Balmain Tigers are on the brink of collapse but won’t lose identity in Wests Tigers merged brand
THEY have until March 31 to pay $5.4m but a senior Balmain Tigers’ board member says there’s life still time for the Tigers.
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BALMAIN Tigers are facing extinction, with the NRL giving the club until March 31 to pay back its loan of $5.4m.
A spokesman for the NRL said that if Balmain could not come up with the cash, the club would then have six months (until October 31) to sell their shares in the Wests Tigers joint venture.
“If Balmain is unable to sell its shares then Wests would be able to secure the shares for a nominal fee — and they would then be required to repay the $5.4 million loan,” he said.
“The NRL is working with the clubs to try to secure the best outcome for the Wests Tigers and the fans.”
While there’s a real prospect of the Wests Tigers licence reverting to Western Suburbs there is no chance of the Wests Tigers joint venture going back to the Western Suburbs name, black and white colours or magpie mascot due to a heritage deed in the club’s constitution.
Balmain Leagues Club’s Finance Committee Chairman James Myatt said that he couldn’t say too much about the issues at the club.
“I think what’s being reported is about a fairly well-known agreement, and I can confirm we are definitely in discussions at the moment,” he said.
“The amount is probably just shy of $5.4m, but that’s semantics really.
“The 31st (of March) is a trigger date only though — there is a process after that so it doesn’t mean it’s all over.”
Wests Ashfield CEO Simon Cook said that regardless of what happens, it will continue to be business as usual for the NRL club, and fans from both Wests and Balmain clubs.
“Whatever happens, the Wests Tigers brand won’t change,” Mr Cook said
“We’re having constructive conversations with Balmain and the NRL right now to try to find a solution.”
Mr Cook said that a decision about where the club played its games would be up to the re-formed board.
“It’s a decision for the Wests Tigers board,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to speculate on that at this point.”
But the idea of losing Leichhardt as a home ground could be a reality for fans, according to former Western Suburbs chairman Jim Marsden, who said an increase of games at Campbelltown should happen if the licence were to revert to the Western Suburbs.
“That’s the way it should be,” he said. “My view is the more games played at Campbelltown the better, provided the games are within the limitations of Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
“For bigger games, and there will be bigger games as the team wins more, those games should be played at a bigger stadium.
“I’d even keep Leichhardt Oval in the mix for historical purposes, but it would only be for one game.”
But, while keen to get more games at Campbelltown, Mr Marsden said there were no circumstances under which the Wests Tigers brand would or could be changed.
“The club won’t revert to the magpies,” he said. “There is a heritage deed in place protecting the club’s name and colours which doesn’t cease to exist regardless of who is in control of the club.
“The ability of the club to rebrand is not commercially viable.”
Mr Marsden said while it was sad to see Balmain struggling financially, he too wouldn’t want the club to abandon the Wests Tigers brand.
“If the licence reverts to Western Suburbs, so be it,” he said. “If that occurs I would think the club would continue as is.
“Wests Tigers is a brand and a successful brand and it should remain in place whoever ends up with the licence.”
● Wests Tigers will take on the Eels on Easter Monday at ANZ Stadium, from 4pm
● Use #NRLTigersEels to follow the action and keep up to date with all the latest Wests Tigers news at Inner West Courier’s Facebook page.
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