The argument for fully embracing the Macarthur as home for the Wests Tigers.

OP has asked a provocative question. I'm not going to speculate as too why.

My response to the provocative question: why would we? how would the club be better off? what would be different to the present?

Cold hard statistics over 27 seasons would suggest the idea is not a good one.

104 games played at Campbelltown.

40 wins, 63 losses, 1 draw.

38.46% win rate

Compare that to the Leichhardt record.

106 games played there (OMG they've had two more games! How'd that happen?)

61 wins, 44 losses, 1 draw.

57.55% win rate

What win rates gets you into the finals? This is what got you into 8th spot in the last ten years:

2025 - 54.17%
2024 - 50.00%
2023 - 54.17%
2022 - 58.33%
2021 - 41.66%
2020 - 50.00%
2019 - 45.83%
2018 - 62.50%
2017 - 54.17%
2016 - 45.83%

Play fulltime at Campbelltown, you miss the eight every single year.

Play fulltime at Leichhardt, you play finals football 80% of the time.

Now remember, past performance is no guarantee of future performance.

Now before I get howled down for wanting to play all our home games at Leichardt, I am not suggesting that we do such a thing, though logic would suggest that the idea has merit.

I must say though, this whole Balmain/Wests thing is getting rather tiresome. You'd think that after 27 years it would have been put to bed by now. I suspect that the lack of success is the prime reason why it still festers.

My Dad was a dyed in the wool Balmain man. His best mate (and my Godfather) was a dyed in the wool Wests man. I just want success.

I am in my 60th year. 4 Grand finals. My Godfather's son, 1 GF.

What an utterly sad state of affairs.
 
shiretiger said:
OP has asked a provocative question. I'm not going to speculate as too why.

My response to the provocative question: why would we? how would the club be better off? what would be different to the present?

Cold hard statistics over 27 seasons would suggest the idea is not a good one.

104 games played at Campbelltown.

40 wins, 63 losses, 1 draw.

38.46% win rate

Compare that to the Leichhardt record.

106 games played there (OMG they've had two more games! How'd that happen?)

61 wins, 44 losses, 1 draw.

57.55% win rate

What win rates gets you into the finals? This is what got you into 8th spot in the last ten years:

2025 - 54.17%
2024 - 50.00%
2023 - 54.17%
2022 - 58.33%
2021 - 41.66%
2020 - 50.00%
2019 - 45.83%
2018 - 62.50%
2017 - 54.17%
2016 - 45.83%

Play fulltime at Campbelltown, you miss the eight every single year.

Play fulltime at Leichhardt, you play finals football 80% of the time.

Now remember, past performance is no guarantee of future performance.

Now before I get howled down for wanting to play all our home games at Leichardt, I am not suggesting that we do such a thing, though logic would suggest that the idea has merit.

I must say though, this whole Balmain/Wests thing is getting rather tiresome. You'd think that after 27 years it would have been put to bed by now. I suspect that the lack of success is the prime reason why it still festers.

My Dad was a dyed in the wool Balmain man. His best mate (and my Godfather) was a dyed in the wool Wests man. I just want success.

I am in my 60th year. 4 Grand finals. My Godfather's son, 1 GF.

What an utterly sad state of affairs.
Click to expand...
In fairness, you'd need that record on your away games too so finals definitely no guaranteed with a 57% home record.

If this point is going to be made - and I make it all the time, so i agree with you, it has to be objective by taking into consideration away games - might be a good exercise to see which years we ended up with a decent away record - none immediately jump out at me in the last 5 years.
 
weststigers said:
In fairness, you'd need that record on your away games too so finals definitely no guaranteed with a 57% home record.
Click to expand...

100%.

Our away record for the last decade:

2025 33.3%
2024 8.3%
2023 16.7%
2022 16.7%
2021 25%
2020 40%
2019 33.3%
2018 41.7%
2017 33.3%
2016 41.7%

Play Campbeltown + best away season = 12*0.3846 + 12*0.417 = 10 wins (rounded up) = finals 1 year in 10

Play Leichhardt + best away season = 12*0.5755 + 12*0.417 = 12 wins (rounded up) = finals 5 years in 10.

