Save Our Sides Protest Rally - SUN 05FEB11

[Knuckles]

Selfish rusted on Magpie supporters hey !!!
I think thats a bit harsh.

For those of us that went through the dark years 1983 - 1985 …. it looked for all money that the end of the road had come then. It was only through having Rick Wayde in charge that Wests were able to get through those years. Plus the fact if Campbelltown wasn't in need of a Rugby League we would have been gone back then as well. In addition to that, how we survived through the Super League years I don't know either. We were the worst in almost all facets on the Leagues criteria to remain in the competition. If it wasn't for Balmain, we would have next to no identity as Canterbury would have taken us over and done everything to favour the Bulldogs.

So for those now claiming about the identity of the Magpies and considering where we have been in the last 30 years, I am more than happy and indeed very grateful to see a team named Wests still in the big time albeit known as Wests Tigers. There is enough "Wests" in the Wests Tigers to keep me happy ..... ie name, magpie on the sleeve, colours etc.

My belief was always that the Magpies died when they agreed to merge in July 1999\. Seeing them in a competition with the likes of Wentworthville, Windsor etc was very demeaning to a once great club. You could argue they weren't dead as they were still playing but the reality is they were merely on a life support system ....... that life support system being Wests Ashfield Leagues Club.

The only part about the march I agree with is getting a better deal for the Macarthur region in terms of a better junior league and more input from Wests Tigers. There is no doubt in my mind 4 NRL games is not enough if they really want to embrace the region and for the people to embrace them. The junior league has not been managed well by Wests Magpies in the 25 years they have been up there. They seemed to have got everyone offside. That needs to be fixed. Hopefully having new people on the new board will help fix those old animosties that have gone on for too long.

The threat posed by GWS and Aussie Rules is not something to be taken lightly. As we have not claimed the Macarthur heartland, it is still very much open to whoever wants to move in on it. I don't think it will be another NRL club but the Aussie Rules threat is very real. I think this is the real reason why Ashfield has decided to move. Hopefully Wests Tigers will see this and move quickly to improve relationships and address the real issues of the Macarthur Region. When its all said and done, the future of the Wests Tigers is the Macarthur Region not the inner west.

 

[Original_Magpie]

its about winning the hearts and minds in the macarthur area and the wests tigers arent doing that because they are so focused on the inner west when the real battle is in the south west

Won't they do that by focusing on the juniors and therefore families in the south west? rather than a state cup that nobody watches?

Get the kids playing in a Magpie Jersey with a Wests tigers emblem on the sleeve, give them free passes to the games, get the players into the schools and you watch the hearts and minds being won over.

The only hearts and minds that aren't being won are a handful of selfish rusted on magpie supporters that can't see a bigger picture or know what a sound business case is.

it really helps when the majority of games are played extremely close to the balmain supporter base.

disolve the wests tigers and see how long balmain last with out the magpies

 

[Yossarian]

Just to clarify…

GWS play in Homebush and train at Rooty Hill? In comparison Wests Tigers play 4 games at Campbelltown and train at Concord.

Apart from their school clinics they're hardly making a big play for Macarthur IMO. Yes the AFL in general is always a threat and yes there will always be people in any area who are interested in the AFL. But they have nowhere near the presence that comes with playing games in the area and having a leagues club. If WT can follow that up with a bigger presence in the local schools and some more PR work in the area, we will easily have GWS covered. I get the feeling that sometimes GWS is used as a smokescreen to achieve long-held goals of some. At the end of the day WT need to worry themselves with what is going to work for them and **all** their supporters.

 

[hammertime]

its about winning the hearts and minds in the macarthur area and the wests tigers arent doing that because they are so focused on the inner west when the real battle is in the south west

Won't they do that by focusing on the juniors and therefore families in the south west? rather than a state cup that nobody watches?

Get the kids playing in a Magpie Jersey with a Wests tigers emblem on the sleeve, give them free passes to the games, get the players into the schools and you watch the hearts and minds being won over.

The only hearts and minds that aren't being won are a handful of selfish rusted on magpie supporters that can't see a bigger picture or know what a sound business case is.

it really helps when the majority of games are played extremely close to the balmain supporter base.

disolve the wests tigers and see how long balmain last with out the magpies

See, this is where the movement doesnt get it. I'm a a Balmain supporter and honestly, I don't care. I'm a wests tigers supporter now. They should also dissolve Balmain in state cup and play under wests tigers! I hope that's what they do so that it's fair.

Honestly, I can't believe that wests still have the same thinking that left them in the bad financial position in the first place where they had no choice but to merge. If they were a bit more business focused, the magpies might still be around today!

After a GF and several great last years, its amazing to me that people are still not follow one banner. we have a great CEO that is trying to do the right thing by the club and grow the supporters in the region by better focusing the funding on juniors.

