OFFICIAL Wests Tigers Unite: Call to Arms

[cdinoz007]

By thinking they're competent in running an NRL club and Flooding the Wests Tigers board as
well with their leagues 'Club' Board Members.

They've have run a mostly shit football team for 25 years and won us the second most Wooden Spoons in that time, Have the 2nd worst winning percentage of all the Current NRL Clubs (Behind the Titans who've played Finals more than us),
We've have made the finals the least amount of times in the NRL era.
I would hazard a guess we've also had the most coaches of any NRL club in the last decade?

They're embarrassing themselves by involving themselves in a role running an NRL club when it's bleatingly obvious they're not qualified.

"they" havent run a .... football team for 25 years.

"they" have only been in control of the football club since around 2020

Yes, in that time WTs have ended up with the wooden spoon, but if you look at what is actually going on at HBG right now, there are 2 board members who have managed to ingratiate themselves into the leagues club, the Magpies, the holding company and the WTs board... those two gents who actually had near god like power across those organisations have now gone.

The club has been unsuccesful for 22 out of our 25 year history. Putting all that blame onto the board of HBG is disengenious and also laughable.

 

[cdinoz007]

Because they're run by unqualified buffoons who shoot their mouth off and just want to make themselves seem important. The recent bans are a the perfect example of how none of them, the banned or the banners should have any role in a professional organisation. They behave like they're auditioning for an upcoming release of Mean Girls.

Wests Ashfield has poker machines. That's it. The board have done nothing to make the club profitable, just encouraged locals to throw away their income in horrific gambling addictions. What will Wests Ashfield do when the government cracks down on pokies? There's a reason Richo is trying to make the club financially sustainable and remove the need for the < $1mil contribution they currently provide.

You have never spoken to anyone at HBG at all have you?

I had conversations way back in 2017 with Simon at Ashfield. Even back then his comments were "we need to make Wests Tigers as self sustainable as we possily can. We cannot rely on leagues club monies to fund the football club"

Thats not a Richo policy.

That has come from the Holman Barnes Group. And several years back.

If you speak to anyone involved from Ashfield when they first bailed Balmain out (to the tune of $8.5m in 2016) you would know that.

But apparently, they are "unqualified"... Go Figure

 

[cdinoz007]

I was looking to signup as a member, however their ONLY form of paying to become a member was to put my full credit card, expiry and cvc details on to a piece of paper and email or post it to them! Highly unprofessional, possibly even illegal these days. Anyone could intercept this and use my card as they like, totally unsecure. This may have been ok in the 80s or 90s but things have come a long way since then however both Balmain and Wests haven't.

Just another reason why neither should have anything to do with a professional club other than token legend history events with punters. Have a beer with blocker etc.

I dont know what web pages you were on, but HBG is an electronic form with a payment gateway, and Balmain Football Club is a Wix built page with a "thanks for the enquiry, we will get back to you"

HBG:

https://odma.cherryhub.com.au/?data=LzY5MDAwMTU0NzM2L2Zvcm1zLzY5MDAwMTU0NzM2LjAvbzk3M1NrNHl1V0VvV3dNS0dha3lhR203Nmk1U0l6WWQ%3d

Balmain:

Membership | Balmain Tigers 1908

www.balmaintigers1908.com.au

Which page were you referring to which requested you to email them your details?

 

[batboy]

"they" havent run a .... football team for 25 years.

"they" have only been in control of the football club since around 2020

Yes, in that time WTs have ended up with the wooden spoon, but if you look at what is actually going on at HBG right now, there are 2 board members who have managed to ingratiate themselves into the leagues club, the Magpies, the holding company and the WTs board... those two gents who actually had near god like power across those organisations have now gone.

The club has been unsuccesful for 22 out of our 25 year history. Putting all that blame onto the board of HBG is disengenious and also laughable.

Those Debenture blazers must come with free Teflon do they?

I'm not blaming the HBG Board, I'm blaming the idiots they've nominated to the WT's Board (And continue to do so until this day) over our existence.

Your repeated efforts to separate the 2 Boards despite them being majority of the same persons isn't lost on anyone.
There's one question I've asked repeatedly, No one seems to be able to answer....

How does a Dennis Burgess who stood down from the WT's board at his own acceptance of not being fit for the role (Unanimously Decided was the term Richo used maybe?)
Be Re-Instated to the role less than 12 months later?
Did he do a TAFE Course to get him up to scratch?

