link to the full article for those interestedSMH
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.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/wests-tigers-to-extend-benji-marshall-s-contract-until-2029-20251210-p5nmmu.html
This explanation of the new board makeup should be taken with a grain of salt. Chammas sources are generally always HBG board members. Read through his articles for the past two weeks and it becomes clear.
Until PVL says otherwise I'd say O'Farrell and the others wont accept the invite to sit back on the board again if they are not going to have the majority of the votes.
link to the full article for those interestedSMH
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.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/wests-tigers-to-extend-benji-marshall-s-contract-until-2029-20251210-p5nmmu.htmlThis explanation of the new board makeup should be taken with a grain of salt. Chammas sources are generally always HBG board members. Read through his articles for the past two weeks and it becomes clear.
Until PVL says otherwise I'd say O'Farrell and the others wont accept the invite to sit back on the board again if they are not going to have the majority of the votes.
Based on the quotes from PVL in that article, he has said otherwise and it seems a done deal.
Seemingly, according to that article, Vlandys insisted on the offer of reinstatement be made by HBG to O'Farrell and other independent board members but not Richardson. No surprise there. I see that as a big tick of no-confidence by those independent board members in the conduct and approach of Richardson. I wonder what they told Vlandys in their debrief session? Good riddance IMO.
Now, let's see HBG act on the truly awful Dennis Burgess and remove him from his position of influence.
Burgess cannot be on the new WT board (and should be removed from HBG chair). In addition there should be a majority of independents on the WT board. The trade off if HBG remain owners is that some items will have to still have a HBg veto (unfortunately) but things like contracts should’ve devolved to the WT board from HBG
@tiger5150 but none of the quotes from PVL say that there will be 5 HBG board members. He only talks about reinstatement?
Surely Barry would not accept reinstatement to be a puppet for HBG. Surely not? He'd have to be an idiot to do that.
@tiger5150 but none of the quotes from PVL say that there will be 5 HBG board members. He only talks about reinstatement?
Surely Barry would not accept reinstatement to be a puppet for HBG. Surely not? He'd have to be an idiot to do that.
“In this case, we didn’t have to because they were professional enough to reach an amicable solution. We appreciate their professionalism in that regard"
PVL knows the solution and has signed off on it based on this. Bear in mind that PVL & NRL are hamstrung by the conditions of the license agreements. HBG are solvent and havent broken any laws/regulations (that has been shown) and PVL/NRL cant be seen by other licensees to just wade in and force owners out because of "feelings".
Im not happy about it, but I think its done and PVL has signed off.
https://www.clubsnsw.com.au/resources/policy/code-of-practice there is a new Registered Clubs Regulation that has come into effect only 2 months ago.
A quick review of the code of conduct just now indicates that there are many clear and obvious breaches of the Code by Holman Barnes Group.
In amongst all this weeks discussion about Liquor & Gaming, ASIC, ILGA taking action, I would add Clubs NSW to the list.
I'm starting to question the point of the rally tomorrow given:
- NRL/PVL are aware of the rally and fan/member anger over the actions of HBG and, probably, forced his intervention
- PVL has forced HBG to offer reinstatement to O'Farrell and the other independent board members with, O'Farrell, at least, reportedly interested (the fact that it's minus Richardson does not seem to be a stumbling block ....interesting!)
- Burgess has been exposed as the creep he is by social media trolls and will likely have to resign or be sacked by HBG for being totally unfit for office.
- Richardson's resigned and not on PVL's list of demands for reinstatement which is a good outcome given his boof-headedness and allegedly dodgy dealings (yes, I know others feel differently)
- PVL does not seem interested in further pursuing HBG governance issues (as we see them), according to the article
- Marshall is, reportedly, going to be offered a contract extension - one of Richardson's comments when he announced his resignation
- It's forecast to be a rainy day which could impact rally numbers anyway and the optics of a smaller than expected turn out of WT fans at the rally (with the inevitable comparison to the Piggins inspired South Sydney march through the city all those years ago) is cannon fodder for HBG and the media to interpret as they wish.
Just my thoughts, but in a fortnight of bad news stories for WT, a half-arsed rally with no clear objective other than to show yet more anger, just adds another opportunity for ridicule of WT NRL club by those who enjoy doing that.
