The CEO of the Holman Barnes Group – which owns the Wests Tigers – has issued a statement insisting the Balmain element of the joint venture club is not under threat. Former Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis made extraordinary claims on Tuesday that he’d heard of a push from within the club for Balmain to be ousted in favour of a return to the NRL of the Western Suburbs Magpies.
The Wests Tigers were formed in 1999 when Balmain and Western Suburbs merged. Both clubs were founded in 1908 and are among the oldest clubs in Australian sport. But their representatives have rarely seen eye-to-eye during the joint venture, and on Monday night the board descended into chaos again.
Lee Hagipantelis claims the Wests Tigers want to return to the Western Suburbs Magpies. Image: Getty
Former NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell was one of four independent directors to be sacked from the board by the club’s majority owners – the Holman Barnes Group. The ownership group owns Wests Ashfield and have a majority share in the Western Suburbs Magpies, while also holding a 90 per cent stake in the NRL club. Prior to Monday night’s changes they held two spots on the board alongside the four independent directors and one representative from Balmain.
Barry O’Farrell is one of four independent directors sacked from the Wests Tigers board. (AAP Image/Steven Markham)
Lee Hagipantelis claims push to remove Balmain from Tigers
Hagipantelis, who was axed as Tigers chair by the Holman Barnes Group in 2023 and replaced by O’Farrell, said on SEN radio on Tuesday morning he believes there’s a 50-50 chance the NRL club will be operating as the Western Suburbs Magpies by 2028, rather than the Wests Tigers. Hagipantelis said he’s heard of a push to make Balmain a reserve-grade club (like the North Sydney Bears) and change the NRL team back to the Wests Magpies.
That would effectively mean Balmain losing their spot in the NRL after 120 years. “The ultimate aim is to return the Magpies to the NRL,” Hagipantelis claimed. “I know there were some quiet discussions not too long ago about extracting Balmain from the Wests Tigers and returning to the State Cup. The licence is in Wests Tigers’ name, so they would have to move on NRL headquarters to bring back the Magpies. It wouldn’t be easy to do. It’s maybe a 50-50 proposition.”
Lee Hagipantelis was removed as Wests Tigers chair in 2023. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Wests Tigers owners insist Balmain is safe
But Holman Barnes Group CEO Daniel Paton has issued a statement insisting that Balmain’s role in the merger is safe. “Balmain isn’t going anywhere,” Paton said, according to AAP. “We are proud and committed supporters of Balmain and we have shown this through the funding of the Balmain football club and Balmain district juniors. Balmain are very much a part of this joint venture. They maintain their 10 per cent share and their seat on the Wests Tigers board.”
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Paton claimed his group had made the board changes after being “left in the dark on commercially sensitive announcements”. There’s reportedly been frustrations over the club’s jersey for 2026 being predominantly orange – the traditional colours of Balmain as opposed to the black and white of Western Suburbs.
“There’s an underlying tension there and there has been for quite some time now,” Hagipantelis claimed.
Tensions have also simmered over the club’s use of home grounds. The Tigers will play at least seven games a year at Campbelltown from 2029 (in Magpies territory) and four at Leichhardt (Balmain territory). CEO Shane Richardson told AAP last week the club was putting its DNA over finances. Richardson’s future is now under a cloud, despite the owners insisting the veteran administrator continues to have their support.