For the life of me, I don't understand how one Christmas he says after however many years, I agree i shouldn't be here - Then has a change of heart less than 12 months later.

How long has he been on the WT's board exactly? He's been showing up in his Sundays best for as long as I can remember...

 

[cochise]

"they" havent run a .... football team for 25 years.

"they" have only been in control of the football club since around 2020

Yes, in that time WTs have ended up with the wooden spoon, but if you look at what is actually going on at HBG right now, there are 2 board members who have managed to ingratiate themselves into the leagues club, the Magpies, the holding company and the WTs board... those two gents who actually had near god like power across those organisations have now gone.

The club has been unsuccesful for 22 out of our 25 year history. Putting all that blame onto the board of HBG is disengenious and also laughable.

The entire ownership group is a dysfunctional mess and the Wests Tigers needs to be allowed to have a setup that separates it from the ownership group.

 

[cdinoz007]

Those Debenture blazers must come with free Teflon do they?

I'm not blaming the HBG Board, I'm blaming the idiots they've nominated to the WT's Board (And continue to do so until this day) over our existence.

Your repeated efforts to separate the 2 Boards despite them being majority of the same persons isn't lost on anyone.
There's one question I've asked repeatedly, No one seems to be able to answer....

How does a Dennis Burgess who stood down from the WT's board at his own acceptance of not being fit for the role (Unanimously Decided was the term Richo used maybe?)
Be Re-Instated to the role less than 12 months later?
Did he do a TAFE Course to get him up to scratch?

For the life of me, I don't understand how one Christmas he says after however many years, I agree i shouldn't be here - Then has a change of heart less than 12 months later.

How long has he been on the WT's board exactly? He's been showing up in his Sundays best for as long as I can remember...

I dont know where the quote came from about Denny Burgess stepping down as he thought he was unfit. I cannot recall him saying that.

If you know something we dont, can you share?

What we do know though is Denny was appointed to the board of WTs 26/07/2017 - this was AFTER the NRL had appointed a temporary board when Balmain defaulted on their payments.

Denny stepped down I assume following the commencement of the inquiry / review when ALL the board stepped down.

I know he was then re-appointed on the 24/07/2024, as he was the nomination from Wests Magpies football club (as their chair) as their rep on the reformed WTs board.

Note: that he was only appointed after Balmain re-appointed Stapleton (or actually more correct, he never stood down at all - he was appointed on 31/10/2016 - after the reformation of the board after Balmain defaulted).

Again, Denny isnt my personal choice - but there you go.

Oh...and on the current WTs board, only ONE director is nominated by the HBG - that being Stephen Montgomery.

But given the entire WTs club over the years has had nominees from both sides who were unqualified (just look back over 25 years at how the boards were appointed prior to 2016) - its harsh to only be critical of one side!

 

[cdinoz007]

The entire ownership group is a dysfunctional mess and the Wests Tigers needs to be allowed to have a setup that separates it from the ownership group.

So "dysfunctional" that they agreed to bail out Balmain to the tune of $11.5m over two payments between 2016 and 2021 and saved Wests Tigers and provided a home for the Balmain Tigers history to remain.

I may not like some of the management team at HBG, and yes, aware that pokies are a lifeblood of ANY club - but they really arent as dysfunctional as you want to think they are.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

The entire ownership group is a dysfunctional mess and the Wests Tigers needs to be allowed to have a setup that separates it from the ownership group.

Isn't that what the independent directors will achieve

 

[cdinoz007]

Isn't that what the independent directors will achieve

Thats the recommendation.

We will have 1 nominee from Balmain, 1 nominee from Magpies, 1 nominee from HBG and then 4 independant directors (one of whom is more than likely going to be Mr O'Farrell as Chair).

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Thats the recommendation.

We will have 1 nominee from Balmain, 1 nominee from Magpies, 1 nominee from HBG and then 4 independant directors (one of whom is more than likely going to be Mr O'Farrell as Chair).

Could there be any allegiance between magpies and HBG representatives.

 

[cdinoz007]

Could there be any allegiance between magpies and HBG representatives.