So I personally still think the rally has immense value. The intervention of PVL and the backgrounding in the press regarding potential resurrection of Barry are designed to take the steam out of the rally, they are a manipulation by HBG and maybe NRL and the fans have not actually been given any concrete information about what reforms if any will actually take place. The actions of HBg over the last 2 weeks absolutely demand change and so far I haven’t heard anything about HBg governance change, WT ownership change or WT governance changes.
do I think HBg is going to give up ownership or control? No, they have absolutely no incentive to change anything.
do I think we get to go back to a majority independent WT board? No I can’t see that happening now that HBG has shown they can’t tolerate true independence of WT decision making. Generally a majority owner does have control but in our situation HBG are so incompetent it was pushed for WT to be functionally independent so that these insane petty pokie took politics of the HBg getriatrics didn’t infect what is essentially a completely independent organisation at the WT. in the end this wasn’t sustainable under the current HBg leadership and ownership so they do what they always do, kick heads/sack everyone and blow the place the smithereens. I desperately want to never again in my life be associated with HBG, they are the laughing stock that the rest of the league thinks we are. It’s not WT who is incompetent, it is very clear that it is HBg/balmain who have long ago lost all credibility in managing football operations. That said m, HBg are like your new wife’s deadbeat ex husband and WT are the kids that she shared with him. No matter how crazy and ridiculous he is, you have to deal with him because he has rights over your step kids and it’s not as simple as just telling him to get lost and that you never have to deal with him again. Until those kids are 18 (until the HBg geriatrics all die out), we are going to have to deal with HBg.
The only things that would make me more comfortable moving forward is that whoever was behind the latest WT debacle (I think there were more involved than just burgess) need to be purged from HBg. Directors of companies and clubs have responsibilities and these people have clearly been in breach of many of their duties. The removal of current HBg leadership is critical and non negotiable.
there needs to be a new mangement agreement between WT and HBg that devolves the maximum amount of decision making to the WT board and executive. No doubt there will be items that need to be reserved for the owners to approve. I personally don’t think jersey design should be in control of anyone except the WT executive and board. Budget decisions like contracts should also be made by WT. Similarly everything to do with the football department should be devolved in totality to WT. some decisions probably should be approved by the owner for example the hiring of the CEO of WT and maybe even home grounds and some of those strategic decisions I think probably do require approval from owners.
In theory if these changes were in place I would consider accepting majority HBG board membership but on the other hand I just don’t think HBg has ever done anything to give me confidence that they will hold up this bargain and not work in the background to undermine reform and push to re-exert their corrupting influence.
the march needs to go ahead. We can’t just go back to the status quo of HBg dominance of WT with clear and durable constitutional change to ensure HBG can never again drag our club down into the gutter with them
@tigertownsfs And, you make very valid points.
But, how will a rally, particularly if it's not a sizeable one, bring about any of the points you see as necessary? I read Roy Masters' column SMH online, expecting it to be pro-Magpies, but it was a very clear description of the HBG structures (debenture holders etc) that makes it clear that, really, apart from NRL directives to HBG there is no incentive or motivation for HBG to act to change that structure. And, if the article can be believed, PVL seems to be happy with the reinstatements and does not want to go further.
Given the points I made in my post, i feel there is as much downside as upside for the effectiveness and the impact of the rally, given all that's happened over the previous 48 hours.
@tigertownsfs And, you make very valid points.
But, how will a rally, particularly if it's not a sizeable one, bring about any of the points you see as necessary? I read Roy Masters' column SMH online, expecting it to be pro-Magpies, but it was a very clear description of the HBG structures (debenture holders etc) that makes it clear that, really, apart from NRL directives to HBG there is no incentive or motivation for HBG to act to change that structure. And, if the article can be believed, PVL seems to be happy with the reinstatements and does not want to go further.
