Why dont the dragons ever have these issues? Their board fucked up hardcore after the wayne bennet era but they’ve never been a basketcase or treated like the tigers
I think it's because even when mismanaged, the higher ups all pulled in the same direction for the most part. There isn't really an 'us vs them" within the club
It probably helped that St George had the "history" and the money (at the time), and the Steelers had the massive junior pool. Plus having virtually identical colours made it a bit easier
Yet despite that the Magpies haven't been given the freedom to run the club as they wish like the Dragons and Sea Eagles were after their partners left the merger. . . I can't imagine why HBG resent effectively being forced to prop-up a club that's dead...
Besides, Balmain still owns 10%. That's symbolic, even if it's only on paper.
Wests Ashfield/HBG are in full control of Wests Tigers. Balmain exist only as a token presence. Balmain have just one director on the WT board. They have no control at all over what HBG want to do with the footy club.
HBG are not forced to 'prop up' Balmain, it was their choice. They merged what was left of the Balmain Leagues Club into Wests Ashfield. The former Balmain Leagues club at Homebush markets is profitable for them. They have the promise of a new Leagues Club at Rozelle. They have the Balmain juniors and the former Balmain fans who follow Wests Tigers.
People need to be better informed and less opinionated.
Because the owners of the club (HBG/Western Suburbs Magpies) decided to keep the name and the appearance of a joint venture. I don't know what's hard for you to understand here.
They were given 10% by Wests Ashfield when the latter paid off the Balmain multi million $debt when the former went broke. Very generous. Wests Ashfield pay for the Balmain junior league as well. For all its faults at least Wests Ashfield didn't go broke.
How so? They own 90% of WT they aren't propping up anything to do with Balmain. Until they get away from that mindset and stop stamping their feet like petulant kids wanting the Magpie back, the club will continue to be shit. They've had full control for over 10 years with no voice or interference from Balmain factions, they've fucked this club up all by themselves. How much more freedom do they want? An independent review happened because we had just got a spoon threepeat. I think as fans of the club we deserve better than the bullshit they keep dishing up.
It's not about Balmain as an organisation so much as it's about the tiger on the badge and orange on the jersey.
They want the freedom to run the club as they see fit without meddling. In other words, relaunch as the Western Suburb Magpies whether we like it or not with no input from Balmain, independents, or the NRL itself. It's that simple, and really at the end of the day they do own the club.
They'll continue to tank the club until they get the opportunity to do what they want. In other words they don't care about the Tigers being shit, because they don't want to be the Tigers and have no connection to them other than a shotgun wedding they were forced to commit to out of desperation.
Any talk of actually trying to resolve the issue is met with Tigers fans and old boys "stamping their feet like petulant kids" as well. Nobody being happy in a relationship is a good sign that it's time for everybody to move on. That's the only way forward with the possibility of real positive change and long term sustainability for the club.
See this is where the issue is. They own West Magpies 100% no dispute but they own 90% of the WT license to compete in the NRL. 2 different entities PVL has publicly stated Balmain and Wests are not coming back to NRL period. They need to commit to the NRL franchise or sell the license. They sell the license and commit fully to getting re- entry to the top competition as Wests Magpies. Maybe they should have run the OG Magpies like as a successful club in the 90's and this wouldn't even be a conversation.
You can say the Wests Tigers and Magpies are two different entities all you like, but we all know in reality that that isn't the case. The reality is that the Magpies own the Tigers, no getting around it.
You say it wouldn't be a conversation had the Magpies been better run in the past, which is true, but the same is true of Balmain, especially in the 00s. We wouldn't be having these problems if they hadn't run themselves into the ground either.
CEO's, commissioners, pundits, etc, all said the Bears would never come back, now they're back... But it doesn't matter anyway because HBG's position isn't a rational one, it's an emotional one. They'll continue to pursue it no matter how stupid it seems.
You can't force them to sell, they'll never be happy with the Tigers, and they'll continue to mismanage the club because of it. You (the Tigers broadly speaking) can't afford to buy them out, they probably wouldn't sell even if you could, you'll never accept the Magpies, and you'll continue to fight them every time they push the club away from the Tigers and towards the Magpies.
