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Civil war erupts at Wests Tigers as axe hovers over chairman Lee Hagipantelis
ByMichael Chammas
A civil war is set to erupt at the Wests Tigers with chairman Lee Hagipantelis on the brink of being overthrown after rejecting an invitation from the club’s majority shareholder to stand down from his position just days after being re-appointed.
The Herald can also reveal that Tigers powerbrokers have discussed the possibility of bringing the likes of former NSW premier and ex-Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell, as well as former Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates, onto the board in some capacity.
Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe and chairman Lee Hagipantelis.CREDIT:GETTY
It comes in the midst of an external governance and culture review into the under-siege club that will place both Hagipantelis and chief executive Justin Pascoe under the microscope following the Tigers’ 12th consecutive season without a finals appearance.
The review has been called by the Holman Barnes Group, the 60 per cent majority shareholder of the club that also runs Wests Ashfield Leagues Club.
Sources talking under the condition of anonymity told this masthead that Tigers board member Tony Andreacchio, speaking on behalf of the Holman Barnes Group, recently contacted Hagipantelis to invite him to stand down as chairman.
Andreacchio also informed Hagipantelis that his tenure was only extended as an independent director and not as chairman despite News Corp last month reporting that Hagipantelis was re-elected as chairman of the Wests Tigers until November 2025.
Chairman Lee Hagipantelis at Tigers HQ.CREDIT:OSCAR COLMAN
The move could put the club’s near $1,000,000 a season major sponsorship deal with Hagipantelis’ company Bryden’s Lawyers in jeopardy.
Certain members of the board are now disputing the details around the motion that was passed at the meeting last month. The minutes of the meeting were taken by Tigers chief financial officer Mark Sawicki.
Hagipantelis is privately strongly refuting the notion that he was only extended as a director, and not as chairman.
“This review has been commissioned by the Holman Barnes group and all enquiries concerning the review should be directed to them”, Hagipantelis said when contacted for comment by this masthead.
Andreacchio did not want to be drawn into the specifics of his conversation with the chairman.
“At the moment we have an external review on the whole club,” he told this masthead. “It’s probably an inappropriate time to make any formal or informal comment at the moment. This review is very critical.
“The Holman Barnes Group is one of the major shareholders and are very much behind it. I think any comment doesn’t serve any purpose at the moment. Currently he is the chairman.”
The Wests Tigers constitution provides for up to nine directors to be appointed. At the moment there is only seven following the resignation of independent director James Myatt a month ago.
Sources talking under the condition of anonymity told this masthead that part of the reason the board moved to extend Hagipantelis’ tenure was to ensure the board remained validly constituted.
Former AOC president John Coates.CREDIT:GETTY
Under the constitution, the board has to have at least one independent director at all times. Hagipantelis is the only independent director currently on the board.
When asked if the Tigers wanted to bring O’Farrell or Coates on the board, Andreacchio insisted a decision wouldn’t be made until after the review.
“Independent directors are always open up to review to see who is available and who would like to come on,” he said. “It’s something we’re holding off on until the end of this review. Until then, there’ll be no further action. I don’t want to derail the review in any shape or form.”
The review is also a topic of great conjecture. Sources talking under the condition of anonymity have also questioned the independence of one of the two men appointed to undertake the review.
Reviewer Gary Barnier.CREDIT:WOLTER PEETERS
Former NRL chief financial officer Tony Crawford and Gary Barnier are in charge of the review set to be completed by the end of the month.
The questioning of independence surrounds Barnier, who is one of 13 Wests Tigers Foundation members announced on the club’s website that have donated $100,000 to the club over a four-year period. The Barnier Family is also listed as one of the “Foundation 13” with another $100,000 donation to the club. So too is Hagipantelis and Coates.
The donation for this group is a tax-deductible $100,000 for a lifetime involvement — it can be made in pairs and payment plans up to four years.
Barnier strongly opposes suggestion that his financial contribution means he has a conflict of interest.
“I took the decision to provide money to the club through that Foundation 13, which meant I could contribute - because I can afford to contribute - but I get nothing in return for it,” Barnier told this masthead.
“It’s just like a super-high level of membership, I suppose. That’s the beginning and end of it. I’m not getting paid for this review.
“I’ve offered to do it because of my emotional connection and my family’s emotional connection with the club. That’s all it is. I can’t think of any possible conflict of interest.”
Civil war erupts at Wests Tigers as axe hovers over chairman Lee Hagipantelis
Tigers powerbrokers have discussed the possibility of bringing the likes of former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell, as well as former AOC president John Coates, onto the board.
