DP: “We were supporting Shane from the outset. He’s come back and expressed that he’s got some things to think about, and Shane needs to make a decision now.”
AP: Do you believe that he’ll be at the helm of Wests Tigers for the start of next year?
DP: “We’ll respect his decision. That’s up to Shane, and he’ll come back to us.”
AP: It feels like everything is in limbo until we know whether he’s going to be the CEO of the Wests Tigers long term. Have you had discussions with him about a time frame as to when he will decide?
DP: “I’ve been in discussions with Shane … asking when he would come back with an answer. He responded that he’s still thinking about it but will come back with an answer on Monday … it really needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.”
AP: You talked about a lack of communication – and obviously the four independent directors are no longer there – what responsibility does Shane Richardson bear for that?
DP: “I think some of the decisions that were made, that should have come to the Holman Barnes Group for approval, certainly didn’t happen. And that’s coming from the CEO and the board.”
AP: Is there anything in the [ownership] agreement whereby certain actions taken by the football club have to come back to you either for ratification or to inform you of what’s going on?
DP: “That’s correct. In the agreement, there is a threshold limit that if transactions – let’s say transactions above a certain limit – need to come back to Holman Barnes Group for approval.”
AP: Such as player signings above a certain [financial] limit?
DP: “That’s correct.”
Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson.Credit: Oscar Colman
AP: And that hasn’t been happening.
DP: “Not that I’m aware of.”
AP: The narrative is that there has been some discontent about the jersey, that it contains too much Tiger and not enough Magpie. Is that the case?
DP: “The colours of the jersey have not come up at all as part of this process. I think that’s a rehash of some old narrative … this has been floating around for years. This is trivial, and to think this is a reason for Holman Barnes Group taking this decisive action is laughable.”
AP: The other thing that’s been discussed recently is this idea that there’s a push for Western Suburbs Magpies to take over, to push Balmain out of the joint venture. Is that the case?
DP: “That’s not the case at all. The Holman Barnes Group is fully supportive of Wests Tigers. There’s been no talk about bringing back the Magpies. Once again, I think that’s a narrative that’s been rehashed from a couple of years ago.”
AP: There’s no doubt the Holman Barnes Group has a good track record of managing clubs – but less so when it comes to football clubs. It’s been 14 years since the Tigers’ last finals appearance. Why should fans have any faith in the regime?
DP: “Well, that’s correct. And that’s what we’re hoping to rectify under Benji Marshall’s leadership. If the football operation can keep progressing as they have, they’re on the improve. We’d like to see us get back to playing finals football.”
AP: What do these changes mean for Benji Marshall?
DP: “Benji has got our full support. He’s an absolute club legend and we think he’s a great coach. We absolutely want him here for the long term.”
Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has the full support of the Holman Barnes Group.Credit: Getty Images
AP: ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys said he is concerned about what had transpired at board level and that he wanted the NRL to investigate. Are you concerned that head office is concerned?
DP: “I think because it’s a purely governance issue between the boards – and there is a current agreement in place with Holman Barnes Group and Wests Tigers – I don’t believe that NRL should be concerned over this.”
AP: Should they be concerned about the performance of Wests Tigers because obviously the two are tied together?
DP: “Like I said, we’re progressing in the right direction. So I think if the NRL looks at on-field performance as well as financial performance, then we should be heading towards the finals.”
AP: Is there still tension between Balmain and Western Suburbs, the two factions in the joint venture marriage?
DP: “In the past, there’s certainly been a lot of tension between Wests and Balmain. We’ve had the Balmain board meet with the Wests Ashfield board, and what’s been great is that I feel like we’re more unified than ever. For example, Wests Ashfield has made it clear to Balmain that we want them to be part of the joint venture.
“They retain their 10 per cent share in West Tigers, they retain their board seat in Wests Tigers. Wests Ashfield will continue to fund the Balmain Football Club and is now funding the Balmain District Juniors. So we’re very much committed to supporting Balmain and continuing on in the joint venture.”
AP: At some clubs, it’s pretty easy for the membership, if they are disgruntled, to effect change. For instance, at Canterbury, you only need to get about 110 signatures to force an extraordinary general meeting. Under the ownership structure with the Holman Barnes Group, and its relationship with Wests Tigers, there’s basically no lever to pull if you’re a disgruntled member or a fan. You need to be a debenture holder, and it’s all very tightly controlled. Can you understand their frustration in that they are seeing this [boardroom brawl], they are seeing a lack of performance on the field, and there is nothing they can do about it?
DP: “Absolutely, I can see the frustration … I’m a fan myself, but we are progressing in the right direction. With the right people in place at the football department, I think we will progress and continue to progress. On-field performance is everything, and that’s what we need to focus on.”
The long-term future of Tigers playmaker Jarome Luai remains unresolved.Credit: Getty Images
AP: Speaking of things on the field, two of your highest profile players, Jarome Luai and Jahream Bula, have yet to commit long term. They have clauses or options in their contracts in their favour, and it was suggested they were close to committing – until the latest developments. Are you concerned that they might slip through your fingers because of what’s transpired?
DP: “That’s a question for the football department. I haven’t seen the contracts, so I’m not aware of the clauses that we’re talking about. However, I do believe that they’re close to re-signing, and I’d like to think they would.”
AP: A protest march has been arranged. Are you concerned about disgruntled Wests Tigers fans making their presence felt and making their voices heard?
DP: “We understand the passion that fans have and we appreciate that this announcement has caused upset. We have no problem in fans making their voices heard, however marching to Wests Ashfield and potentially intimidating innocent staff members is something we don’t condone and I would urge the organiser to rethink this action.”
AP: Should all the [feeder teams, such as NSW Cup, Jersey Flegg, etc] be playing under the Wests Tigers jersey, banner and logo, given it is supposedly one club?
DP: “That’s something for the new Wests Tigers board to start getting their head around and make decisions on.”
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AP: What’s the position of the Holman Barnes Group on that?
“The Holman Barnes Group obviously has a number of teams under their umbrella, Wests Tigers and Wests Magpies being two of those, as well as the registered clubs. So we support all our teams.”
AP: Will the Holman Barnes Group now start sticking their beak into football, interfering and meddling in football matters?
DP: “No, it’s not for the Holman Barnes Group to get involved with football operations and player signings. But it is their responsibility to ensure that due diligence is done correctly around the selection of those players. So it’s just ensuring that governance and those systematic measures are in place.”
AP: You said yourself that the board structure hasn’t worked in the past. Now Wests Tigers fans are seeing more [boardroom] changes, and the football club hasn’t really improved significantly. Why should they believe you this time when you say you’re acting in their best interests and that it’s not about the individuals on the board?
DP: “That’s right, it has been a mess in the past. There’s been a clear disconnect between boards [and the] decision making that needed to happen. What’s different this time is that for the first time we’re seeing the Holman Barnes Group board, the Wests Magpies board, the Wests Tigers board and even the Balmain board being more unified than they ever have before.
“So the decision making should be more seamless now and allow the football department to do what they need to do with on-field success.”
