Revised structure key to Tigers' prosperity, says Trodden

[Gary_Bakerloo]

The WT's brand is now worth 10x what either Balmain or Wests (Magpie) is worth.

Completely correct, but who owns the WT brand?

The current structure has Balmain RLFC and the Wests Group owning the Wests Tigers brand. This ownership structure has served the club well since 2000 (I mean, we won a comp!). On his way out after 8 years, Trodden is now questioning this structure.

 

[cktiger]

Hang on.

There is only one side of the JV who aren't happy.

And with no reason, everything has been 50/50 since day one but Wests still don't like it.

Its not biased to say that one of the main strengths of the WT is the tiger brand. This should be marketed as much as possible. It also brings in the corporate dollar.

And has there been any evidence that it would be better to make the west our home…...Campbo can't even get a full house.

Hey the day they sell out that place reguarly I'll be happy to have more games out there.

I have been behind thet JV from the beginning and I support whats best for the JV. There is massive support from the inner city and the Tiger brand...lets embrace it.

Wow… How could you say you support the JV with the anti wests attitude?

The tiger mascot is popular just like it was for balmain... Keep in perspective also that **The magpies brand (collingwood afl variety) is most followed football brand in Australia**

ofcourse Original Wests fans feel disheartened by WT when its perceived by many as an extension of Balmain. Same goes for south west sydney getting 4 poorly scheduled nrl games a year?

Campbelltown has had a slightly higher crowd average in last 2 years compared to leichhardt oval so your argument is flawed. If you have been following this forum you will also notice that leichhardt oval days are numbered for nrl.

6 x SFS + 6 x campbelltown is a possibility for the 2014 or 2015 season.

You are obviously new to this forum.
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Why do you continually bring this up?
What relevance does it have except that you ultimately would like the Magpie to be our emblem?
Of course then we could no longer be called Wests**Tigers** and have zero meaning to anybody following the team post 2000 or supporting Balmain previous to that.
We would , however , have a few old diehard Maggies fans.
Yeah…. good move. :unamused:

 

[wtfl1981]

I dont expect or want WT to revert to magpies and yes it is not our mascot. It has a historical significance to WT and we have have worn it on our sleeve since 2000\. I get sick of people dissing it as a weak or unmarketable brand.

The magpie has a unique link to WT. most fans aged between 25yo and 90yo remember wests and balmain. What is important is that WT is not just referred to only as 'tigers' by media etc as it wipes out any reference to the legacy of the wests brand. The magpie is a small part of that 'brand' within WT.

Even if ownership of WT reverted fully to the wests group the team will still be called WT.
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[Joel Helmes]

What is important is that WT is not just referred to only as 'tigers'

Wests Tigers is an entity created by Balmain and Wests, the name of the entity is Wests Tigers - how can it be called anything but that?

 

[happy_tiger]

What does it matter if we call ourselves the Trolls if we want ??

If we support the jersey and what is inside the jersey what does it matter ?? :brick:

 

[wtfl1981]

What is important is that WT is not just referred to only as 'tigers'

Wests Tigers is an entity created by Balmain and Wests, the name of the entity is Wests Tigers - how can it be called anything but that?

When media and non WT fans intentionally or carelessly refer ONLY to WT as 'The Tigers'.

Black & Gold army, spiritual home of leichhardt, tiger town etc etc etc

Its ensuring the league community as a new JV with a good representation of the original clubs - NOT just a 're-badged' balmain
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[magpiecol]

Seriously, who cares? And, whoever does is part of the problem, not the solution. The only way you can "care" is if you are trying to preserve some superior or exclusive position of Balmain over Wests or vice versa. For what purpose? To strengthen your opportunity to ignore reality and live in the past?? If that's the case, wallow in the past and let the rest of us get on with the present and the future.

No money, no future.

 

[Benjirific]

I'm still yet to see many people who disagree with the idea giving any other reason that 'it's a Balmain conspiracy' or 'Trodden has always wanted to kill Wests and this would be his final move'.

As I mentioned earlier, I think this is exactly the reason we should make this change. We need to eliminate as much of the us v them mentality as possible, and I believe this could be a way of doing it. It wasn't the board structure what won us the 2005 premiership, it was an extremely talented group of players coached by someone who knew how to make them excel at the time. The current structure was a necessity in the origins of the club, and served us ok at the start, but it has its limitations and people need to recognise that.

