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Leo Epifania Appointed to Wests Tigers Board

Former Western Suburbs Magpies player and longtime GM, Leo Epifania has been appointed to the NRL club’s Board of Directors.

Leo Epifania’s association with rugby league spans several decades. As a player, he represented the Western Suburbs Magpies and the Illawarra Steelers in the 1980s, making a total of 24 first-grade appearances. Transitioning into coaching and administrative roles, Epifania has held positions including assistant coach for the Wests Tigers NSW Cup team and head coach of the Italian national rugby league team. Since 2015, he has served as the General Manager of Football Operations for the Western Suburbs Magpies, demonstrating a commitment to nurturing talent and fostering club development.

As of June 2025, the Wests Tigers Board of Directors comprises the following members:

Board Members

Barry O’Farrell AO (Chair)
Former Premier of New South Wales and ex-CEO of Racing Australia, Barry O’Farrell brings extensive corporate experience to the club.
Stephen Montgomery
Appointed to the Wests Tigers Board and Director of the Holman Barnes Group since March 2023, Stephen Montgomery has a background in law and education.

Michelle McDowell
Former Managing Director of Allied Express, Michelle McDowell offers significant experience in commercial operations and logistics.
Dennis Burgess OAM
A professional musician and Managing Director of Burgess Ventures, Dennis Burgess has been a Debenture Holder of Western Suburbs Leagues Club Ltd since 1996 and a Director for the past twenty years.
Charlie Viola
Executive Chair of Viola Private Wealth and former Partner at Pitcher Partners, Charlie Viola is a prominent financial advisor with expertise in financial management and strategy.
Danny Stapleton
Chair and CEO of Bull Capital, Danny Stapleton is a former Balmain Tigers player and current Chair of Balmain Tigers.
Annabelle Williams OAM PLY
A lawyer and decorated athlete, Annabelle Williams has served as Chair of the Athlete’s Commission for Paralympics Australia and brings insights into high-performance sports and inclusion.

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Before we remove the King, he needs his Aces

Last night, Wests Tigers fans, was embarrassing for us all. The players and coach should all feel partly responsible today, one way or another.

But as a multitude of people are calling for our king and coach, Benji Marshall, be replaced (including one of us), I myself can’t bring my biased brain to think we are extremely unlucky.

Before I come to agree with removing the greatest player in our franchise’s almost-three decade history from the manager role. I want him to have the four aces up his sleeve in the spine. Jahream Bula, Latu Fainu, Jarome Luai and Api Koroisau together in their rightful positions. On the field together for an entire game.

We saw it briefly last week and in those minutes we looked to be on top of one of the premiership favourites in the Canberra Raiders.

We waited for Latu to come back from injury and be off a minute restriction. But before we got a chance to finally see him play 80, Bula would do his hamstring on a desperate post-siren play. Jarome ended up in hospital with an infection. Api Koroisau, a tackling machine, gets a horrible concussion.

Latu should be ready to roar again next week. But Bula remains out, Api will be under protocol and Jarome most likely will be in Origin camp.

The best we can hope for is fight wounded through road games against Roosters and Warriors and get what we want to see at Leichhardt Oval against the Titans.

As Wests Tigers fans we’ve been patient for over a decade. Every July in the past several years we’d been hoping for another reset button.

For me, I want to see our future four in the 1-6-7-9 and see what we do from there. Will Benji Marshall’s shortcomings be removed? Will we see our lower salary players around them play a better small role? I have faith they will.

Are there better coaches out there? Well, considering ours is a rookie who’s only just turned 40. Of course there are.

A fully licensed vet leading the team would work better than one with his coach L plates. But you have to take into consideration that you cannot for one second say that all (current) players are going out on the field and doing their best. You can’t deny that there are players out there, despite the wooden spoons, that want to come play for him.

The team first mentality is there. We just need them all be able to lace up the boots at once.

This kingdom doesn’t need a rebuild, we’ve merely put up the scaffolding.

