The Wests Tigers have once again found themselves embroiled in boardroom drama, with former New South Wales Premier and recently dismissed club chairman Barry O’Farrell openly criticizing the latest round of changes at the joint venture. Describing the upheaval as a “brain fart,” O’Farrell warned that if instability continues, the NRL may be forced to step in to safeguard the sport’s image.
O’Farrell, who was removed alongside three other independent directors — Annabelle Williams, Charlie Viola, and Michelle McDowell — by the club’s majority owner, the Holman Barnes Group, didn’t hold back in his assessment.
“For reasons I suspect relate to antics within the Holman Barnes Group and the desire for people to get to the top there, we've had yet another brain fart affecting the club,” he told ABC Sydney Mornings with Hamish McDonald.
The boardroom shake-up comes just a year after the Holman Barnes Group replaced chair Julia Romero, despite the organization enjoying its best financial returns to date. Reflecting on the timing of the latest overhaul, O’Farrell noted:
“A year ago, they replaced their chair [Julia Romero] after the best returns Holman Barnes had ever received. And here we are a year later, they're replacing the board of Wests Tigers at a time when, on all the indices for the first time in many years, we've done well. We've achieved our first profit, I think, in more than a decade. And at that moment, the owners, as they're able to, have decided to take this action.
"If it continues to go to hell in a hand basket, I do not doubt that the NRL will do what the NRL would always do, which is seek to protect the image of rugby league."
O’Farrell’s tenure at the Tigers began in January of this year, part of a broader governance overhaul aimed at stabilizing a club long plagued by friction between its Balmain and Western Suburbs factions. Despite the positive trajectory under the new board, the Holman Barnes Group’s decision to remove O’Farrell and his colleagues has raised eyebrows across the rugby league community.
In a statement, Holman Barnes CEO Daniel Paton explained the decision as stemming from frustrations over being “left in the dark on commercially sensitive announcements.” Reports suggest that disagreements over the club’s 2026 jersey color and stadium policy also played a role in the drastic move.
O’Farrell, however, rejected the narrative that the board had failed in communication with the owners. He emphasized that the board had functioned seamlessly and unanimously.
“The comment was there had been a lack of communication, which is interesting because two of the members of the Wests Tigers board — which I was chairing — are directors of the Holman Barnes Group, the 90 per cent owner of the club, including its chairman Dennis Burgess,” O’Farrell said.
“There have been no issues within our board, there has never been a vote on our board, it's all been unanimous and the minutes on our board meetings have never had a Holman Barnes representative on the board raising concerns about a lack of communication.”
The move has also left questions over CEO Shane Richardson’s future, even as the owners insist he retains their backing. The sudden boardroom reshuffle has added an additional layer of uncertainty at a club that has seen meaningful improvement both on and off the field.
O’Farrell expressed frustration over what he perceives as a misalignment in the club’s strategic direction, particularly in light of the reforms introduced following the Crawford-Barnier review. That review, commissioned by the Holman Barnes Group, had previously resulted in the dismissal of CEO Justin Pascoe and chair Lee Hagipantelis.
“The Tigers went on to enjoy an improved season on and off the field in 2025, with crowds and profits rising as Benji Marshall guided the club off the bottom of the ladder after three straight wooden spoons,” O’Farrell said.
“I've described the review they put in place as the best thing I'd seen in rugby league or any sport. There were wholesale changes, removal of board members and the CEO and it was a difficult time, but it's clear now that those reforms were providing benefits to the club.
"The good news is Benji is still there, we've got great players and Richo is still there, and all those things are important [but] it was Jack Gibson who said, 'winning starts in the front office.' This is not a great example of that.”
Adding another dimension to the controversy, former chair Lee Hagipantelis revealed on SEN that there were discussions about potentially dismantling the Balmain side of the joint venture in favor of reinstating the Western Suburbs Magpies as a standalone NRL team.
“It was admitted to me directly by a fella, who is now a director of the Wests Magpies, that the ultimate aim is to return the Magpies to the NRL,” Hagipantelis said.
“I know there were some quiet discussions not too long ago about extracting Balmain from the Wests Tigers and returning to the State Cup. The licence is in Wests Tigers' name, so they would have to move on NRL headquarters to bring back the Magpies. It wouldn't be easy to do. It's maybe a 50-50 proposition.”
Holman Barnes CEO Daniel Paton, however, has sought to downplay concerns about potential disruption, insisting that football operations will remain unaffected and reaffirming the group’s commitment to the Balmain faction.
“Balmain isn't going anywhere,” Paton said. “We are proud and committed supporters of Balmain and we have shown this through the funding of the Balmain football club and Balmain district juniors. Balmain are very much a part of this joint venture. They maintain their 10 per cent share and their seat on the Wests Tigers board.”
Meanwhile, the players themselves face uncertainty amid the off-field turmoil. Fullback Jahream Bula is in negotiations for a new deal, while Jarome Luai has the option to explore other opportunities.
The drama surrounding the Wests Tigers highlights the fragility of club governance in professional sports, showing that even a team performing well on the field is not immune to disruption in the boardroom. O’Farrell’s outspoken comments signal that the NRL may need to monitor the situation closely to prevent further destabilization.
As the dust settles, fans and stakeholders alike will be watching to see whether the Holman Barnes Group can maintain stability, or if the Tigers’ boardroom turmoil will once again overshadow the team’s on-field achievements.