Given the points I made in my post, i feel there is as much downside as upside for the effectiveness and the impact of the rally, given all that's happened over the previous 48 hours.
the rally is to wests Ashfield. It would be interesting to see how many at the rally are also WA members. It’s the WA members that need to pressure for change from inside the building. The rally is a chance for people to coalesce around a call to change and a call to action. What has happened in the past 2 weeks has exploded out into the mainstream the deficiencies of the HBg governance and the march to WA is an attempt to link even more closely the problems with the WT being the HBg governance issues. That should be something that everyone wants because it’s fair to say that the current generation of leadership at HBg would likely not be the best possible people to run a leagues club given what they have demonstrated over the past few years of director on director violence and Game of Thrones antics from the debenture holders. HBg itself needs reform and we have the major of the local council where this club is based organising a rally for change. These debenture holders are rusted on but they are not impervious to outside pressure. Slowly, then suddenly.
@tigertownsfs It’s an opportunity that disenfranchised supporters can have there say .. regardless of numbers the individual will at least feel they have expressed there dissatisfaction of the last 2 two weeks and march with the like minded !
Have you been to WA recently? 95% of the zombies staring at flashing lights on a screen pissing up their $$ would have zero interest in Wests Tigers or even know there is an affiliation. These ppl are all members as it allows them to get a card where they can earn credits.@tigertownsfs And, you make very valid points.
But, how will a rally, particularly if it's not a sizeable one, bring about any of the points you see as necessary? I read Roy Masters' column SMH online, expecting it to be pro-Magpies, but it was a very clear description of the HBG structures (debenture holders etc) that makes it clear that, really, apart from NRL directives to HBG there is no incentive or motivation for HBG to act to change that structure. And, if the article can be believed, PVL seems to be happy with the reinstatements and does not want to go further.
Given the points I made in my post, i feel there is as much downside as upside for the effectiveness and the impact of the rally, given all that's happened over the previous 48 hours.
the rally is to wests Ashfield. It would be interesting to see how many at the rally are also WA members. It’s the WA members that need to pressure for change from inside the building. The rally is a chance for people to coalesce around a call to change and a call to action. What has happened in the past 2 weeks has exploded out into the mainstream the deficiencies of the HBg governance and the march to WA is an attempt to link even more closely the problems with the WT being the HBg governance issues. That should be something that everyone wants because it’s fair to say that the current generation of leadership at HBg would likely not be the best possible people to run a leagues club given what they have demonstrated over the past few years of director on director violence and Game of Thrones antics from the debenture holders. HBg itself needs reform and we have the major of the local council where this club is based organising a rally for change. These debenture holders are rusted on but they are not impervious to outside pressure. Slowly, then suddenly.
Burgess has quit the WT board. Oh what a happy day it is!!
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I'm starting to question the point of the rally tomorrow given:
- NRL/PVL are aware of the rally and fan/member anger over the actions of HBG and, probably, forced his intervention
- PVL has forced HBG to offer reinstatement to O'Farrell and the other independent board members with, O'Farrell, at least, reportedly interested (the fact that it's minus Richardson does not seem to be a stumbling block ....interesting!)
- Burgess has been exposed as the creep he is by social media trolls and will likely have to resign or be sacked by HBG for being totally unfit for office.
- Richardson's resigned and not on PVL's list of demands for reinstatement which is a good outcome given his boof-headedness and allegedly dodgy dealings (yes, I know others feel differently)
- PVL does not seem interested in further pursuing HBG governance issues (as we see them), according to the article
- Marshall is, reportedly, going to be offered a contract extension - one of Richardson's comments when he announced his resignation
- It's forecast to be a rainy day which could impact rally numbers anyway and the optics of a smaller than expected turn out of WT fans at the rally (with the inevitable comparison to the Piggins inspired South Sydney march through the city all those years ago) is cannon fodder for HBG and the media to interpret as they wish.
Just my thoughts, but in a fortnight of bad news stories for WT, a half-arsed rally with no clear objective other than to show yet more anger, just adds another opportunity for ridicule of WT NRL club by those who enjoy doing that.
And if we call it off, what sort of message does that send? We're all good now that a few changes have been made? Carry on, HBG??
@tigertownsfs articulated it far better than I can, but he is spot on. I can't live with promises from HBG that they won't be naughty boys again... they're delinquents! These changes are a band-aid over the symptoms, and we need to address the cause. That's why I'll still attend.
IMO the Wests Tigers needs to move on from ANY joint venture situation. We need a single entity that's truly invested in only the Wests Tigers, down to grass roots. End the 'joint venture' era totally.
HBG weren't that, aren't that and never will be that!!
