WT Ownership, The Board & Senior Management - MEGA Thread

[jirskyr]

If there are no effective rights of members, then isn’t Membership simply a revenue raising (or ticket packaging) product?

If it wasn’t just tickets and we were actually valued as fans, then where is our voice? Do we even have a soapbox?

Without it, fan disempowerment and lack of actual connection, in combination with our misalignment and distrust of the management - in particular regarding the way the funds are being used - leaves me absolutely gobsmacked that we have now reached record membership numbers.

I mean, the game attendances aren’t that high. Who are all these new members and why are they even buying?

Yes membership is just the new word for "season ticket holder". It's really always been this way since the NRL started pushing club memberships 10-15 years ago (wanting to try and replicate the very successful AFL membership programs).

And the fact that you or anyone is gobsmacked by record memberships in 2022, and this is no offence to you or reflection on you, but it does tell you that what many fans assume to be the "typical" disposition of Tigers fans, may not be an accurate representation of majority (or at least a siginficant %) of fan interests.

In other words, I might not be personally won over by a Sheens/Benji/Farah coaching strategy for the next half-decade, but maybe that is enough for many fans to commit as members.

Me I'm already a member because I like watching footy. I don't stop being a member because we don't win enough or because I have some personal clash with how I perceived that the Tigers are being managed. It may be that many fans feel the same way.

Or it may be, if Tigers can do a much better job, that future memberships will explode.

 

[jirskyr]

I didn’t start talking about anti-Wests stuff. I simply added a sentence at the end of a post which highlighted something I found distasteful.

I of course wasn’t aware at the time that you held such an Orwellian view of the Wests Tigers and its heritage. And that whether coming from your side of the tracks or from mine, ones heritage is never to be uttered in polite company. 🥴

Cut up your Opal Cards people - the tracks have been torn up ...

Liked by Magpies dude and Magpies dude #2.

Yes the tracks have been dismantled.

 

[Tiger_Fanatic3]

When we have the best club fanbase in the league 😍

https://twitter.com/x/status/1550275575998480384

 

[BZN]

Find 40 million smackers

There was a great pop group called Cliff Richard and The Shadow's way back in the 60's, but you may not be old enough to know about them.

Anyway.... your idea of finding 40 million smackers may not be to far off the mark.

A while ago I suggested the NRL could pay to re-locate WT to Campbelltown and some of those $$$ could be used to buy out Wests Ashfield from Wests Tigers.
A new Board is appointed by popular vote but still being 90% controlled by Wests Magpies as is the case currently.
As to whether we stay as WT or revert to WM is also put to a popular vote.
I realise this is probably nothing more than fantasy pie in the sky though 🙂.

 

[diedpretty]

Please don't confuse people by including stats on privately owned clubs, which of course don't allow any member input

Because i am pointing out that the majority of NRL clubs don't have member input in to the makeup of the board. So what if they are privately owned. Your sample of only using teams with Leagues clubs attached is not painting a true picture of the makeup of boards in the NRL.

 

[cochise]

There was a great pop group called Cliff Richard and The Shadow's way back in the 60's, but you may not be old enough to know about them.

Anyway.... your idea of finding 40 million smackers may not be to far off the mark.

A while ago I suggested the NRL could pay to re-locate WT to Campbelltown and some of those $$$ could be used to buy out Wests Ashfield from Wests Tigers.
A new Board is appointed by popular vote but still being 90% controlled by Wests Magpies as is the case currently.
As to whether we stay as WT or revert to WM is also put to a popular vote.
I realise this is probably nothing more than fantasy pie in the sky though 🙂.

Why am I not surprised by this post...

 

[tiger_scott]

A record number of people think that WT and the board are doing a good job this season. I am not one of these people, but it will be hard to get traction at this time.

As per https://www.weststigers.com.au/news... club has roared past,should be very proud of.

 

[BZN]

Why am I not surprised by this post...

