SMH
Wests Tigers majority owners Holman Barnes Group has agreed to an NRL demand that the independent directors – led by deposed chairman Barry O’Farrell – be returned to the club board just 10 days after they were sacked.
O’Farrell, Annabelle Williams and Michelle McDowell are set to be returned to the club’s board as independent directors. However, sources speaking on the condition of anonymity to maintain confidentiality have indicated the fourth board member sacked, Charlie Viola, is unlikely to take up his seat again.
What is this really going to achieve if HBG restructure the WT board and have the numbers to out vote anything they don't agree with.
Proposed I read was 3x independent (Barry O'Farrell as chairman) + 1x Balmain + 5x HBG.
We will still never get anything done unless HBG want it.
SMH
Wests Tigers majority owners Holman Barnes Group has agreed to an NRL demand that the independent directors – led by deposed chairman Barry O’Farrell – be returned to the club board just 10 days after they were sacked.
O’Farrell, Annabelle Williams and Michelle McDowell are set to be returned to the club’s board as independent directors. However, sources speaking on the condition of anonymity to maintain confidentiality have indicated the fourth board member sacked, Charlie Viola, is unlikely to take up his seat again.
the 4th independent is critical for majority
Yes, excellent point.
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It’s a start. We need to ensure independence of the Wests Tigers board so this can never happen again.O'Farrell coming back doesn't mean much imo - we're a long way from being out of the woods.
if all the independents are reinstated, Benji is extended, millicamp ceo ang burgess sacked as chair of HBG what do we think of that?
@joel At least pressure was applied by the NRL .It really does nothing to quell the anger though , HBG finally has to realise who actually gives the club life that is why the march on Saturday is so important! Also the interim CEO wanted Elias as chairman well that does it for me with this guy ! Just shows what in-site this fool has !
@mike That’s never going to happen if the last week was not a good enough indicator of that !
Any recent news regarding the Board members returning?
🤣 🤣 🤣
@joel @garry with the other forum suspiciously offline all day, are you worried if that will affect numbers attending on Saturday?
Dennis has pulled the plug 😂
I reckon the news of the independent board members might take some heat out.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers since 2018!
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers since 2018!
Wests Tigers Fans cannot accept a HBG majority board!
Rally to proceed.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
WESTS TIGERS BOARD MUST BE TRULY INDEPENDENT, NOT CONTROLLED BY POWER BROKERS
MEDIA RELEASE
INNER WEST MAYOR DARCY BYRNE
Thursday, 11 December 2025
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne has responded to today’s reports that Holman Barnes Group will reinstate some independent directors at Wests Tigers, whilst stitching up an outright majority of HBG appointees on the Wests Tigers board.
Byrne said that “this represents no improvement at all.”
Saturday’s rally to save Wests Tigers will proceed with a demand for real change and a real say for fans at the club.
“The reported reinstatement of the sacked independent directors to Wests Tigers board will make zero difference to the governance of Wests Tigers if the board is stacked with a majority of Holman Barnes Group appointees.”
“Without a majority-independent board of Wests Tigers, this manoeuvre is just a fig-leaf to cover up the coup that has been conducted by the power brokers at Holman Barnes Group.
“Or to put it another way, Holman Barnes Group seem to be trying to put lipstick on a pig.
“While, if confirmed, this is an acknowledgement of how appalling the treatment of the sacked independent directors was, reappointing them to a board which they no longer have any control over is meaningless.
“These independent directors would simply be toothless tigers and this would leave Wests Tigers in the same chaotic and dysfunctional state.
“Our rally to save Wests Tigers will proceed this Saturday at Pratten Park from 10:30am because without real change, the team we love will go out the back door in the near future.
“With Shane Richardson gone, a minority of independent directors will have no genuine influence over decision-making at Wests Tigers and will, in all likelihood, be mistreated and removed again as soon as the power brokers think they can get away with it.
Rally to Save Wests Tigers
Date: Saturday, 13 December 2025
Time: 10:30am
Location: Pratten Park, 40 Arthur Street Ashfield 2131
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It’s not an independent WT board if HBG has a majority (HBG/Wests) representatives.
we saw what they did to a completely independent board. Burnt it to the ground.
if they have a majority it is just a de facto incompetent HBG board at WT Level
