yes, split! Western Suburbs can go one way, Balmain Tigers the other.
Wests Tigers will be an independent entity, and remain in the NRL, while the other two would navigate life in the second tier, or the nether.
The NRL won’t be going back to either foundation club as stand alone clubs in the NRL. The supporter base is now predominantly tied to Wests Tigers.
Neither club run their own senior or development teams. They’re sucking off the teet of the NRL club.
In contrast, Norths have been doing it if their own bat for a long time now, and it’s taken them 26 years and a shift to the other side of the continent to get back into the big time.