But some self involved people want to look after their own interests by starting in-fighting. It can only be a negative and possibly derail our 2012 campaign. Just look at what happened to manly, or parra over the last few years.

I have no doubt Stephen will move more games to cambo when it's financially viable. He can't create money from thin air and his first priority needs to be creating a sustainable club without leagues support. Not appeasing a handful of people looking after their own interests.

One club, one voice.

 

[hammertime]

its about winning the hearts and minds in the macarthur area and the wests tigers arent doing that because they are so focused on the inner west when the real battle is in the south west

Won't they do that by focusing on the juniors and therefore families in the south west? rather than a state cup that nobody watches?

Get the kids playing in a Magpie Jersey with a Wests tigers emblem on the sleeve, give them free passes to the games, get the players into the schools and you watch the hearts and minds being won over.

The only hearts and minds that aren't being won are a handful of selfish rusted on magpie supporters that can't see a bigger picture or know what a sound business case is.

Well said Hammer An IOU on some rep points ok

:smiley: thanks happy!

 

[Gary_Bakerloo]

But some self involved people want to look after their own interests by starting in-fighting. It can only be a negative and possibly derail our 2012 campaign. Just look at what happened to manly, or parra over the last few years.

Parra made a GF and Manly won a comp. Perhaps we should fight amongst ourselves more often.

 

[quintus]

I'm with you all the way hammer….Go The mighty Wests Tigers. :sign:

 

[hammertime]

But some self involved people want to look after their own interests by starting in-fighting. It can only be a negative and possibly derail our 2012 campaign. Just look at what happened to manly, or parra over the last few years.

Parra made a GF and Manly won a comp. Perhaps we should fight amongst ourselves more often.

I mean manly this year. Lost hasler. Parras infighting is on and off, this year they only just missed the spoon. I don't want our club to go anywhere near the spoon!!

 

[GNR4LIFE]

But some self involved people want to look after their own interests by starting in-fighting. It can only be a negative and possibly derail our 2012 campaign. Just look at what happened to manly, or parra over the last few years.

Parra made a GF and Manly won a comp. Perhaps we should fight amongst ourselves more often.

I mean manly this year. Lost hasler. Parras infighting is on and off, this year they only just missed the spoon. I don't want our club to go anywhere near the spoon!!

If by self-interests you mean people wanting the Magpies remaining in NSW cup then thats fair enough, but its in the WT's best interest to look after the Liverpool/Macarthur region

 

[GNR4LIFE]

But some self involved people want to look after their own interests by starting in-fighting. It can only be a negative and possibly derail our 2012 campaign. Just look at what happened to manly, or parra over the last few years.

Parra made a GF and Manly won a comp. Perhaps we should fight amongst ourselves more often.

I mean manly this year. Lost hasler. Parras infighting is on and off, this year they only just missed the spoon. I don't want our club to go anywhere near the spoon!!

If by self-interests you mean people wanting the Magpies remaining in NSW cup then thats fair enough, but its in the WT's best interest to look after the Liverpool/Macarthur region

 

[Yossarian]

It's in WT interest to look after BOTH regions we cover…

 

[galahs]

Considering everything is based in the Balmain region, I think they are covering that region quite well mate.

 

[Yossarian]

Considering everything is based in the Balmain region, I think they are covering that region quite well mate.

Moving everything to Macarthur isn't the solution though.

 

[Gary_Bakerloo]

I mean manly this year. Lost hasler. Parras infighting is on and off, this year they only just missed the spoon. I don't want our club to go anywhere near the spoon!!

That's fair enough, no one wants to be near the spoon, but one day it will be our turn.

Does anyone else on this forum think our club is really boring? This whole story lasted a grand total of 3 days. It has vanished from the press thanks to Roy and Wests Ashfield.

Every other club who fights amongst themselves gets at least two weeks of press coverage and could be a midday tv series. We are boring.

 

[hammertime]

But some self involved people want to look after their own interests by starting in-fighting. It can only be a negative and possibly derail our 2012 campaign. Just look at what happened to manly, or parra over the last few years.

Parra made a GF and Manly won a comp. Perhaps we should fight amongst ourselves more often.

I mean manly this year. Lost hasler. Parras infighting is on and off, this year they only just missed the spoon. I don't want our club to go anywhere near the spoon!!

If by self-interests you mean people wanting the Magpies remaining in NSW cup then thats fair enough, but its in the WT's best interest to look after the Liverpool/Macarthur region

They aren't abandoning if they are re-prioritizing from State Cup to the Juniors.

Humpreys will get more games to the local grounds if our membership doesn't grow too big. He only increased it recently. We just need to give it time until we are strong enough financially.

I would like, probably like many others on this forum, to have more games at Cambo (to have more of a presence in GWS). We just can't do it yet.

