Darcy Byrne editorial in the SMH:

It’s time for real change at Wests Tigers. The fans deserve nothing less

Jack Gibson, perhaps the greatest coach in the history of rugby league, famously proclaimed that “winning starts in the front office”. The last three dismal years at Wests Tigers, including a trifecta of wooden spoons, are the ultimate proof of Gibson’s point.

As has been on public display once again this past week, the central impediment to the Wests Tigers NRL team’s recovery on the football field is poor governance in the boardroom.



Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson (left) and Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne at Leichhardt Oval.Credit: Edwina Pickles/SMH

A New Year’s Eve coup against the board of the Wests Ashfield Leagues Club (the majority owner of Wests Tigers) has once again thrown the club into administrative chaos. While the rest of Sydney was getting ready to watch the fireworks, a majority of the club’s board members launched an internal missile instead. Four of the seven directors issued suspensions to the other three for periods of up to eight years.

The 2025 season marks 20 years since the Tigers’ magical run to capture the NRL premiership. It is 14 years since we last played finals football. Last year our club finished last in five separate competitions across juniors, women’s and men’s. Quite a feat, but not the sort of record you want to be breaking.

The incredible thing is that Wests Tigers fans have remained so devoted. Against our better judgment, we remain among the most passionate and loyal fans in all of rugby league. Television ratings for the team are still strong and the slightest sign of a winning run brings fans out in their orange, white and black colours all over Sydney.

But after so many years on the losing side of the ledger, members and supporters have simply had enough of the backroom brawling that keeps bringing our club into disrepute.

So, at a time when Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson’s leadership, the arrival of star player Jarome Luai and a much-improved playing roster had generated hope of a revival, yet another round of petty disputes and negative headlines still holds back our club.

How and why does this keep happening? The short answer is that the Wests Ashfield Leagues Club is governed by an antiquated and anti-democratic system that puts power over the organisation’s affairs in the hands of a tiny number of unelected “debenture” holders. These 18 people, who are appointed for lifetime terms, then select five of the seven board members from among themselves.

The leagues club’s 27,000 members are able to elect only two board members, locking them out of any real say. Tellingly, these two directly elected board members – Rick Wayde and Tony Andreacchio – have now been expelled from the board and the club. It’s bizarre that in 2025 any registered club has such a closed-shop system of governance. Little wonder that the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority has launched an investigation into this dysfunction. Loyal and long-suffering Wests Tigers fans deserve better than this mess.

Well done, again, Darcy Byrne!! Genuine, forthright and strong leadership of an issue dear to the hearts of your locals; and, given the merged entity that is WT, we also benefit out here in the south-west of Sydney and across the city. It complements and validates the efforts of the WT podcast crew in holding this HBG mob to account.

Posted by: @garry

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Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Board dispute between Wests Tigers owners Holman Barnes Group continues

The dispute between the two warring factions of the Wests Tigers owners shows no signs of letting up, while Laurie Daley and Billy Slater have avoided an awkward encounter. That and more in Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.

The dispute between the two warring factions of the owners of the Wests Tigers shows no signs of letting up with one of the vanquished trio hitting back at his former fellow board members.

The Holman Barnes Group (HBG) put out a three-page statement detailing the reasons why board members Rick Wayde was banned for eight years, Tony Andreacchio (six) and David Gilbert (six months). That followed a heavy handed 15-point statement which used the word “FACT” at the start of each point.

The dispute between the board members of Wests Tigers owners, the Holman Barnes Group, continues.

“The only real facts to bear in mind, despite the welter of misleading information in the recent unsigned releases from HBG, is that the Holman Barnes licensed clubs are indeed doing remarkably well,” Wayde said.

“Why? Because across the preceding decade Directors such as Tony Andreacchio, John Hardgrove, the late Mike Bailey and his replacement Dave Gilbert, and myself, put in the hard yards to establish stability at board level for the CEO to develop his management team and effectively implement board initiatives.”

Two of the three banned board members, Tony Andreacchio (back) and Rick Wayde (front).

“The fact is that the unconstitutional act of the ‘Gang of Four’ directors is designed to eliminate Dave Gilbert from the debentures election and to leave the 27,000 HBG members without any representation at board level.

“Darcy Byrne, Mayor of Inner West Council, got it right when he called for “government intervention” to ensure that one of the community’s greatest assets re-establishes stability and resumes its proper course.”

The trio are continuing to explore their legal options.

He’s right in that the club aspect of the business is strong, problem is always when football gets involved and that’s where their hearts lay.