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<big>Divisions derailing next step for Wests Tigers</big>
Roy Masters
January 13, 2012The Wests Tigers joint venture between foundation clubs Western Suburbs and Balmain concludes at the end of the 2012 season, with bitter divisions in the Magpies camp threatening a peaceful renewal of the NRL club’s licence.
The Wests half of the joint venture is divided into three shares - Wests licensed club at Ashfield, the Magpies football club and the Campbelltown leagues club - with ancient enmities undermining unity.
Balmain, despite not having a functional leagues club, operates as a single entity, with apparent harmony among officials and past players, although internal discord is kept under the radar.
Not surprisingly, Balmain’s solidarity has resulted in the NRL club being perceived and promoted as the Tigers, with the gold of Balmain enjoying more prominence than the black and white of the Magpies.
Wests Tigers’ choice of headquarters at Concord, and the NRL’s insistence clubs be known by emblems, reinforces this. But the rise of a common enemy - the AFL’s Greater Western Sydney franchise - has alarmed directors of both Balmain and Wests, particularly due to the Giants’ decision to play in Tigers colours.
This has been interpreted as a signal the AFL has targeted the NRL club for extinction, with one Wests director saying: ‘‘It is now unthinkable the NRL joint venture won’t be renewed at the end of this season.’’
Wests Ashfield, as the chief funder of the Magpies club, has taken radical steps to restore unity - requesting the resignation of the Magpies chairman Paul Dillon - and installing four new directors, including former Wests and Balmain player Mick Liubinskas.Liubinskas, together with three former Wests first-grade coaches, convened a meeting of 60 past Magpies players in December, alerting them to the divisions and asking them to renew their memberships.
Wests Ashfield board members have also initiated fence-mending talks with Wests Campbelltown, whose representative on the Wests Tigers board has traditionally supported the Balmain representatives, meaning the Magpies are regularly outvoted at meetings.The central cause of the Wests division is funding priorities. Wests football club spends most of the $400,000 allocated from Ashfield on a Magpies NSW Cup team to ensure the 104-year-old emblem of the club continues to exist in a senior competition.
Wests Ashfield, together with Balmain representatives on the Wests Tigers board, believes resources should be directed to the rich vein of junior talent in the Campbelltown region, with the Magpie emblem better displayed on the jumpers of junior representative players.
The Magpies football club has a dysfunctional relationship with its junior league and Campbelltown City Council, allowing other NRL clubs to plunder talent.
Nine members of Parramatta’s winning Harold Matthews Cup (under-16) team were Wests juniors. Wests Tigers staff members, who have a close relationship with the Campbelltown junior league, have moved into the territory, fulfilling some functions they believe have been neglected by Magpies officials, handing them a $44,000 invoice for their services.
Some of the actions lack diplomacy and have incurred the wrath of Campbelltown-based Wests supporters who, angry that the region is allocated only four Wests Tigers games a year, perceive it to be a takeover by an inner-city club.
However, Wests Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys, a former Balmain player, says he wants to embrace Wests’ history and spoke passionately about it at a recent Magpies junior presentation. He argues a system where Wests juniors wearing jumpers badged with the Magpie have a pathway to the joint-venture team, and to potentially represent Australia, is the best lifeline for the club.
Humphreys says a single NSW Cup team would save the joint venture $500,000 and allow Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens to establish better combinations of relegated players, rather than have them split between two teams. He says the single NSW Cup team would wear Wests and Balmain heritage strips on alternative weeks.
But the feuding between the Wests factions means it is too late for a single Wests Tigers team, and separate teams will enter the NSW Cup in 2012.Wests Ashfield has reluctantly agreed to this but, in accordance with standard policy, has not guaranteed funding to the Magpies beyond the coming season.
Midway through last year, Wests Magpies, under Dillon, initiated talks with St George Illawarra to become a feeder club for the Dragons. The move incensed both the Wests Tigers board and Wests Ashfield and was aborted when the Dragons withdrew.
A public rally by Wests supporters in the Campbelltown district is planned for February 5, but the new Magpies board hopes to convince its critics the enemy is not Balmain, but themselves.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/divisions-derailing-next-step-for-wests-tigers-20120112-1pxjl.html#ixzz1jHCJmRx9 -
A lot of information to take in
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Interesting that they are talking about a new board Maybe there is some truth that they are not happy dealing with Dillon especially after the St George talks (Gee I wonder why :crazy )
I think the last sentence says it all That they have to convince people that Balmain isn’t the problem but themselves and the constant bickering from all sections are
Personally think this is a really good piece actually and helps break it down for us who aren’t in the know
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excellent article.
I reckon it is a great idea to play in alternate strips each week. -
Serious question - why won’t they just make the Magpies the single Wests Tigers feeder team?
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Good Article… I think it further explains that the problem is within the Wests Group and they all need to get on the same bus.
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Serious question - why won’t they just make the Magpies the single Wests Tigers feeder team?
I thought about that too… What’s Balmain’s stance on losing their name in a senior comp?
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Serious question - why won’t they just make the Magpies the single Wests Tigers feeder team?
Branding and increasing the WT sponsorship suite as they contribute the majority of players
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Seems like a good compromise to me ? Most people think the JV as it stands favours Balmain side of things and making the 1 team wear the magpies might help others to feel it is more equal ?
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@Tiger Watto:
Good Article… I think it further explains that the problem is within the Wests Group and they all need to get on the same bus.
It is a great article and puts all the facts on the table. The article by Kent was just sensationalist rubbish.
Roy mentions two problems:
1. Dysfunctional Wests Group
2. Dysfunctional Balmain Leagues clubbut, the positives are:
1. Functional Wests Group Leagues clubs
2. Functional Balmain directorship -
@smeghead:
Serious question - why won’t they just make the Magpies the single Wests Tigers feeder team?
Branding and increasing the WT sponsorship suite as they contribute the majority of players
Other clubs use sides suchs are Windsor Wolves … I don’t really see an issue myself.
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@smeghead:
Serious question - why won’t they just make the Magpies the single Wests Tigers feeder team?
Branding and increasing the WT sponsorship suite as they contribute the majority of players
Other clubs use sides suchs are Windsor Wolves … I don’t really see an issue myself.
Using other sides doesnt mean its the right /smart business option… Look at the Bulldogs, they were using a different brand, but have since gone back to being the Bulldogs. Considering Canterbury and Wests Tigers are currently the 2 most successful clubs within the Sydney landscape, I have a feeling they might be on to something?!
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I’d like to hear Galahs take on the Article?
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@Tiger Watto:
@smeghead:
Serious question - why won’t they just make the Magpies the single Wests Tigers feeder team?
Branding and increasing the WT sponsorship suite as they contribute the majority of players
Other clubs use sides suchs are Windsor Wolves … I don’t really see an issue myself.
Using other sides doesnt mean its the right /smart business option… Look at the Bulldogs, they were using a different brand, but have since gone back to being the Bulldogs. Considering Canterbury and Wests Tigers are currently the 2 most successful clubs within the Sydney landscape, I have a feeling they might be on to something?!
It’s a redundant philosophy, and it looks as though the IC will move to change this as well. Would be great for the game to bring back a national reserve grade and host three games on gameday again.
I cannot wait for 20-30 years from now when 95% of our fanbase will be Wests Tigers fans and this pathetic squabbling will be near on non-existent.
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HELL YEAH!!….
I reckon 10yrs mate… Tops!!
