Wests Tigers must negotiate $1 million deal with sacked chairman Lee Hagipantelis
In the wake of releasing veteran winger David Nofoaluma, which included a $300,000 payout, the Wests Tigers, are poised to make a call of far greater financial impact.
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The Wests Tigers are edging towards a $1 million dilemma with the future of the club’s major sponsor Brydens Lawyers going on the line.
In the wake of releasing veteran winger David Nofoaluma, which included a $300,000 payout, the Holman Barnes Group, the majority shareholder of the Wests Tigers, are poised to make a call of far greater financial impact.
The decision, which could be made within the next eight weeks, has been made all the more delicate and potentially contentious due to the fact that recently ousted Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis is the principal of Brydens Lawyers, the club’s major sponsor since 2016.
Brydens Lawyers pays around $1 million to appear on the front of the Wests Tigers jersey.
With additional investment as the naming rights sponsor of the head coach, the legal firm’s investment since 2016 sits at around $10 million.
Hagipantelis and former Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe were dramatically removed last December, following the recommendations of an independent internal review commissioned by Holman Barnes Group.
The upcoming 2024 season marks the final year of Brydens Lawyers current contract with the Wests Tigers.
It has led to the unlikely scenario of Hagipantelis meeting and potentially negotiating a new multimillion-dollar deal with the powerbrokers that ousted him.
Hagipantelis has made no secret of his discontent with how the review was conducted, notably that he was never given an opportunity to respond to the findings.
Interestingly, the legal firm is also the naming rights sponsor of rookie Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall, who is a brand ambassador for the company.
Hagipantelis remains a close friend of Marshall.
It remains to be seen whether the former chairman will attend Wests Tigers matches this season.
“I feel there has been gross disrespect shown to the Wests Tigers and to myself personally by my fellow directors,” Hagipantelis said at the time of his removal.
“We were never paid the respect of being involved or consulted as to the review. Even to this day, we have never been engaged or informed as to the results of the review or the recommendations.
“Now it appears unlikely that we will ever see the report.‘’
Shane Richardson has been appointed interim CEO of the Wests Tigers and could be asked by the Holman Barnes Group to orchestrate any future negotiations with Hagipantelis.
Brydens Lawyers are also contributing sponsors of South Sydney, Newcastle, Mounties Group, Blacktown Workers and several other charities including the Leukaemia Foundation.
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