Neither party will accept the other's leadership, so the only sensible way forward is a split. Easier said than done, and exactly how you handle such a split is an open question, but it's the best way forward and should have happened years ago.
Balmain's 10% share was gifted to it by Wests after Balmain was bankrupt. Balmain doesn't really exist as a separate entity for practical purposes. They could fold altogether (but Wests will keep them going). It would still be the Wests Tigers club.
Even if they are they would be using them as a feeder network for the club they own. The point is Magpies are not coming back to the NRL if they don't want to associate with the tiger brand sell the license. Then they won't be propping up anything, but they won't because they're making money on that brand. Ever been to Ashfield? The leagues club is the shiniest thing in the suburb. Reckon that transformation happened in the glory days of Western suburbs Magpies?
Wests Tigers fans have threatened to march again – this time to Leichhardt – after a sea of gold, white and black descended upon Pratten Park demanding the Holman Barnes group resign.
Sensationally barred at the last minute from marching to Wests Ashfield Leagues club as originally planned due to safety fears, it didn’t dampen any spirits at the Saturday’s rally.
The voices of over 1000 Tigers faithful, led by Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne, instead roared on Arthur Street.
The blistering heat deterred none, with Tigers diehards, even all the way from Tasmania, Ipswich and Perth, trekking across the country to show their support.
Gary Barnier, who orchestrated the independent review that led to the appointment of independent directors, was among those in attendance.
So too was club legend Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach, fed up with the state of the club he once represented.
“This game is not for the bosses, it’s not for the directors. It’s for the players, and it’s for the fans, and we’ve had enough” Barnier said.
Darcy predicted the downfall of the club if the current regime remained in charge.
“We simply won’t be in the NRL in a couple of years time if these people are allowed to continue the way they have been,” he said.
After 15 years of failures on and off the field, the club appeared to be on the right path in 2025 before things imploded once again two weeks ago.
In the space of 11 days, the club removed its independent board directors, CEO Shane Richardson resigned, the NRL intervened to reinstate the sacked directors, and their coach signed a five-year extension.
Despite coach Benji Marshall’s decision to continue leading the club being a show of good faith, it wasn’t enough to appease fans who are demanding the owners relinquish their stakes in the Tigers.
Byrne warned the Holman Barnes Group that fans would not forget the problems running deep through the club so quickly, with plans to protest again during the pre-season trials in February if no changes are seen by then.
He also announced a new organisation, Wests Tigers Unite, to give fans a platform and voice their concerns to the club powerbrokers.
“We’ll give them till February to the first trial game at Leichhardt,” Byrne said.
“And if the problem hasn’t been fixed, if we don’t have real independent governance, well, guess what? We’re going to protest again.”
“We’re going to go to Leichhardt Oval to cheer on our team. It’s our team, not theirs.
“There you go home and Barnes, have a think about that over Christmas.”
Good on them tbh, the Holman Barnes group has been an absolute disaster. Club's been a joke for 15 years and they keep doubling down on terrible decisions
The amount of fans of other teams that say "fold or relocate them" is wild. So many of us are born into this, either because of inheritance or the Tigers were their first choice as a kid. We aren't so fortunate that the team we chose/inherited wasn't the Storm, Broncos or Roosters etc.
Losing your team would be serious heartbreak for any fan. My partners family lost the Bears, and now Souths fans, and I do not want to experience losing a team.
Fans of other teams have the right to be concerned about one club's internal politicians dragging down a club. In any case, Balmain and Magpies had over 90 years history each before the merger, Wests Tigers have 25 years, a drop in the ocean
25 vs 90 is hardly a “drop in the ocean”, it’s more than 1/4 of the time. The more pressing thing is that it’s the LAST 25 years. There is an entire generation of NRL fans who haven’t seen a single game played by Balmain or Wests, and if you were in prime NRL viewership age to see the old clubs in their prime, you’re nearing retirement age now.
I believe two good steps forward is to rename them the Western Sydney Tigers, and that their their permanent home ground should be Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
Good on them. They’re bloody loyal to stump up memberships, buy merchandise and go to games (in increasing numbers) after years of absolute shit. This is the loyal fanbase the Club has developed, grown and maintained.
I mean, we’ve been warning you Tigers fans about this for almost a decade now.. The merge isn’t working, Wests needs to drop Balmain and embrace Campbelltown, and rebuild the club there. But they won’t.
