‘Fanciful and unrealistic’: Balmain Tigers shut down Blue Wiggle Anthony Field’s bid

Blue Wiggle and Wests Tigers mega-fan Anthony Field’s bombshell bid to buy the club he loves has been shut down.

Anthony Field, from children's group The Wiggles, in an exclusive pic to announce he is supporting the The Legacy Centenary Torch Relay 2023.

The Balmain Tigers have labelled the bombshell news of Blue Wiggle Anthony Field wanting to buy the Wests Tigers as “fanciful and unrealistic”.

It comes after the 60-year-old star spoke to 3AW’s Ben Fordham on Thursday about his plans to bring back foundation club the Balmain Tigers.

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Balmain merged with the Western Suburbs Magpies for the 2000 season and while the Wests Tigers had success with a premiership in 2005, but in the 23 completed seasons since entering the competition, the club has made the finals just three times and not since 2011.

The side claimed its first wooden spoon in 2022, and after 10 rounds sit last on the NRL ladder again.

While the side appears to be in constant rebuild mode, arguably the club’s most high-profile fan offered to put his money where his mouth is.

But on Friday evening, the Wests Tigers on behalf of the Balmain Tigers released a statement attributed to Balmain Tigers chairman Dr. Leslie Glen.

“Balmain Tigers Rugby League wishes to reaffirm its steadfast support of Wests Tigers, and the club’s majority owner, Wests Magpies Pty Limited,” the statement read.

“Balmain Tigers Rugby League remains one hundred per cent committed to its investment in Wests Tigers, and to the future of the joint venture club.

“Recent comments by children’s entertainer and long-time fan Anthony Field are fanciful and unrealistic.

“Balmain Tigers will be making no further comment on this matter.”

Anthony Field is a die hard Balmain Tigers supporter. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

It comes after Field, who is the last remaining foundation member and majority owner of children’s entertainment behemoth The Wiggles.

“All the cash I own is in the Wiggles at the moment,” Field told Fordham.

“If the Wiggles ever sell in the next five or 10 years and I had some cash … I’d bring the Tigers back.”

The original Wiggles member said if his plan came to fruition, he would oversee the return of the Balmain Tigers as a stand-alone club, splitting it away from the Western Suburbs Magpies.

“It’s all about community … I grew up (playing the game in Leichhardt),” he said.

“It was just a real community and I’d love to bring that back.

“You go out to Campbelltown Ground … and they’re all wearing Western Suburbs jerseys. You got to Leichhardt and everyone’s wearing Balmain jerseys.

“I just want to address the tiger in the room.”

Field said the transition would end the “forced marriage” between the two teams and return them to their rightful positions as being “the best of frenemies”.

“I’d do it in a second if it could happen, but I’m talking fairytales,” he said.

“I just love them wearing the black and gold out there in Leichhardt.”

Field, who was a founding member of The Wiggles, is now the majority owner of the group, is estimated to have a net worth of $20 million.

The kids entertainment group is estimated to be worth $50 million.

However, in 2008, when the Wiggles had topped BRW’s list of top entertainment earners, the group had earned an estimated $240m over the 12 years leading up to that point.

A Newscorp report said: “Insiders suggest Wests Tigers would be worth around $20 million, although the Balmain portion would be significantly less.”

Wests Magpies currently control 90 per cent of the club, while Balmain Tigers control the other 10 per cent.

But while the club has shut it down, one of the Tigers’ favourite sons is all for it.

Balmain prop Steve Roach wants his old club back.

Fox Sports commentator Steve Roach, who played 185-games for Balmain, said he’d love to see his former club back in the NRL.

“Mate, I’d love it to happen – I’m on board – anything you want me to do,” Roach said of Field’s bid via The Daily Telegraph.

“Selfishly, I’d love the Balmain Tigers to be back in and this might be the catalyst to get everyone on board.

“With the influence that a bloke Anthony has, how many other people would jump on board? He is massive globally.

“I’d just love our gang to get together and form a consortium to get it going. And this guy could inspire that and I reckon he would get plenty of backing too.

“I just think we’re nomads at the moment. We have no identity, we’re living nowhere. We’ve got four, five different home grounds.

“I’m not saying I’d like Wests out of it. Wests deserve to be in the comp too – they have been good to us. I’d just love them both (clubs) to get back their identities.”

With NCA Newswire