Roar_Power
Well-known member
Has been released.
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
- Start date
Tiger Stripes
Well-known member
What position does he play 'n his age.
Not shown in any GF team on the weekend?
Most reports I've seen say just short of 1.1mil in the final year but still over a mil. The key thing is most reports also have his first year of that deal at 600k.
At the top end of reporting your 900k per year total looks right at the bottom end it looks about 750-800k.
Fair to say he probably didn't produce to either level, at least not with any regularity.
Meh they were incompetent but I'd also suggest making plainly BS statements speaks volumes about you.
wstigers11
Well-known member
Holman Barnes Group investigation: Liquor and Gaming NSW investigates Wests Tigers owner over debenture system
The owner of Wests Tigers is facing a fresh investigation into a decades-old system that gives 20 people effective control of a $100 million leagues club operation and the NRL joint venture.
The Holman Barnes Group has a 90 per cent stake in the Tigers and holds the balance of power on the NRL team’s board, as well as running the Wests Ashfield club.
It has been plagued by internal strife during the past 18 months, with four directors axed and banned for a combined 23 years at the poker machine empire.
HBG was cleared by Liquor and Gaming NSW in July after an initial probe into a complaint of board misconduct and governance failures at the organisation, which was formerly known as Western Suburbs Leagues Club.
However, the state’s clubs regulator said it was investigating again.
“Liquor and Gaming NSW is looking into complaints between December 2025 and January 2026 about the Western Suburbs Leagues Club,” a spokesperson said.
“These complaints relate to the operation of a debenture system and the club’s compliance with the Registered Clubs Act 1976.
“As these inquiries are ongoing, no further comment can be made at this stage.”
A HBG spokesperson said it had “complied with all requests from Liquor and Gaming NSW dating back to late 2024, providing detailed responses and supporting information to their satisfaction”.
“We were informed last year that there was no further action to be taken at the time,” the spokesperson said.
“Any subsequent complaints appear to be an extension of the scope of the original complaints, and we will be treating those in full co-operation with the regulator. We take all such matters with utmost professional compliance and will act in accordance with all regulatory requirements.”
HBG is believed to be the only registered club in NSW to continue to operate such a system, in which five of seven board positions must be filled by 20 so-called debenture holders and the club’s 28,500 members can only vote on the remaining two spots.
The system originated in 1955 with founding members issued with debentures in return for providing $100 each to get the club off the ground.
The debentures are non-transferrable. HBG said they could not be assigned, sold or passed on, including to a relative after a holder’s death, and vacancies were filled by a process in which candidates were considered by a selection committee and the board had final approval. The selection committee is appointed by the board.
Liquor and Gaming NSW last year found the debenture system “to be lawful and not to confer any unlawful or undue advantage to members”.
But it is under the microscope again following a year of upheaval in 2025 in which HBG chair Julie Romero was ousted in a boardroom coup and long-time chief executive Simon Cook also departed.
In December, HBG then axed Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell and three other Tigers independent directors, who had been installed after a governance review and had held the majority on the board.
HBG cited inadequate communication as their reason for intervening before reinstating the independent directors at the request of the NRL.
But HBG’s representation on the board was increased, ensuring it has the numbers to call the shots despite former NSW premier O’Farrell being chairman.
According to corporate records only two of the independents – O’Farrell and Michelle McDowell – still sit on what is now an eight-member Tigers board.
Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson, who had delivered the club’s first profit in a decade, quit in response to the board shake-up, walking away with a seven-figure payout after just 18 months of a four-year contract.
HBG also settled late last year with former director Rick Wayde after he brought Supreme Court action against it.
Asked about the cost of legal fees and payouts during the past year, the HBG spokesperson said it “does not publicly disclose commercially sensitive information, including legal costs or employment-related payments, unless required to do so under applicable law or regulatory obligations, which in this case it is not required to do so”.
The Tigers in December also extended the contract of head coach Benji Marshall until the end of 2030.
Marshall’s Tigers have begun the season impressively, defeating the high-flying New Zealand Warriors in Auckland last Friday to rise to third place before their Easter Monday contest against Parramatta at CommBank Stadium.
The owner of Wests Tigers is facing a fresh investigation into a decades-old system that gives 20 people effective control of a $100 million leagues club operation and the NRL joint venture.
The Holman Barnes Group has a 90 per cent stake in the Tigers and holds the balance of power on the NRL team’s board, as well as running the Wests Ashfield club.
It has been plagued by internal strife during the past 18 months, with four directors axed and banned for a combined 23 years at the poker machine empire.
HBG was cleared by Liquor and Gaming NSW in July after an initial probe into a complaint of board misconduct and governance failures at the organisation, which was formerly known as Western Suburbs Leagues Club.
However, the state’s clubs regulator said it was investigating again.
“Liquor and Gaming NSW is looking into complaints between December 2025 and January 2026 about the Western Suburbs Leagues Club,” a spokesperson said.
“These complaints relate to the operation of a debenture system and the club’s compliance with the Registered Clubs Act 1976.
“As these inquiries are ongoing, no further comment can be made at this stage.”
