Last days of mighty Magpies

OVER two centuries of heritage will be on the table next week when Balmain and Western Suburbs directors convene for a landmark summit.

OVER two centuries of heritage will be on the table next week when Balmain and Western Suburbs directors convene for a landmark summit that could evolve their Wests Tigers merger into a new beast.

After 13 years of colourful board room history, the joint venture has arrived at a crossroads with its Magpies NSW Cup team facing the ultimate humiliation of a winless season.

Only given the all-clear to participate in January and without any NRL players, the foundation outfit has lost all 12 games by an average margin of 51 points.

The indignity has heightened moves to overhaul the corporate structure of Wests Tigers, starting with a secondary merger between Balmain and Western Suburbs at NSW Cup level in 2013.

And the changes could go much deeper - pending the open-mindedness of both partners to diminish their enshrined rights in the joint venture agreement.

Until this year's establishment of the independent commission, NRL executives were hamstrung by a compromised entity that required fastidiously equal agreement and input from both sides. Wests Tigers are clubland's answer to the code's previous marriage of necessity between News Limited and the ARL, with CEO Stephen Humphreys believing the "hour is ripe" for a streamlined entity to be created.

"By almost every measure, Wests Tigers has been a tremendously successful joint venture over the past 13 years," Humphreys told The Daily Telegraph. "But the joint venture structure can be a constraint to further growth.

"Generally, joint ventures are created for the two partners to work on a specific project that has a finite life-cycle. Or it's a transitional vehicle to a completely different and single entity.

"The board is now considering whether it's time to evolve from that transitional phase."

At best, the proposal will be a tricky and political sell. At worst, it will revolt diehards who value the independence of Balmain and Wests above the NRL franchise.

For instance, six seasons of false detente and ferocious debate have now passed since the State Cup merger was first mooted.

In 2008 and again last year, it appeared certain a single team would be formed the following season. But staunch elements within the Magpies opted to go it alone on both occasions, despite Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens warehousing excess NRL players at Balmain for geographical reasons.

On the understanding that 2011 would be the finale, Wests Tigers financially helped the Magpies recruit players to ensure a dignified exit.

The team finished a respectable ninth; only denied a finals spot by a cruel schedule that gave Balmain an extra bye.

Prop Aaron Sweeney, one of the only Magpies to back up this season, confirmed the players thought their swan song was last year.

"We definitely got told there was going to be no team in 2012," Sweeney said.

"That's why all the players and the coach (Leo Epifania) left. If Leo and the other players stayed, we might've had a decent season."

The latest change of heart - accompanied by a public rally in Campbelltown - came far too late for replacement coach Trevor Schodel to assemble a competitive roster. Regrettable results have followed.

This collection of park footballers, NYC rejects, and Bundaberg Cup toilers have been flogged in a season of torture that bears eerie resemblance to the Magpies' final NRL flight in 1999.

SG Ball coach Jason Williams replaced Schodel two weeks ago and at least half a dozen players have walked out, including Sweeney.

"I had a big run-in with the trainer, but he's now gone as well so I came back," Sweeney said. "It was like the training you do with SG Ball. It was like training boys, not men.

"It was a bit all over the shop, a bit rough on the coach (Schodel) to recruit players and all that. The players are doing their best, but they just don't have enough experience."

None of this makes for pleasant reading and it remains to be seen how the Magpies board will respond to finishing on such a bitter note.

Four of the seven Magpies directors - including new chairman Mick Liubinskas - also sit on the board of its primary financier, Wests Leagues Club in Ashfield.

It cost Ashfield more than $1 million in grants to keep the NSW Cup team alive in 2010 and 2011.

Their contribution to Wests Tigers over the same period - as required by the joint venture agreement - was about $350,000.

On top of those commitments, the licensed club also funds the Magpies junior representative teams that are based in Campbelltown.

At Concord, where Wests Tigers administration resides, there is a strong push for the pie to be re-cut to ensure the precious pool of junior talent in Sydney's southwest is correctly nurtured.

"Wests Tigers believe that appropriate money for development and junior pathways should be the priority," Humphreys said.

"One of our greatest resources is the pool of juniors.

"If we invest in that properly there will always be local players representing Wests Tigers."

Something has to give: Balmain and Western Suburbs' stand-alone status would be reduced to the SG Ball level.

Speaking without the jingoism of some of his more militant predecessors, Liubinskas knows the coming months will be intense should a vote be put to his 310 members.

"I've got an open mind about things," he said. "We have to look at all our options to keep the Magpies flying.

"Everything will be on the table very soon."

As soon as this Thursday night.

For the first time in the joint venture's history, the entire Balmain and Magpies boards will gather at Concord to hear the recommendations of a sub-committee and share information.

It could spark a revolution, with Wests Tigers already in negotiations to build a new training facility at Campbelltown and permanently base their NYC team there.

"Similarly, we would see the NRL team and State Cup team having a significant presence in Campbelltown," Humphreys said.

"Everyone has strong opinions and they're normally borne out of historic allegiance. That's understandable.

"From a management point of view, we need to construct our plans to best support our future.

"We also need to respect where we've come from, but it shouldn't constrain everyone from reaching their full potential."

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