I had a feeling you would jump in pretty quick Cochise.
Have a nice day 🙂

 

[cochise]

I had a feeling you would jump in pretty quick Cochise.
Have a nice day 🙂

For someone that claims to have a preference to remain Wests Tigers over the return of the Magpies, you sure raise the return of the Magpies a lot.

 

[Bus 2 Terrigal]

A record number of people think that WT and the board are doing a good job this season. I am not one of these people, but it will be hard to get traction at this time.

As per https://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2022/07/22/record-membership-milestone/#:~:text=The club has roared past,should be very proud of.

Im not ashamed to say I think they’re doing a good job.

Having watched the Wests Matts Cup side and the talent coming through the pathways just above them and just below them ... and then listening to Sheens talk about the next three or four years in a recent interview -
I see Wests building toward a very bright future.

As Sheens acknowledged, the only real difference between now and when he took over in 2003 is that now we are in a strong financial position (geez that WT board of twenty years ago must have been hopeless 🤣)

 

[bigsiro]

Yes membership is just the new word for "season ticket holder". It's really always been this way since the NRL started pushing club memberships 10-15 years ago (wanting to try and replicate the very successful AFL membership programs).

And the fact that you or anyone is gobsmacked by record memberships in 2022, and this is no offence to you or reflection on you, but it does tell you that what many fans assume to be the "typical" disposition of Tigers fans, may not be an accurate representation of majority (or at least a siginficant %) of fan interests.

In other words, I might not be personally won over by a Sheens/Benji/Farah coaching strategy for the next half-decade, but maybe that is enough for many fans to commit as members.

Me I'm already a member because I like watching footy. I don't stop being a member because we don't win enough or because I have some personal clash with how I perceived that the Tigers are being managed. It may be that many fans feel the same way.

Or it may be, if Tigers can do a much better job, that future memberships will explode.

Thanks @jirskyr - always appreciate your well thought out posts and responses.

 

[Bus 2 Terrigal]

For someone that claims to have a preference to remain Wests Tigers over the return of the Magpies, you sure raise the return of the Magpies a lot.

I guess some like to think back on the 1989 grand final and wonder what if.

While others ponder 90% ownership, and whether a retro styled rebranding may just be the answer to our woes.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

[tiger_scott]

Im not ashamed to say I think they’re doing a good job.

Having watched the Wests Matts Cup side and the talent coming through the pathways just above them and just below them ... and then listening to Sheens talk about the next three or four years in a recent interview -
I see Wests building toward a very bright future.

As Sheens acknowledged, the only real difference between now and when he took over in 2003 is that now we are in a strong financial position (geez that WT board of twenty years ago must have been hopeless 🤣)

They have done some good things, like the increased membership numbers and COE, but the doco and the public coach pursuit have left a sour taste. Why not do the doco when the COE is built as a sort of ad for the "new, professional" Tigers? Also, why declare that CC was our number one target? Every other time a replacement coach is hired it is the club receiving applications. A subtle reaching out to CC's manager if he doesn't submit his resume, but certainly not played out in the media. If a job is advertised and I apply for it I am invested in wanting it. Maybe not 100%, but at least 90% of the way there. If someone tries to headhunt me it would take some persuading on their behalf, which is what has happened here. When CC knocked us back it would have had every other potential coach thinking "geez, I'm not so sure now".

 

[cochise]

I guess some like to think back on the 1989 grand final and wonder what if.

While others ponder 90% ownership, and whether a retro styled rebranding may just be the answer to our woes.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Mate, I'm for the Wests Tigers, I don't want my former team back. I am happy with the ownership structure, am grateful we have a club to support, I would like a bit more transparency on the board but that is as far as that goes. I don't like it when people push for the return of the parent clubs. Wests tigers is my club.

 

[jadtiger]

Mate, I'm for the Wests Tigers, I don't want my former team back. I am happy with the ownership structure, am grateful we have a club to support, I would like a bit more transparency on the board but that is as far as that goes. I don't like it when people push for the return of the parent clubs. Wests tigers is my club.

