Former Tigers co-captain Chris Lawrence takes swipe at club over boardroom war

Club legend Chris Lawrence has taken to social media to blast what he calls ulterior motives that have dismantled the Wests Tigers and stalled the club’s potential for more than a decade.

Former Wests Tigers co-captain Chris Lawrence has taken aim at the ulterior motives, competing agendas and self-driven motivations that have rocked the club in the wake of another boardroom civil war.

Lawrence, a Wests Tigers legend who played 253 games for the club across a 15-year career, has taken to LinkedIn to express his frustrations after chair Barry O’Farrell and three independent board members were dumped by powerful owners Holman Barnes Group, casting the fragile the club back into familiar instability.

The senseless infighting follows the best Wests Tigers season of the past four years, finishing 13th with some quality recruits after three consecutive wooden spoons and 14 years since their last finals appearance.

Lawrence was a part of the 2011 team that made semi-finals under Tim Sheens and says he’s sick of internal politics preventing the club from once again reaching its potential.

“Sad to see the Wests Tigers in the headlines again!” he wrote.

Lawrence isn’t pleased with the continued Wests Tigers issues.

“It’s disappointing to once again see the internal politics at the Wests Tigers playing out so publicly with the news of board members being removed.

“Without knowing the finer details, it’s fair to assume there are faults - and differing perspectives - on both sides. That’s usually the case in situations like this.

“But one issue that’s has sat over the club for a long time is the presence of ulterior motives, competing agendas and self-driven motivations among certain decision-makers or factions. These dynamics have consistently caused disruption at a club that desperately needs: stability, alignment, consistency, and a clear direction.

“The Tigers are an organisation with huge potential - potential that hasn’t been unlocked for many years. But without unity at the top no club can move forward.

“It’s sad to see the club I love back in the headlines for negative reasons when what everyone truly wants is progress and stability.”

Reaction to the board implosion has been swift.

Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne is a passionate Wests Tigers fan and has organised a rally for December 13, with protesters to march from Pratten Park, a former home of the Western Sydney Magpies, to Wests Ashfield Leagues Club.

They will demand the Holman Barnes Group resign.

“It’s as clear as day that allowing the Holman Barnes Group to eliminate independent directors from the Wests Tigers board could mean the death of our famous rugby league club,” he wrote in a press release on Wednesday.

“The fact that the same people who oversaw 15 years of failure and three wooden spoons have now launched a coup to take back total control over Wests Tigers makes clear how dire the situation is.”

Originally published as Former Tigers co-captain Chris Lawrence takes swipe at club over boardroom war