The club is run and funded by the leagues club out of Ashfield. The West group at MacArthur who are currently just sponsors are a different club. Most fans would jump for joy If West MacArthur bought inner west club out of there stake. Then all they would have to do is appoint an independent board to the football club WestsTigers and everyone is happy as Larry.
Sure it's your club in a sense, but you have to accept that it's also HBG and the Magpies fans club as well. HBG literally own the club at this point.
The Tigers and Magpies need a divorce otherwise this crap will continue to happen forever, and the Tigers side need to understand that HBG hold all the cards and aren't going to hand the license over to them for nothing.
I'm not picking sides or saying I'm happy about it, but I can't see a way out without the NRL's intervention, and it'll likely require a split where both clubs go their own way and end up with shares in seperate NRL licenses in some form. HBG and the Magpies have the money and control the Wests Tigers license, so realistically any compromise is going to require the Tigers to move on. There isn't really any way around that unless you can convince HBG to sell, which seems like a pipe dream.
Ive been a balmain supporter since the 80’s growing up in nz. I played for the northocote tigers before gary freeman left northcote to play for balmain
I fucking hate the west magpies, so much so i refuse to support the tigers when they wear that ugly asbestos strip
Id rather play with newtown than wear a magpie strip
So the local Mayor for an area that covers Balmain wants the people from Wests who pay for EVERYTHING and have ALL the juniors to do what he wants. Leichardt games don't even regularly sell out after the council introduced the shit allocated sideline seating.
As a childhood Balmain fan even I can acknowledge that it's only through the goodwill of Wests and the NRLs intervention that the Tigers name is still alive. If the "1000" marchers want to takeover the club and re-brand it as Balmain then they need to put up the money for that to happen. Hell will freeze over before it happens.
The club that pays for everything is based at Ashfield. Also where the inner west mayor is in charge of. Campbeltown sold its stake in 2012 to Ashfield. Its been downhill ever since. So HBG out
Sorry idiot BalmainTiger fans. You don’t own the club. You are fans and supporters. Want to be an owner put your money where your mouth is. You forget you guys have no money and no leagues club. Maybe ask Harry T to buy the club .
Why dont the dragons ever have these issues? Their board fucked up hardcore after the wayne bennet era but they’ve never been a basketcase or treated like the tigers
I think it's because even when mismanaged, the higher ups all pulled in the same direction for the most part. There isn't really an 'us vs them" within the club
True i guess you gotta be smart with who you decide to marry and the tigers and magpies are a good example of that
It probably helped that St George had the "history" and the money (at the time), and the Steelers had the massive junior pool. Plus having virtually identical colours made it a bit easier
No no, ones red with white and ones white with red
We… aren’t a basket case?
How many spoon threepeats do you have?
Because it was a billionaire that bought them or a majority stake. No one messes with him
The Steelers selling their stake to WIN would help, it lets St George run it with a business partner not two sets of emotional fans
Yep, the Steelers were bought out so it isn't really a merger anymore.
Balmain went broke, so that isn't a joint venture anymore.
Yet despite that the Magpies haven't been given the freedom to run the club as they wish like the Dragons and Sea Eagles were after their partners left the merger. . . I can't imagine why HBG resent effectively being forced to prop-up a club that's dead...
Besides, Balmain still owns 10%. That's symbolic, even if it's only on paper.
Wests Ashfield/HBG are in full control of Wests Tigers. Balmain exist only as a token presence. Balmain have just one director on the WT board. They have no control at all over what HBG want to do with the footy club.
HBG are not forced to 'prop up' Balmain, it was their choice. They merged what was left of the Balmain Leagues Club into Wests Ashfield. The former Balmain Leagues club at Homebush markets is profitable for them. They have the promise of a new Leagues Club at Rozelle. They have the Balmain juniors and the former Balmain fans who follow Wests Tigers.
People need to be better informed and less opinionated.
I'm perfectly well informed, you're just talking around the point so you don't have to engage with it.
The idea that the Magpies haven't had the freedom to run the club is wrong, but you cling to it
Why is the club still called the Wests Tigers?