2010 & 2011 our away WR was 58.3%. If you are winning at that rate away, you are winning higher at home. We really should have won both those years.
 
diedpretty said:
Its all about tv these days - nrl don't care, tv and streaming services don't care
Click to expand...
Agreed the NRL do not care - especially about the tigers.

In business terms the NRL demonstrated that clearly with the first Las Vegas year and the teams the NRL showcased first.

That's compounded, with the NRL scheduling too - tigers round 1 bye twice in 2-3 years and the titans getting the other opening round bye is not a coincidence. As a business you put your best products out on opening day.

That's why @diedpretty I asked:

1. what conditions created this messy business structure (lack of clear defined goals of the business), - where the administration continues to ignore the club ( then intervening when O'Farrell was fired - that tells you the NRL intervene in some circumstances - then we need to ask : How does O'Farrell's (Wests Tigers) firing affect the NRL?

2. that leads to Q2, what standard is acceptable before institutions intervene?
How much damage to their product is acceptable before intervention?

I think the NRL needed to hire an independent dude/ consultant to oversee the merger. The NRL didn't.

The above arguments of local ground win rates, locations, populations and pokies and which board sits where are all downstream problems of where the real issue/power rests - the NRL itself (the administrators) are the problem.
 
When O’Farrell was fired, do you guys happen to know who the replacement was? Or going to be?

the person HBG planned to appoint would reveal the boards structural plans for the club while also simultaneously showing why it was a risk for the NRL - I suppose the other firings also contributed to NRL intervening too but the payload is the Billy Ofarrell firing and re-hire
 
Last edited:
trentrunciman said:
When O’Farrell was fired, do you guys happen to know who the replacement was? Or going to be?

the person HBG planned to appoint would reveal the boards structural plans for the club while also simultaneously showing why it was a risk for the NRL - I suppose the other firings also contributed to NRL intervening too but the payload is the Billy Ofarrell firing and re-hire
Click to expand...
Im not sure if they got that far, it was never publicised.
There were only 10 days between the board being blown up and Bazza returning
 
trentrunciman said:
When O’Farrell was fired, do you guys happen to know who the replacement was? Or going to be?

the person HBG planned to appoint would reveal the boards structural plans for the club while also simultaneously showing why it was a risk for the NRL - I suppose the other firings also contributed to NRL intervening too but the payload is the Billy Ofarrell firing and re-hire
Click to expand...
Ben Elias mate
Edit: they also considered Dennis Burgess & Leo Eqifania
 
diedpretty said:
so would i until i looked up the financial reports of both - wests macarthur group has greater income and net profit and absolutely smashes hbg with net assets. i was quite surprised.
Click to expand...
Ashfield would spend more on community grants wouldnt they? Wonder if that factors into it?
Cambo shits on Ashfield anyway… I prefer it out there - just assumed Ashfield made more?
 
Yeah i dunno...Mestrov and Elias' names both dropped roughly the same.time from.memory...nek minnit Bazzs back

Doesnt make sense Ashfield.appointing Elias and a manly stooge...might be wrong

I usually start to switch off when we have these bi-annual cock ups
 
innsaneink said:
Yeah i dunno...Mestrov and Elias' names both dropped roughly the same.time from.memory...nek minnit Bazzs back

Doesnt make sense Ashfield.appointing Elias and a manly stooge...might be wrong

I usually start to switch off when we have these bi-annual cock ups
Click to expand...
Just surface view Elias would have more club interests than say ofarrell?

I went down the rabbit hole of why Marino Go had a limited term but Barry Ofarrell doesn’t then looked at:

- Ofarrell and racing Australia vs the NRL penguin dude and his racing NSW link but that was weak (I think)

So I’ll keep going
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 2,016 (members: 14, guests: 2,002)
Back
Top