Banned Wests Tigers owners board members block election to replace them

The ongoing boardroom brawl between the majority owners of the Wests Tigers has taken another twist, with the banned members successfully putting a halt to the club’s plans to fill two vacant board spots.

The Wests Tigers board battle is heading to the courts.

The owners of the Wests Tigers have been forced to scrap a planned election after a banned board member successfully sought an injunction in court on Monday.

The ongoing boardroom brawl between the Holman Barnes Group, the majority owners of the Wests Tigers has taken another twist after expelled board member Rick Wayde successfully put a halt to the club’s plans to fill two vacant board spots.

The Holman Barnes Group is now at the mercy of the judicial system which could force a fractured board to again sit alongside each other.

“We were granted an injunction calling off the election for the members,” Wayde said. “It’s the first step for the rest of the case which will hopefully vindicate that Tony (Andreacchio) and I are the floor members representing the general membership of the club. That’s to be decided at a later date.”

Holman Barnes Group board member Rick Wayde (right, with former Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis) has launched legal action in the NSW Supreme Court. Pic: NRL Imagery

That court hearing is set for April 4.

The dispute comes after Wayde and Andreacchio were sensationally banned by the Holman Barnes Group board on December 31.

The election was to fill the spots left by Wayde and Andreacchio. The two-day voting process was due to start on Tuesday.

While the election will not go ahead the planned annual general meeting (AGM) at Wests Ashfield will still occur on Thursday night. Wayde and Andreacchio are banned from entering the premises.

“While I still can’t go to that I would urge all members to attend,” Wayde said.

Long-term board member Dennis Burgess and former Magpie and Tiger player Mick Liubinskas are due to be ratified at the AGM as the two debenture holders to be part of the Holman Barnes Group board. However there may be push back from the membership base at the meeting.

Holman Barnes Group chair Tony Andreacchio, who is currently banned from the company board.

Liubinskas has been earmarked to replace David Gilbert who was a debenture holder who was banned alongside Wayde and Andreacchio.

The debenture system has come under fire in recent weeks for its antiquated process. The debenture system consists of 20 people and from within five people sit on the Holman Barnes Group board.

It costs just $100 to join the elite group.

Two other board members are elected via a membership vote by the membership of the Holmans Group clubs which includes Wests Ashfield.

The Holman Barnes Group acknowledged the court outcome in a statement.

“The non-debenture holders election will no longer take place this week by reason of orders made today by the NSW Supreme Court,” the statement read. “The club will re-notify members in due course as to when the non-Debenture Holders Election will take place.”

TIGERS GREATS’ PLEA

News of the injunction comes as Wests Tigers greats revealed their “concern” about the club’s embattled ownership.

Benny Elias, Steve Roach, Paul Sironen and John Dorahy have publicly hit out at the “governance” of the Holman Barnes Group, the majority owners of the Wests Tigers and company behind the money making beast that is Wests Ashfield Leagues Club, whose board has been embroiled in controversy since its annual general meeting last March.

Elias, Roach, Sironen and Dorahy late last week emailed Wests Tigers members about their concerns over what they claimed was “recent poor governance in the Holman Barnes Group (HBG) and in particular the decisions of the four incumbent directors at Wests Ashfield”.

Rugby league great Steve “Blocker” Roach. Picture: Tracey Nearmy/Daily Telegraph

Benny Elias was another club legend to add his name to the email. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

“We need your vote to restore proper governance, ensure success and stability at HBG, and create a ‘politics free’ environment for the Wests Tigers football operation,” the email read.

In that same email, the ex-players urged members to vote for their two preferred candidates - Lucille McKenna and Peter Cheung.

It is understood that while putting a halt to the online board vote was the urgent priority of Mr Wayde, a future goal of the legal action will be to have the court rule he and Mr Andreacchio must be reinstated.

“Tony (Andreacchio) and I believe we are the ongoing directors who should be representing the members,” Mr Wayde told The Daily Telegraph.

“That is why I have sought the injunction. If it does not come off we recommend to the members that Lucille McKenna and Peter Cheung are the people to vote for.”

Mr Andreacchio and Mr Wayde were the victims of a coup at last year’s AGM, when they were ousted as chairman and deputy chairman for supporting a controversial review of the Wests Tigers football club which led to its chief executive Justin Pascoe and chairman Lee Hagipantelis departing within months.

That AGM vote saw Julie Romero elected as chair, thanks to her having the backing of fellow board members Vince Tropiano, Dennis Burgess and Stephen Montgomery — giving her a majority on the seven-person Holman Barnes Group board.

Months later, amid intense infighting among the board, Mr Wayde was banned for eight years and Mr Andreacchio for six for “conduct prejudicial”.

Originally published as Banned Wests Tigers owners board members block election to replace them