they get put into the bracket you just described, but in reality, that bracket is a tiny minority who want to hurt the only thing our kids know. Shame on them

Patronising bullshit

 

[Tucker]

Ink posted above that the media leak and video ammouncement were on the same day, so it rules this theory out.

Not fully.
When the first partition came out they copped it royally as well.
Anyway, it is what it is.
If the team don’t perform this year or continue to lose players we have developed, then I’ll kick them as well.
I wasn’t a fan of Richardson, so I’m not outraged like most are.

 

[mtd#2]

And you and others only know exactly the same as Chad as to the reasons for what went down. You and others keep making statements saying that they are fact with no evidence whatsoever but then get on your high horse and belittle others who do the same with a different view.

Lets talk facts then.

- No one was talking about HBG until their CEO posted a video to announce the sacking of the independent directors and new vision for the club.

-Richo resigned.

-HBG met with PVL

- HBG reinstated the directors.

So now HBG look completely incompetent.

If they want to clear the air, then they should come out with a statement and explain what happened.

Until then, they will continue to look incompetent to the majority of NRL fans.

The rest is speculation.

 

[king_sirro]

Patronising bullshit

Are you saying im being patronising? If so, hand on heart not my intention at all

 

[tigertragic]

And you and others only know exactly the same as Chad as to the reasons for what went down. You and others keep making statements saying that they are fact with no evidence whatsoever but then get on your high horse and belittle others who do the same with a different view.

Everyone knows the outcome when HBG has been in total control

 

[Merlot]

This thread should be renamed - Bang Your Head Against A Wall

 

[cochise]

I don't know. Honestly- I've said this quite a lot- I don't know why they have done some of the things they have.

Tucker might have the right of it- more a PR exercise as they were getting roundly berated at the time.

Maybe they felt responsible to explain to fans why they were changing it BECAUSE they were looking to change something largely driven by fan requests?

What I will say is, despite taking O'Farrell back, at no point have HBG changed that statement/given a new one. So, on face value of it, they felt, as a group, that they were left out of significant financial decisions at a board level.

How that came about is open to speculation.

What I believe/suspect is- with the way HBG shifted gears on the board members post the Richardson resignation- having Richardson out of the club eased the situation.

Read into that what you like, but the two things together, combined with O'Farrell & Richardson signing off on the ground allocations.. I imagine this is the focal point.

If I was a betting man, my guess would be that HBG felt Richardson (and to a lesser degree O'Farrell/independent board members) was making decisions that HBG felt should have been run past them as the main financial partner of the Wests Tigers (not including grants etc).

If that is the case, why did they say Richo had their full support.

As I've said there is no light you can paint this in that makes the HBG in the right.

They messed this up big time and it just adds to a long list of mess ups.

 

[cochise]

I'm saying HBG felt they were not being consulted on things in the way they felt they should have been.

Again, I don't KNOW anything. People want to run with speculation- that's my version of speculation.

So wouldn't the blame for that fall to the directors they appointed.

 

[mtd#2]

If that is the case, why did they say Richo had their full support.

None of it makes sense..
Until they make a statement (that explains eveything) most will assume incompetence.

 

[Telltails]

And you and others only know exactly the same as Chad as to the reasons for what went down. You and others keep making statements saying that they are fact with no evidence whatsoever but then get on your high horse and belittle others who do the same with a different view.

Fact - Julie Romero dumped less than 12 months after being made chair of board - no explanation.
Fact - HBG sacked independents - retaining HBG reps - after what most considered was an improved season.
Fact - the board via Paton said they fully supported Richardson knowing that he publically stated that his tenure was dependent on a independent board re review and Barry O Farrell to be retained as chair.
Fact - Independents reinstated after meeting with NRL/ PVL with a 5 4 majority of HBG board members resulting - in no longer independent
Fact - Highly regarded CEO resigns - untenable
Fact ,- Benji Marshall extended for 5:years - after board dismantled even he says he probably doesn't deserve it
So yeh have formed opinions/concerns on the governance considering last off season three other board members were dumped and banned for some other "misdemeanors" and no apologies for that.
Chad is offering explanations for why these actions may have happened with openly stating he doesn't know - vastly different to forming an option on what has actually happened.

 

[cochise]

Just giving an alternative option.

The 'theory' doesn't necessarily discredit anyone. Like I said, HBG FELT they were not consulted adequately. The Wests Tigers board might think differently.

People seem to want to overlook what HBG said when they made their decision.

I would hope they knew, not felt before they dismissed 4 board members for lack of communication.

Probably damaged the professional reputation of a couple of them. Im surprised that some of them are returning.

 

[cochise]

4 years ago it was Pascoe & Hagipentalis that were to blame.

Then it was Sheens.

Now it's HBG.

People like Shane Richardson. So it's definitely not him.

Opinion on where blame should be directed isn't consistent.

That's why an external review was important. Let professional establish what was wrong inside the club.

 

[cochise]

Maybe.

But your speculation & mine are neither more right or wrong.

This is why I keep saying- don't know.

What nobody (bar the Pro Magpies shills or whatever we are calling them today) wants to acknowledge is that HBG may have had a point. The fans are convinced that HBG is Emperor Palpatine & his cronies at work.

And that is fine. But it doesn't make it true.

What point shows them in a positive light though?

 

[cochise]

Sorry mate- I brushed over something.

I do call out people for speculating to a degree.

Speculate away- honestly.

It's what a forum should be for.

BUT.

Speculating & being adamant that the speculation is RIGHT is where I call it out.

We've had organised marches, people wanting to send back their memberships, demands for HBG board members to step down- but we have not heard the outcome of the HBG claims.

It's a terrible shame to hang someone as guilty only to find out years later they were not.

Isn't that what HBG did by dismissing the independent directors and then needing to backtrack and reappoint them?

 

[mtd#2]

If these guys just came out and told us what happened, it would probably disappear into the ether (till the next balls up). The more they keep chirping away, the more people get their back against the wall, resulting in further division.