A HBG spokesperson said it had “complied with all requests from Liquor and Gaming NSW dating back to late 2024, providing detailed responses and supporting information to their satisfaction”.
“We were informed last year that there was no further action to be taken at the time,” the spokesperson said.
“Any subsequent complaints appear to be an extension of the scope of the original complaints, and we will be treating those in full co-operation with the regulator. We take all such matters with utmost professional compliance and will act in accordance with all regulatory requirements.”
HBG is believed to be the only registered club in NSW to continue to operate such a system, in which five of seven board positions must be filled by 20 so-called debenture holders and the club’s 28,500 members can only vote on the remaining two spots.
The system originated in 1955 with founding members issued with debentures in return for providing $100 each to get the club off the ground.
The debentures are non-transferrable. HBG said they could not be assigned, sold or passed on, including to a relative after a holder’s death, and vacancies were filled by a process in which candidates were considered by a selection committee and the board had final approval. The selection committee is appointed by the board.
Liquor and Gaming NSW last year found the debenture system “to be lawful and not to confer any unlawful or undue advantage to members”.
But it is under the microscope again following a year of upheaval in 2025 in which HBG chair Julie Romero was ousted in a boardroom coup and long-time chief executive Simon Cook also departed.
In December, HBG then axed Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell and three other Tigers independent directors, who had been installed after a governance review and had held the majority on the board.
HBG cited inadequate communication as their reason for intervening before reinstating the independent directors at the request of the NRL.
But HBG’s representation on the board was increased, ensuring it has the numbers to call the shots despite former NSW premier O’Farrell being chairman.
According to corporate records only two of the independents – O’Farrell and Michelle McDowell – still sit on what is now an eight-member Tigers board.
Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson, who had delivered the club’s first profit in a decade, quit in response to the board shake-up, walking away with a seven-figure payout after just 18 months of a four-year contract.
HBG also settled late last year with former director Rick Wayde after he brought Supreme Court action against it.
Asked about the cost of legal fees and payouts during the past year, the HBG spokesperson said it “does not publicly disclose commercially sensitive information, including legal costs or employment-related payments, unless required to do so under applicable law or regulatory obligations, which in this case it is not required to do so”.
The Tigers in December also extended the contract of head coach Benji Marshall until the end of 2030.
Marshall’s Tigers have begun the season impressively, defeating the high-flying New Zealand Warriors in Auckland last Friday to rise to third place before their Easter Monday contest against Parramatta at CommBank Stadium.
supercoach
Well-known member
The more eyes that are focusing on The HBG and their shonky debenture system the better. I hope the investigation forces massive change to how the board are elected and how they operate. At present they can hide behind Benji and the teams efforts and escape the attention they should be getting
balmain boy
Well-known member
Jolls
Well-known member
They conveniently leave out the detail that the HBG Board is separate to the Wests Tigers Board to show unrest in the footy side of things. I do hope that the debenture system gets kicked into touch though - such an archaic system that has outlived its usefulness. Probably the saem clowns that want us investing $ into a rival sport as apposed to Rugby League - don't see that written anywhere in the consitiution.
He is 14/15.
Only a matter of time before people say its fine to lose nrl players because we have juniors like this
hammertime
Well-known member
"HBG is believed to be the only registered club in NSW to continue to operate such a system"
That says it all. Also, while they mention that the debenture holding cannot be passed on, the system ensures that debenture holders vote in the new debenture holders. Burgess husband & wife, both being holders, is an example of how nepotism can creep in.
It's a system that is easily corrupted. I hope L&G manages to join the dots, but I don't hold out much hope.
hammertime
Well-known member
It's not really seperate though mate in reality. It was, but they've reverted the changes.
Jolls
Well-known member
Yes true, but the issues realte to how the HBG board is run specifically - the WT one is a subordinate board that as "owners" HBG can do with as they please.
Tito Santana
Well-known member
Ah ok. What was BS from me?
Is that you Brooksy?
I’m sure Brendan Tumeth can get you a job at Bunnings - maybe in the barbecue section?
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
So we are signing who?
Read it a couple of times and can't see the link to the topic
wstigers11
Well-known member
Sorry mate they’ve closed the HBG related threads
hammertime
Well-known member
Too much impact on the servers! More news there than signings...
The BS was the comment I responded to. Specifically "We didn’t even need to pay him his “unders”. No one wanted him". Call him shit if you want you're entitled to the opinion and it's shared by many, even by some on here who sometimes actually have well informed opinions.
To suggest no one wanted him when he was signed is clearly wrong.
It was immediately following his Dally M year and there were reports of several clubs chasing him. Top of the list were that years premiers looking towards life after Cronk. Dogs, Raiders, Eels, Dragons, Warriors were all linked to him at some point before he re-signed. Even following 4 more ordinary years here, he still had no issues finding another club.
Share your opinions and your shitty jokes that have all the originality of a potato all you like but I don't understand the need to add the BS on top.
hank37w
Well-known member
I defy anyone to deny that we are on the up.
hank37w
Well-known member
My first thought was that if they are brothers there must be a bit of an age difference, I'm thinking Manu must be at least 40 these days.
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