Of course there could. The Chair of the Magpies also sits on the HBG board. But as its only 2 voices on a board of 7, not enough to do cause sufficient damage (not in the manner in which 2 previous board members managed to take "control")

 

[batboy]

I dont know where the quote came from about Denny Burgess stepping down as he thought he was unfit. I cannot recall him saying that.

If you know something we dont, can you share?

What we do know though is Denny was appointed to the board of WTs 26/07/2017 - this was AFTER the NRL had appointed a temporary board when Balmain defaulted on their payments.

Denny stepped down I assume following the commencement of the inquiry / review when ALL the board stepped down.

I know he was then re-appointed on the 24/07/2024, as he was the nomination from Wests Magpies football club (as their chair) as their rep on the reformed WTs board.

Note: that he was only appointed after Balmain re-appointed Stapleton (or actually more correct, he never stood down at all - he was appointed on 31/10/2016 - after the reformation of the board after Balmain defaulted).

Again, Denny isnt my personal choice - but there you go.

Oh...and on the current WTs board, only ONE director is nominated by the HBG - that being Stephen Montgomery.

But given the entire WTs club over the years has had nominees from both sides who were unqualified (just look back over 25 years at how the boards were appointed prior to 2016) - its harsh to only be critical of one side!

I'm not critical of one side - I'm critical of all of them....
for the whole time we've been under them.
I don't want any of them there - Ever.
Nothing but a bunch of clueless hangers on!!

It's not my fault that most of the WT's board (Up until they all stood down) also serve on the HBG Board - It's Theirs!!
They're doing a shit job, And they've had long enough....
They all stood down, And they should have stayed down.

We all know why Dennis is there, We all know why all of them are there...
But they've had long enough to drag us to the bottom.

Dennis is the Chairman of the Wests Magpies (Common Knowledge)
So he votes himself as the Magpies representative to the Board?
- After his involvement in years of failure and doubling down 2 years after that to keep us there.
HOW CONVENIENT!!
Dennis wouldn't be anyones choice - Except Dennis'

Dennis Burgess, Wests Magpies Chairman (shareholder of the Wests Tigers), said the Magpies fully endorsed the review’s recommendations because they will be key to the Wests Tigers future success

You don't endorse recommendations that tell you to get out of the way as you're not doing your job,
Unless there's some merit to them.

It's obvious to anyone with half a brain what's at work here - and it stinks, It's always stunk!!
And it's done.

 

[batboy]

Of course there could. The Chair of the Magpies also sits on the HBG board. But as its only 2 voices on a board of 7, not enough to do cause sufficient damage (not in the manner in which 2 previous board members managed to take "control")

Name him
- The Chairman of the Magpies (Dennis Burgess) Also sits on the HBG Board - And the Wests Tigers Board.

And probably votes himself into all 3.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Of course there could. The Chair of the Magpies also sits on the HBG board. But as its only 2 voices on a board of 7, not enough to do cause sufficient damage (not in the manner in which 2 previous board members managed to take "control")

Christ I will be glad when this hopefully gets settled at the end of the month has caused so much argument on this forum.

 

[cochise]

So "dysfunctional" that they agreed to bail out Balmain to the tune of $11.5m over two payments between 2016 and 2021 and saved Wests Tigers and provided a home for the Balmain Tigers history to remain.

I may not like some of the management team at HBG, and yes, aware that pokies are a lifeblood of ANY club - but they really arent as dysfunctional as you want to think they are.

See trying to turn this into a what about them argument. That is usually done as a form of deflection when you can't argue the point.

The entire ownership group is dysfunctional, Balmain included. This is not Balmain v Magpies, no matter how hard you try to frame it in that manner.

When a board has had to remove over 40% of its directors, there are serious issues at a governance level. I don't think that can be denied.

 

[cochise]

Isn't that what the independent directors will achieve

Yes that is the hope.

 

[cochise]

Could there be any allegiance between magpies and HBG representatives.

The HBG has the majority of seats on the Wests Magpies board as well.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

The HBG had the majority of seats on the Wests Magpies board as well.

Murky

 

[cdinoz007]

Murky

They do own the Magpies though...

The Magpies board was 4 from HBG and 3 directly voted.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Name him
- The Chairman of the Magpies (Dennis Burgess) Also sits on the HBG Board - And the Wests Tigers Board.

And probably votes himself into all 3.

Is Burgess position on the west tigers board set in stone bat or could he be replaced by unpopularity.