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**NRL accused of double standards as Balmain Leagues Club gets conditional reprieve**
August 2, 2014
Adrian Proszenko
Chief Rugby League Reporter
A Balmain Leagues Club director has accused the NRL of double standards after it bailed St George Illawarra out of financial trouble without taking away any of their joint-venture partners' voting rights.
The allegation comes just before a historic annual meeting that will reshape the Wests Tigers board.
In another important development for Balmain's future, a Supreme Court action against Rozelle Village scheduled for Monday has been postponed, after the feuding parties agreed to give the foundation club a one-year extension before the developer calls in the loan.
The Balmain Leagues Club elections will take place at the Tigers' Five Dock premises on Sunday, which will affect the composition of the Wests Tigers board.
Half of the Balmain board is up for election, meaning three spots will be decided at the ballot box. Two of those will transfer as directors of the Tigers, to join two Western Suburbs board members.
The NRL is in the process of appointing three independent directors to the Tigers board, and they will effectively have control of the club as the Balmain directors have relinquished voting rights in exchange for the governing body picking up the club's financial shortfall.
Incumbent Balmain director Gary Leo, a prop from Balmain’s last premiership team in 1969, savaged the NRL for putting conditions on its financial assistance to Balmain, while claiming St George Illawarra's joint-venture partners were not penalised when the Dragons were being propped up by head office.
"The NRL want to take a charge over the Balmain share of the Wests Tigers when they bailed St George out without conditions," Leo said. "I can't see any difference, they are discriminating against the Balmain Tigers.
"He's lending us the money we're due as a 50 per cent shareholder of Wests Tigers and we're a shareholder in the NRL, so he's a pretty good banker, [NRL CEO] Dave Smith.
"I don't understand how we let this go on."
Leo said Balmain officials were keen to meet with Smith and ARL Commission chairman John Grant to discuss the situation. He believed all clubs were entitled to between $17 million and $18 million a year from the NRL's coffers to get their affairs in order.
"I think what the NRL is doing is completely against the constitution of clubs," he said. "Apparently there is a future fund there – the future needs to be now. They should give that money to the clubs to put them on a better footing.
"I agree some football clubs aren't managed how they should be … if they can't manage their finances after getting those funds, they should be out."
Five candidates will be jockeying for three spots when Balmain members go to the ballot box.
Leo and chairman Danny Stapleton are up for re-election, while another incumbent, Mark Crowe, is stepping down to concentrate on his business interests. Les Hobbs, Austin Hoyle and Scott Drummond are also going for the positions.
It is understood at least one mystery benefactor has emerged with a proposal to redevelop the old Balmain Leagues Club site, and the parties have got a year to resolve the stalemate. The leagues club owes Rozelle Village about $8 million and allegedly defaulted on a series of loans, but there are hopes the parties could come to an agreement.
Leo, who was invited on to the board at the start of the year, hoped members stuck with the status quo at the elections to avoid further disruption.
"Only three weeks ago we were talking about voluntary administration," he said. "I hope the Balmain members persevere with the current board because they have been under a lot of pressure, there has been a lot of angst over the last 12 months when they were calling in the loan. Now we have some sort of relief. Hopefully the members will stick with what we've got so we can go forward."
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Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/nrl-accused-of-double-standards-as-balmain-leagues-club-gets-conditional-reprieve-20140802-zzry8.html#ixzz39JRFds7B
August 2, 2014
Adrian Proszenko
Chief Rugby League Reporter
A Balmain Leagues Club director has accused the NRL of double standards after it bailed St George Illawarra out of financial trouble without taking away any of their joint-venture partners' voting rights.
The allegation comes just before a historic annual meeting that will reshape the Wests Tigers board.
In another important development for Balmain's future, a Supreme Court action against Rozelle Village scheduled for Monday has been postponed, after the feuding parties agreed to give the foundation club a one-year extension before the developer calls in the loan.
The Balmain Leagues Club elections will take place at the Tigers' Five Dock premises on Sunday, which will affect the composition of the Wests Tigers board.
Half of the Balmain board is up for election, meaning three spots will be decided at the ballot box. Two of those will transfer as directors of the Tigers, to join two Western Suburbs board members.
The NRL is in the process of appointing three independent directors to the Tigers board, and they will effectively have control of the club as the Balmain directors have relinquished voting rights in exchange for the governing body picking up the club's financial shortfall.
Incumbent Balmain director Gary Leo, a prop from Balmain’s last premiership team in 1969, savaged the NRL for putting conditions on its financial assistance to Balmain, while claiming St George Illawarra's joint-venture partners were not penalised when the Dragons were being propped up by head office.
"The NRL want to take a charge over the Balmain share of the Wests Tigers when they bailed St George out without conditions," Leo said. "I can't see any difference, they are discriminating against the Balmain Tigers.
"He's lending us the money we're due as a 50 per cent shareholder of Wests Tigers and we're a shareholder in the NRL, so he's a pretty good banker, [NRL CEO] Dave Smith.
"I don't understand how we let this go on."
Leo said Balmain officials were keen to meet with Smith and ARL Commission chairman John Grant to discuss the situation. He believed all clubs were entitled to between $17 million and $18 million a year from the NRL's coffers to get their affairs in order.
"I think what the NRL is doing is completely against the constitution of clubs," he said. "Apparently there is a future fund there – the future needs to be now. They should give that money to the clubs to put them on a better footing.
"I agree some football clubs aren't managed how they should be … if they can't manage their finances after getting those funds, they should be out."
Five candidates will be jockeying for three spots when Balmain members go to the ballot box.
Leo and chairman Danny Stapleton are up for re-election, while another incumbent, Mark Crowe, is stepping down to concentrate on his business interests. Les Hobbs, Austin Hoyle and Scott Drummond are also going for the positions.
It is understood at least one mystery benefactor has emerged with a proposal to redevelop the old Balmain Leagues Club site, and the parties have got a year to resolve the stalemate. The leagues club owes Rozelle Village about $8 million and allegedly defaulted on a series of loans, but there are hopes the parties could come to an agreement.
Leo, who was invited on to the board at the start of the year, hoped members stuck with the status quo at the elections to avoid further disruption.
"Only three weeks ago we were talking about voluntary administration," he said. "I hope the Balmain members persevere with the current board because they have been under a lot of pressure, there has been a lot of angst over the last 12 months when they were calling in the loan. Now we have some sort of relief. Hopefully the members will stick with what we've got so we can go forward."
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Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/nrl-accused-of-double-standards-as-balmain-leagues-club-gets-conditional-reprieve-20140802-zzry8.html#ixzz39JRFds7B