Because the owners of the club (HBG/Western Suburbs Magpies) decided to keep the name and the appearance of a joint venture. I don't know what's hard for you to understand here.
They were given 10% by Wests Ashfield when the latter paid off the Balmain multi million $debt when the former went broke. Very generous. Wests Ashfield pay for the Balmain junior league as well. For all its faults at least Wests Ashfield didn't go broke.
How so? They own 90% of WT they aren't propping up anything to do with Balmain. Until they get away from that mindset and stop stamping their feet like petulant kids wanting the Magpie back, the club will continue to be shit. They've had full control for over 10 years with no voice or interference from Balmain factions, they've fucked this club up all by themselves. How much more freedom do they want? An independent review happened because we had just got a spoon threepeat. I think as fans of the club we deserve better than the bullshit they keep dishing up.
It's not about Balmain as an organisation so much as it's about the tiger on the badge and orange on the jersey.
They want the freedom to run the club as they see fit without meddling. In other words, relaunch as the Western Suburb Magpies whether we like it or not with no input from Balmain, independents, or the NRL itself. It's that simple, and really at the end of the day they do own the club.
They'll continue to tank the club until they get the opportunity to do what they want. In other words they don't care about the Tigers being shit, because they don't want to be the Tigers and have no connection to them other than a shotgun wedding they were forced to commit to out of desperation.
Any talk of actually trying to resolve the issue is met with Tigers fans and old boys "stamping their feet like petulant kids" as well. Nobody being happy in a relationship is a good sign that it's time for everybody to move on. That's the only way forward with the possibility of real positive change and long term sustainability for the club.
See this is where the issue is. They own West Magpies 100% no dispute but they own 90% of the WT license to compete in the NRL. 2 different entities PVL has publicly stated Balmain and Wests are not coming back to NRL period. They need to commit to the NRL franchise or sell the license. They sell the license and commit fully to getting re- entry to the top competition as Wests Magpies. Maybe they should have run the OG Magpies like as a successful club in the 90's and this wouldn't even be a conversation.
You can say the Wests Tigers and Magpies are two different entities all you like, but we all know in reality that that isn't the case. The reality is that the Magpies own the Tigers, no getting around it.
You say it wouldn't be a conversation had the Magpies been better run in the past, which is true, but the same is true of Balmain, especially in the 00s. We wouldn't be having these problems if they hadn't run themselves into the ground either.
CEO's, commissioners, pundits, etc, all said the Bears would never come back, now they're back... But it doesn't matter anyway because HBG's position isn't a rational one, it's an emotional one. They'll continue to pursue it no matter how stupid it seems.
You can't force them to sell, they'll never be happy with the Tigers, and they'll continue to mismanage the club because of it. You (the Tigers broadly speaking) can't afford to buy them out, they probably wouldn't sell even if you could, you'll never accept the Magpies, and you'll continue to fight them every time they push the club away from the Tigers and towards the Magpies.
Neither party will accept the other's leadership, so the only sensible way forward is a split. Easier said than done, and exactly how you handle such a split is an open question, but it's the best way forward and should have happened years ago.
Balmain's 10% share was gifted to it by Wests after Balmain was bankrupt. Balmain doesn't really exist as a separate entity for practical purposes. They could fold altogether (but Wests will keep them going). It would still be the Wests Tigers club.
So not paying for balmain jnrs? Ok,thats probably coming soon
Even if they are they would be using them as a feeder network for the club they own. The point is Magpies are not coming back to the NRL if they don't want to associate with the tiger brand sell the license. Then they won't be propping up anything, but they won't because they're making money on that brand. Ever been to Ashfield? The leagues club is the shiniest thing in the suburb. Reckon that transformation happened in the glory days of Western suburbs Magpies?
Looking forward to the new Wests Apia at rozelle too
For all the criticism Blocker gets on here for his commentary, it is clear he absolutely loves the Tigers, loves footy and loves the fans. Love it!
“Wests Tigers. Not Magpies. Not Balmain.”
Wests Tigers fans have threatened to march again – this time to Leichhardt – after a sea of gold, white and black descended upon Pratten Park demanding the Holman Barnes group resign.
Sensationally barred at the last minute from marching to Wests Ashfield Leagues club as originally planned due to safety fears, it didn’t dampen any spirits at the Saturday’s rally.