A revised structure wouldn't cut all involvement of Wests or Balmain, but it would mean we could add new independent people to our organisation, ones who understand the significance of our 200 years of history but know how to best utilise that for Wests Tigers purposes (not Wests Magpies or Balmain Tigers). These would be the people that ensure we're Wests Tigers and not just the Tigers. Too much decision making in Wests Tigers is tied up in politics and it is holding the NRL organisation back. A revised structure would eliminate as much of this politics as possible, and Wests Tigers would be able to grow (something that is surely for the betterment of both original clubs).

 

[Snodgrass]

One interesting question for everyone if Wests Magpies field a team in state cup and come up against WT, who will people be cheering for?

The underdogs.

 

[Chunk]

What is important is that WT is not just referred to only as 'tigers'

Wests Tigers is an entity created by Balmain and Wests, the name of the entity is Wests Tigers - how can it be called anything but that?

When media and non WT fans intentionally or carelessly refer ONLY to WT as 'The Tigers'.

Black & Gold army, spiritual home of leichhardt, tiger town etc etc etc

Its ensuring the league community as a new JV with a good representation of the original clubs - NOT just a 're-badged' balmain
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The 'Tiger' has appeal and its hard to say Wests. The tigers brings in the fans and sponsorship for the Wests Tigers…Wests doesn't!

Have the Magpies ever had a spiritual home, when you have three homes its hard to call one spirtual.

Wests are still confused on what direction they want to take, the problem is they will drag the Wests Tigers down with them.

 

[tig_prmz]

aaah just butt off mannn.. so annoying reading these kinda posts when some good discussion is going around

 

[cktiger]

I dont expect or want WT to revert to magpies and yes it is not our mascot. It has a historical significance to WT and we have have worn it on our sleeve since 2000\. **I get sick of people dissing it as a weak or unmarketable brand.**

The magpie has a unique link to WT. most fans aged between 25yo and 90yo remember wests and balmain. What is important is that WT is not just referred to only as 'tigers' by media etc as it wipes out any reference to the legacy of the wests brand. The magpie is a small part of that 'brand' within WT.

Even if ownership of WT reverted fully to the wests group the team will still be called WT.
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The Magpie itself is not unmarketable - as you so rightly point out in regards Collingwood.
Unfortunately what did prove to be a weak and unmarketable brand was the Western Suburbs Magpies.
That's why we retained the Tiger as our logo when the clubs joined forces.
I'm sure you would rather have the team always referred to as 'Wests' but you can't control what other people call the team.
And ….there is still a Magpie on the jersey - which is more than I can say about any reference to Balmain.

 

[Yossarian]

It doesn't really matter if the Magpie is marketable or not. The team is called Wests Tigers. Should be the Wests Magpies logo on one shoulder and the Balmain one of the other. Two arms, one body…

 

[gallagher]

It doesn't really matter if the Magpie is marketable or not. The team is called Wests Tigers. Should be the Wests Magpies logo on one shoulder and the Balmain one of the other. Two arms, one body…

So obvious and simple isnt it?
I cant believe we are wearing balmain jerseys one week and magpies jerseys the next week in state cup. Surely a west tigers team would wear wests tigers jerseys?

 

[wtfl1981]

It was a condition of the nsw cup merge
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[gallagher]

It was a condition of the nsw cup merge
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Obviously.
These sort of decisions shows that whoever put in this condition is more concerned with wests or balmain than they are of the wests tigers. Trodden is right on the money.

 

[wtfl1981]

Its was Humprhies who endorsed it as a 'carrot' for both clubs.
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[wtfl1981]

Keep it in mind also that the nsw cup has a different fan base to nrl. You have had diehards fans of balmain and wests attend non nrl game days to watch nsw cup for the last 12 years.. Think of this as the 1999 version of nsw cup for WT.
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[Yossarian]

To be honest I don't care if the NSW cup is attended by 3 blokes and a beagle… The purpose of our state cup team is do whatever needs to be done to support the aims of the NRL team. Having 700 people attend rather than 70 doesn't really matter.

 

[wtfl1981]

Thats what it will be doing for the first time in WT history under the WT banner.
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