Rally called as fans demand NRL intervention on Tigers
Scott Bailey |
Inner West council mayor Darcy Byrne has called a rally to “save Wests Tigers”, as the club’s former players joined several fan groups in demanding immediate NRL intervention.
The NRL were on Wednesday continuing to monitor the latest boardroom dramas at the joint-venture club, after majority owners the Holman-Barnes Group axed four independent directors.
Tigers CEO Shane Richardson is also weighing up his future, having been a strong proponent of independents on the board and ousted chairman Barry O’Farrell.
The issues have come at the worst possible time for the club, who turned a profit last season and were able to secure funding to make Leichhardt and Campbelltown their full-time home grounds.
There are also serious concerns over what it could mean for Jarome Luai and Jahream Bula’s future, with both free to negotiate with rivals for 2027 and beyond.
Richardson revealed to AAP last week the Tigers were confident of keeping Bula on a long-term deal, and Luai was expected to stay at the club.
But that situation is now clouded with Bula off contract and Luai holding an option in his favour to test the open market.
Byrne on Wednesday encouraged fans to march from Pratten Park to Wests Ashfield on December 13, demanding the Holman Barnes Group board resigns.
“This is clearly an act of self-sabotage, leading into Christmas,” Byrne, whose council takes in both Leichhardt and Ashfield, said.
“Just when we were starting to lift our performance on the field and financial performance as well, this is an act of self harm, and it is impossible to justify.
“We have this tiny group of people who have overseen 15 years of failure, three wooden spoons, an NRL club that was unprofitable.
“Their determination to go back to the future and turn the club back to that failure, I don’t think Wests Tigers fans are going to take that lying down.”
Byrne’s rally comes as seven separate Tigers’ fan groups launched a united plea to the NRL this week, calling for an administrator to “immediately assume governance of the club”.
The fans claimed they would “desert the club and game en masse if immediate change is not forthcoming.”
Byrne also said he wanted the NRL and Liquor and Gaming NSW to intervene, after the Holman Barnes Group’s own recent boardroom issues.
The group own Wests Leagues Club at Ashfield and 66 per cent of Wests Magpies. They and the Magpies have a 90 per cent stake in Wests Tigers.
An external report prompted them to implement a Tigers board made up of four independents in January, alongside a Balmain representative, Western Suburbs representative and one of their own.
But the group sacked the four independents on Monday night, claiming they had been “left in the dark” on key commercial decisions.
A predominantly orange jersey for 2026 is believed to be one of the grievances.
High-profile former Tigers Beau Ryan and Aaron Woods backed calls for NRL intervention on Wednesday morning.
“The NRL can’t let it go on like this,” Ryan said on Triple M, with Woods in agreement.
“V’landys (ARLC chairman Peter V’Landys) has said he will always protect the fans. The fans need protecting right now.
“If the NRL can jump in and help out, it will save a lot of things. They won’t lose Luai or Bula. Because if they lose those players we are back at square one.
“They have to get this sorted before the Holman Barnes Group make it a lot worse.”
AAP