The voices of over 1000 Tigers faithful, led by Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne, instead roared on Arthur Street.
The blistering heat deterred none, with Tigers diehards, even all the way from Tasmania, Ipswich and Perth, trekking across the country to show their support.
Gary Barnier, who orchestrated the independent review that led to the appointment of independent directors, was among those in attendance.
So too was club legend Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach, fed up with the state of the club he once represented.
“This game is not for the bosses, it’s not for the directors. It’s for the players, and it’s for the fans, and we’ve had enough” Barnier said.
Darcy predicted the downfall of the club if the current regime remained in charge.
“We simply won’t be in the NRL in a couple of years time if these people are allowed to continue the way they have been,” he said.
After 15 years of failures on and off the field, the club appeared to be on the right path in 2025 before things imploded once again two weeks ago.
In the space of 11 days, the club removed its independent board directors, CEO Shane Richardson resigned, the NRL intervened to reinstate the sacked directors, and their coach signed a five-year extension.
Despite coach Benji Marshall’s decision to continue leading the club being a show of good faith, it wasn’t enough to appease fans who are demanding the owners relinquish their stakes in the Tigers.
Byrne warned the Holman Barnes Group that fans would not forget the problems running deep through the club so quickly, with plans to protest again during the pre-season trials in February if no changes are seen by then.
He also announced a new organisation, Wests Tigers Unite, to give fans a platform and voice their concerns to the club powerbrokers.
“We’ll give them till February to the first trial game at Leichhardt,” Byrne said.
“And if the problem hasn’t been fixed, if we don’t have real independent governance, well, guess what? We’re going to protest again.”
“We’re going to go to Leichhardt Oval to cheer on our team. It’s our team, not theirs.
“There you go home and Barnes, have a think about that over Christmas.”
Good on them tbh, the Holman Barnes group has been an absolute disaster. Club's been a joke for 15 years and they keep doubling down on terrible decisions
fuming I couldn’t make it out to the rally because of work this morning but this club will never lose the support of its fans
unfortunately that’s the only positive right now
Good shit tigpies.
The amount of fans of other teams that say "fold or relocate them" is wild. So many of us are born into this, either because of inheritance or the Tigers were their first choice as a kid. We aren't so fortunate that the team we chose/inherited wasn't the Storm, Broncos or Roosters etc. Losing your team would be serious heartbreak for any fan. My partners family lost the Bears, and now Souths fans, and I do not want to experience losing a team.
Absolutely this. Tigers first choice since 2003 when I was year 4 cause the logo was cool. Never backed down and never will.
Fans of other teams have the right to be concerned about one club's internal politicians dragging down a club. In any case, Balmain and Magpies had over 90 years history each before the merger, Wests Tigers have 25 years, a drop in the ocean
25 vs 90 is hardly a “drop in the ocean”, it’s more than 1/4 of the time. The more pressing thing is that it’s the LAST 25 years. There is an entire generation of NRL fans who haven’t seen a single game played by Balmain or Wests, and if you were in prime NRL viewership age to see the old clubs in their prime, you’re nearing retirement age now.
This issue needs to be permanently solved before any expansion of the competition. This should be the number one priority of the NRL.
Nah, the competition has always been held back due to the Sydney clubs. No reason expansion should be stopped because of them.
Then I recommend that the Tigers are dropped and apply for readmission when their house is in order.
All they really need is a change of ownership and a clear direction of what they want the West Tigers to be.
Unfortunately it’s the people that are stuck in the old days holding the club back.
I believe two good steps forward is to rename them the Western Sydney Tigers, and that their their permanent home ground should be Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
It’s an unpopular opinion but I agree, although I don’t think Campbeltown should be it long term. I’d rather they build a stadium at Liverpool.
A new 20,000 capacity multi sport stadium in Western Sydney is something to work towards.
Make it 30,000 at minimum. 20k is too small long term.
Rally is probably the first time these supporters that have attended used the wests name in west tigers
Yup and you do love your footy
Cool story bro. Keep loving your footy.
Good on them. They’re bloody loyal to stump up memberships, buy merchandise and go to games (in increasing numbers) after years of absolute shit. This is the loyal fanbase the Club has developed, grown and maintained.