No one will ever make a decision these days that will send the club towards bankruptcy, like they have in the past. The only logical protest would be to the NRL to maybe subsidize games taken out to the West in order to compete with the AFL.

 

[innsaneink]

Selfish rusted on Magpie supporters hey !!!
I think thats a bit harsh.

For those of us that went through the dark years 1983 - 1985 …. it looked for all money that the end of the road had come then. It was only through having Rick Wayde in charge that Wests were able to get through those years. Plus the fact if Campbelltown wasn't in need of a Rugby League we would have been gone back then as well. In addition to that, how we survived through the Super League years I don't know either. We were the worst in almost all facets on the Leagues criteria to remain in the competition. If it wasn't for Balmain, we would have next to no identity as Canterbury would have taken us over and done everything to favour the Bulldogs.

So for those now claiming about the identity of the Magpies and considering where we have been in the last 30 years, I am more than happy and indeed very grateful to see a team named Wests still in the big time albeit known as Wests Tigers. There is enough "Wests" in the Wests Tigers to keep me happy ..... ie name, magpie on the sleeve, colours etc.

My belief was always that the Magpies died when they agreed to merge in July 1999\. Seeing them in a competition with the likes of Wentworthville, Windsor etc was very demeaning to a once great club. You could argue they weren't dead as they were still playing but the reality is they were merely on a life support system ....... that life support system being Wests Ashfield Leagues Club.

The only part about the march I agree with is getting a better deal for the Macarthur region in terms of a better junior league and more input from Wests Tigers. There is no doubt in my mind 4 NRL games is not enough if they really want to embrace the region and for the people to embrace them. The junior league has not been managed well by Wests Magpies in the 25 years they have been up there. They seemed to have got everyone offside. That needs to be fixed. Hopefully having new people on the new board will help fix those old animosties that have gone on for too long.

The threat posed by GWS and Aussie Rules is not something to be taken lightly. As we have not claimed the Macarthur heartland, it is still very much open to whoever wants to move in on it. I don't think it will be another NRL club but the Aussie Rules threat is very real. I think this is the real reason why Ashfield has decided to move. Hopefully Wests Tigers will see this and move quickly to improve relationships and address the real issues of the Macarthur Region. When its all said and done, the future of the Wests Tigers is the Macarthur Region not the inner west.

Great post Bob…yes I agree....it is demeaning in a way

They had Tommy on 2KYs Sports Sunday yesterday morning...he said he played from 69 and coached up til 99...and in all the time he was there it was such a proud terrific club but with an admin that had absolutely no idea, no clue..were useless....something my dad would mutter to himself whenever we'd drive past the club when I was a kid.

 

[Goose]

Hammer and Knuckles, excellent posts.

Knuckles you are spot on with Wests living on through the West Tigers, as do Balmain.

If the side is called NSW cup West Tigers, trains at Concord (which is necessary) plays in alternating strips and plays half the games (or more) at campbelltown, would that allay some concerns of the West faithful

 

[galahs]

I've been asked this and it is an interesting question.

"How does west tigers plan on affiliating themselves to nsw cup in 2013 when the nswrl constitution states clubs must be a district rugby league club, yet wests tigers are a private company , or will balmain live on at the expense of the magpies ?"

 

[Guest]

its about winning the hearts and minds in the macarthur area and the wests tigers arent doing that because they are so focused on the inner west when the real battle is in the south west

Won't they do that by focusing on the juniors and therefore families in the south west? rather than a state cup that nobody watches?

Get the kids playing in a Magpie Jersey with a Wests tigers emblem on the sleeve, give them free passes to the games, get the players into the schools and you watch the hearts and minds being won over.

The only hearts and minds that aren't being won are a handful of selfish rusted on magpie supporters that can't see a bigger picture or know what a sound business case is.

it really helps when the majority of games are played extremely close to the balmain supporter base.

disolve the wests tigers and see how long balmain last with out the magpies

Yet another idiotic comment which shows how out of touch with reality you really are. Disolve the Wests Tigers…Yeah, like that's going to happen, and it's hardly the topic of this thread.

This thread isn't about saving Balmain, management on that side of the joint venture has at least seen the writing on the wall and are prepared to align with the Wests Tigers at a State Cup level.

The thread is about Wests, so why don't you try sticking to that instead of trying to make it yet another Balmain V Wests thread. That's not what this thread is about and consider this your last warning before you're placed on mod preview.

 

[tonyc]

I totally agree with the comments made by Knuckles & I voted for Wests to merge with Balmain. But please be honest that if Balmain didn't get into bed with Wests where would they be now … Parramatta Tigers playing at Parramatta Stadium & Wests would have been gone as Wests were never going to merge with Canterbury. Lets get back to the original intention of the merger of preserving the history of both clubs, being FAIR & GOING FORWARD. Nothing less.