I am in complete agreement with this.Anybody who is pushing for either Balmain or the Magpies to return is not only living in the distant past but is also trying to destroy our future.If WT go down we will have no club because the NRL will probably just give our franchise to an out of town area (perth?).
Some "supporters" on here need to be very careful on what they wish for

 

[BZN]

For someone that claims to have a preference to remain Wests Tigers over the return of the Magpies, you sure raise the return of the Magpies a lot.

Is that really so Cochise?
I feel it's more your imagination getting the better of you.

To back up your claim please show me the posts in which I quoted I want to see the Magpies back and.... was actually agitating for that to happen.
Plus I feel there would be many old timer Balmain supporters that would love to see the Balmain Tigers back in their own rite, but like me haven't agitated for that to happen.

 

[Bus 2 Terrigal]

Mate, I'm for the Wests Tigers, I don't want my former team back. I am happy with the ownership structure, am grateful we have a club to support, I would like a bit more transparency on the board but that is as far as that goes. I don't like it when people push for the return of the parent clubs. Wests tigers is my club.

You and I are in total agreement there Cochise - I don’t want your former team back either 🤣🤣🤣.

Seriously though, we all know Balmain or Western Suburbs will never be back at the NRL level ... and while you don’t like it when people push for the return of a parent club, I guess I don’t like the way Wests heritage is so often swamped in people’s perception of our club.

But hey, we all have things we don’t like - it is what it is. And if I’ve learnt one thing as a rugby league supporter over many many decades ... at the end of the day, it’s only footy 🤔

 

[cochise]

Is that really so Cochise?
I feel it's more your imagination getting the better of you.

To back up your claim please show me the posts in which I quoted I want to see the Magpies back and.... was actually agitating for that to happen.
Plus I feel there would be many old timer Balmain supporters that would love to see the Balmain Tigers back in their own rite, but like me haven't agitated for that to happen.

Mate, you just stated that it should be put to a popular vote.

 

[cochise]

You and I are in total agreement there Cochise - I don’t want your former team back either 🤣🤣🤣.

Seriously though, we all know Balmain or Western Suburbs will never be back at the NRL level ... and while you don’t like it when people push for the return of a parent club, I guess I don’t like the way Wests heritage is so often swamped in people’s perception of our club.

But hey, we all have things we don’t like - it is what it is. And if I’ve learnt one thing as a rugby league supporter over many many decades ... at the end of the day, it’s only footy 🤔

And just like I, you raise it when those things you don't like occur.

 

[earl]

They have done some good things, like the increased membership numbers and COE, but the doco and the public coach pursuit have left a sour taste. Why not do the doco when the COE is built as a sort of ad for the "new, professional" Tigers? Also, why declare that CC was our number one target? Every other time a replacement coach is hired it is the club receiving applications. A subtle reaching out to CC's manager if he doesn't submit his resume, but certainly not played out in the media. If a job is advertised and I apply for it I am invested in wanting it. Maybe not 100%, but at least 90% of the way there. If someone tries to headhunt me it would take some persuading on their behalf, which is what has happened here. When CC knocked us back it would have had every other potential coach thinking "geez, I'm not so sure now".

You want to know what I like about this post. You've provided good details to discuss.

1. Increased membership numbers. It's a positive.
2. The COE. I don't know about this. I mean it's good but the government funded it.
3. The doco. To me this is a non issue.
4. The public coach pursuit. This was stupid. I don't understand why they acted like a teenager trying to get laid for the first time. It was embarrassing. The only point I'd make about this is that this to me is mostly on Sheens. He was the one who come up with the development coach idea.

--> The only other point I'd make is that I'm fine with how they've handled the coaching situation now. I don't think we are any worse off than if we had actually hired Ciraldo. If anything I prefer this approach.

I don't think any of these points are enough to sack the board even if that was possible.