SMH Article 'We’ve lost faith in them’: Balmain consider shock exit from Wests Tigers merger

[SwervinMervin]

How do you think people like Baird, Perrottet, Berejiklian and other ex-Premiers get salaried jobs after politics? They are interviewed. It shouldn't be above BOF.

No one should be above scrutiny. The problem in this case though is that the ones doing the scrutinizing / interviewing BOF are completely out of their depth and under qualified for the offices they hold. If you check out their profiles and professional backgrounds, there is not much firepower. They would be more suited to running the social club or a junior sporting team

 

[Buttface]

Honestly, I was not a fan of Benny. But there was nothing he said today that made me believe he was putting himself before the club. He thought it was ridiculous that Balmain would split itself off.

This whole HBG and directors thing is as important, if not more important, than who we sign in the offseason.

I am hardly an insider but a few drinks with Benny today and my employment history with Romero gives me a little bit of insight. Benny’s won me over but Romero is severely under qualified to be chairman of the board imo. I reckon I could do a better job on the board! I am a qualified professional and run my own business with decent contacts. Would anyone vote for me? Someone? Anyone? I have had plenty of beers today….

You’d have a forum of voters at moment Wiz.
Thanks for your insights on what you know and about Benny.
I haven’t had the highest opinion of him due to an unsavoury meeting many years ago and what I’d read about with his dealings with Balmain financially. It’s good to hear that it seems like he has the club’s interests at heart. Tigers 4 life.
Wiz for PM!

 

[coivtny]

No one should be above scrutiny. The problem in this case though is that the ones doing the scrutinizing / interviewing BOF are completely out of their depth and under qualified for the offices they hold. If you check out their profiles and professional backgrounds, there is not much firepower. They would be more suited to running the social club or a junior sporting team

I'd agree if it was anyone on the WT board but, normally in situations like this, you are interviewed by the executive recruitment agency. It's not unusual.

 

[Chipofftheoldblock]

start by getting Wests Tigers in ALL grades

I am a Balmain junior and played in the junior reps up to Jersey Flegg/Presidents Cup and while I will always be Balmain, I am in this day and age Wests Tigers through and through.
I totally agree with this concept at least with Reserve grade and Jersey Flegg.
Anything below those grades that should be feeding into that concept while still having an identity within Balmain and Western Suburbs like SG Ball and below.
Respect the past, embrace the future.

 

[Chipofftheoldblock]

There doesn't seem to be much rotation of personnel on the HBG board, and that's an issue in itself. Romero and Burgess are debenture holders along with 3 other board members. So they're not member elected and remain there because they paid to be there. Only two board members are member elected, and most likely are re-elected unless others are nominated and are bothered to be prominent in a campaign.

View attachment 15075

I thought the the bulldogs had the worst board members but ours take the cake.
Some of the most inept people to ever grace a football club.
Is John Dorahy still on the board??

 

[Spartan117]

This is one of the stupidest ideas I have heard ever.

Balmain director should be embarrassed.

Go away - Tigers are on the rise

 

[coivtny]

I am a Balmain junior and played in the junior reps up to Jersey Flegg/Presidents Cup and while I will always be Balmain, I am in this day and age Wests Tigers through and through.
I totally agree with this concept at least with Reserve grade and Jersey Flegg.
Anything below those grades that should be feeding into that concept while still having an identity within Balmain and Western Suburbs like SG Ball and below.
Respect the past, embrace the future.

Good post.

 

[twentyforty]

He was not earmarked for getting the boot before the review, that is unfair on the guys that conducted the review.

Fair enough, but no more unfair than discarding the review?

 

[cochise]

There doesn't seem to be much rotation of personnel on the HBG board, and that's an issue in itself. Romero and Burgess are debenture holders along with 3 other board members. So they're not member elected and remain there because they paid to be there. Only two board members are member elected, and most likely are re-elected unless others are nominated and are bothered to be prominent in a campaign.

View attachment 15075

Also the 2 member elected board members were the ones that drove through the review.

 

[tiger_one]

I don’t know if they ever announced the full recommendations but I think the biggest one atm is the board was reduced to Barry O’Farrell, and a representative from each of HBG, Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies. And they were supposed to add 4 new independent board members by May but they still haven’t.

Thanks @CTownTiger - clear and precise.
And first post too.
Welcome aboard.

 

[Chunk]

Not a Balmain or Wests thing but lets get real. Wests haven't been able to run anything 'successfully' for the past 60 years and still can't.