HBG pumps money into the club
Wests Tigers Smooth brains: ItS oUr ClUb NoT yOuRs
So they should, they're the west tigers
I mean, we’ve been warning you Tigers fans about this for almost a decade now.. The merge isn’t working, Wests needs to drop Balmain and embrace Campbelltown, and rebuild the club there. But they won’t.
The club is run and funded by the leagues club out of Ashfield. The West group at MacArthur who are currently just sponsors are a different club. Most fans would jump for joy If West MacArthur bought inner west club out of there stake. Then all they would have to do is appoint an independent board to the football club WestsTigers and everyone is happy as Larry.
Sure it's your club in a sense, but you have to accept that it's also HBG and the Magpies fans club as well. HBG literally own the club at this point.
The Tigers and Magpies need a divorce otherwise this crap will continue to happen forever, and the Tigers side need to understand that HBG hold all the cards and aren't going to hand the license over to them for nothing.
I'm not picking sides or saying I'm happy about it, but I can't see a way out without the NRL's intervention, and it'll likely require a split where both clubs go their own way and end up with shares in seperate NRL licenses in some form. HBG and the Magpies have the money and control the Wests Tigers license, so realistically any compromise is going to require the Tigers to move on. There isn't really any way around that unless you can convince HBG to sell, which seems like a pipe dream.
I would love this solution
The Magpies should just demerge, pull all their funding, and send Balmain down to NSW Cup with Newtown where it belongs.
Found Denny Burgess
Why? I never drummed for AC/DC … 😜
Bet you've drummed to and onlyfans model or Two.
Isn’t that why we’re all on Reddit? 🤭
Total agreement. Magpies should just go it alone. Balmain has no money and a very small fan base.
Ive been a balmain supporter since the 80’s growing up in nz. I played for the northocote tigers before gary freeman left northcote to play for balmain
I fucking hate the west magpies, so much so i refuse to support the tigers when they wear that ugly asbestos strip
Id rather play with newtown than wear a magpie strip
Dude Balmain is dead. Backdoor killed it. It's ok to be sad about it. But there is no way we are play in any league above Ron Massey before 2040.
No one cares
Based off what? Both of you are clowns.
Calling Blocker Roach a club legend when he never played for the Wests Tigers😂
“Auckland” warriors do the same. So do dragons. How about eastern suburbs being Sydney now? Do they lose everyone prior to a certain point?
https://youtu.be/vt5X8zrHiSM?si=y2MyTuztsWrfA120
[deleted]
i DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR SMOKING FRIEND..BUT DO SHARE..
So the local Mayor for an area that covers Balmain wants the people from Wests who pay for EVERYTHING and have ALL the juniors to do what he wants. Leichardt games don't even regularly sell out after the council introduced the shit allocated sideline seating.
As a childhood Balmain fan even I can acknowledge that it's only through the goodwill of Wests and the NRLs intervention that the Tigers name is still alive. If the "1000" marchers want to takeover the club and re-brand it as Balmain then they need to put up the money for that to happen. Hell will freeze over before it happens.
The club that pays for everything is based at Ashfield. Also where the inner west mayor is in charge of. Campbeltown sold its stake in 2012 to Ashfield. Its been downhill ever since. So HBG out
“Our club”…… lol, the tigers side is dead broke. The should give Balmain back and watch it die
our = fans
The fact there is 'sides' at all is the whole problem
There's a weirdo on Facebook who masquerades as a Bulldogs fan while relentlessly spamming 'Balmain are broke'. What a coincidence huh
Balmain are broke? Don’t use facebook
So much spam from you dogs supporters. Are you worried about something?
Completely and fully missing the point.
Sorry idiot BalmainTiger fans. You don’t own the club. You are fans and supporters. Want to be an owner put your money where your mouth is. You forget you guys have no money and no leagues club. Maybe ask Harry T to buy the club .
Shouldn't you be on Facebook with the other 6 guys who obsessively spam every story with the same inane talking points?
Wow you sound like a fucking intellectual 🙄 You missed the whole point dickhead.
Think its a Mole burner
I love my footy deeeeerrrrr
plenty have tried to buy. Please convince HBG to sell.
I guarantee if HBG agree to sell a majority steak, even I would be able to form a group to purchase it.