Even with a huge leagues club, the Tigers brand and tonnes of juniors.

And it still seems the inner city mob still don't like Campbelltown.

Is it any coincidence the West Tigers demise started around the same time of HBG.

 

[cochise]

Can someone list the recommendations?

The key recommendations that are relevant at the moment are the changes to the Wests Tigers Constitution, the adoption of the skills matrix for the directors and the appointment of the independent directors.

Other recommendations include the Strategic Plan, a Plan for the South West, and a Stadium Policy.

I'm hopeful that in the next month we should see progress on these recommendations, if we don't it will be time to take action again.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Could have waited until our seasons
over and we dodge this spoon FFS.

Should never had happened in the first place. Now or then.

 

[Todd Packer]

Not a Balmain or Wests thing but lets get real. Wests haven't been able to run anything 'successfully' for the past 60 years and still can't.

Even with a huge leagues club, the Tigers brand and tonnes of juniors.

And it still seems the inner city mob still don't like Campbelltown.

Is it any coincidence the West Tigers demise started around the same time of HBG.

Funny post.
"It's not a Wests or Balamain thing" but I'll rubbish Wests ha ha.
Balmain went successfully broke and Wests bailed them out, that's why Wests (HBG) run the show.

This thread serves no purpose and only perpetuates the nostalgic ravings of a man reaching the end of his life journey desperately trying to re live the glories of the past.

While I can relate to that I'm not delusional enough to expect it to happen like Gary Leo is.

 

[Chunk]

Funny post.
"It's not a Wests or Balamain thing" but I'll rubbish Wests ha ha.
Balmain went successfully broke and Wests bailed them out, that's why Wests (HBG) run the show.

This thread serves no purpose and only perpetuates the nostalgic ravings of man reaching the end of his life journey desperately trying to re live the glories of the past.

While I can relate to that I'm not delusional enough to expect it to happen like Gary Leo is.

What I've written is fact.

Yes I agree Balmain certainly had troubles, hence the merger.

What about HBG and the south west

And what about everything else they have stuffed up

I love the Wests Tigers btw

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2024/08/31/tigers-an-endangered-species-clubs-with-good-governance-dont-continually-suffer-self-inflicted-wounds/

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Not a Balmain or Wests thing but lets get real. Wests haven't been able to run anything 'successfully' for the past 60 years and still can't.

Even with a huge leagues club, the Tigers brand and tonnes of juniors.

And it still seems the inner city mob still don't like Campbelltown.

Is it any coincidence the West Tigers demise started around the same time of HBG.

What demise are we talking about? The club has made the finals 3 times in nearly 25 seasons. Before that, Wests made the finals only 3 times in the 90’s and Balmain not since 1990. Where were we before to have fallen so far that it could be considered a “demise”? Outside of one outlying season, this club and its parents have always been a mess

 

[Chunk]

What demise are we talking about? The club has made the finals 3 times in nearly 25 seasons. Before that, Wests made the finals only 3 times in the 90’s and Balmain not since 1990. Again, where is the demise? Outside of one outlying season, this club and its parents have always been a mess

Yes this is true, maybe my emotions are getting the better of me but since 2012

 

[liltiger]

This is one of the stupidest ideas I have heard ever.

Balmain director should be embarrassed.

Go away - Tigers are on the rise

Agree Spartan, the worrying part for me is if the leaked emails are correct the Balmain directors are concerned the review recommendations are not going to be put into effect. Imo the only way Wests Tigers can be run as an individual entity without factions is if we are privatised. The N.R.L can intervene and force 10 independant board members but there will always be the Balmain and Wests interest groups. After the cretins from hbg have come back into the boardroom. After the Balmain moron came out saying we should split I'm solidly of the opinion the best thing for the Wests Tigers would be privatisation.

 

[BZN]

It’s clear now that Balmain aren’t the issue it’s the Magpies. I’m gonna be honest and say I was wrong about it but it’s now clear that the HBG are a bunch of self interested rats. It’s been reported that due to a change in directors the Holman Barnes Group want to reverse the suggestions made by the last review, including the reappointment of Barry O’Farrell. It’s also been reported that a high ranking official at the WESTS TIGERS NOT BALMAIN has went to the NRL with concerns about the HBG actions. Sickening.

Wow!!! Lots of hate for the Magpies going on here dude. And I'm interested to know who this high ranking official is that 'has went' to the NRL.