Wests Tigers fans, check out our episode where we draft the greatest players in the club’s history with the boys from Wests Tigers podcast:

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Farah: We’re getting back our identity

With over a decade of no finals games for the Wests Tigers, the man who last captained them in one believes the club is heading towards its former glories.

Speaking in his very open and in-depth interview with WestsLife podcast, Robbie Farah believes bringing back players from the 2005 grand final squad or those part of the 2010 and 2011 finals campaigns, as well as the coach who took them there is going a long way towards that.

“There’s no secret from me, I think the club lost its identity there for a few years,” Farah told us.

“I think we’re slowly starting to get that back. We’ve got Tigers people getting back involved, Sheensy’s back, Benji’s back, Patty Richards, Chris Lawrence, all these guys that are part of the Tigers fabric.”

Farah believes a lot of on field success is going to come from the improvement he can see by the Wests Tigers behind the scenes.

“Off the field we are getting our ducks in order,” Farah said.
“We’ve got the Centre of Excellence which should be ready in a few months. I think we’ve made some really good signings moving forward, next year with Api (Koroisau) and Isaiah Papali’i coming on board. We have some new kids we saw some development last year like Stefano (Utoikamanu), Daine Laurie, Shawn Blore who unfortunately is going to miss this whole season with the knee. Adam Doueihi as well, I thought he became a leader last year…so there’s a lot of positive signs at the club.

Listen to our interview with Robbie Farah on the WestsLife podcast now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean.

“It’s not a quick fix. I think everyone has to be realistic about that as well, but in my opinion there’s no doubt we’re heading in the right direction.”

A major change off the field for the Wests Tigers in 2022 is the return of Farah’s premiership winning coach Tim Sheens.

“Sheensy is part of the fabric of the club,” Farah said.

“Coach of the only premiership we’ve won. He brings a wealth of knowledge and he’s got an aura about him and has a lot of respect in the game. So to have him back in the club I think is awesome for us.

“He really hasn’t been on field in terms of training, you only sort of see him popping around in the background, but his job at the moment is in terms of the recruitment, the pathways and development of our juniors.

“I think we’re making big strides there as a club. We’re really putting a lot of work into our pathways. We’ve got a really big junior base out west and around Balmain and we’ve got to make sure that we’re making sure that we’re holding onto the best players and coming through. Making sure that they grow up wanting to play for the Tigers like I did and like Benji did, Bryce Gibbs, Liam Fulton and Dene Halatau. For us we not only wanted to play first grade, we wanted to play first grade for the Tigers and I think we’ve got to get that back in the club. Where our local juniors get back to where they want to pull on the black, gold and white jersey and play their careers at the Tigers.

“We’ve seen too many Tigers juniors go on to other clubs and further their career. Where really they should be doing it in our colours.”

Listen to the full interview with Robbie Farah now on the WestsLife podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Podbean.

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Doueihi: The Brisbane bubble is our second chance at finals run

After their win against the Broncos, the Wests Tigers are just two points behind eighth place and very much still in finals contention.

However there’s no denying that it will take winning almost all of their seven remaining games of the season.

Fresh off his five try assists in said win against Brisbane, five eighth Adam Doueihi said in his interview on the WestsLife Podcast the emergency move out of Sydney is being seen by the team as an opportunity, rather than a crisis.

“We’re sort of seeing this bubble up here in Brisbane as a second chance for us” Doueihi said.

“And the boys should take a lot of confidence from the win last week against the Broncos and take into this week against Manly.”

And what the team needs to improve to get the desired results, is pretty obvious according to Doueihi:

“It’s easily our defence.

“We are talking about our defence internally and how to improve it. The past few weeks we’ve put in a few different systems and standards that we’re aiming to get to.

“I think we took a big step last weekend against the Broncos and there are a few new combos out wide and through the middle.

“We’re still trying to get used to playing with each other and knowing what each player does inside and outside of us.

“But as long as we can keep improving our defence, our attack is not going to be our issue.”

Listen to the full interview with Adam Doueihi on the WestsLife podcast now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean.

With players in the Wests Tigers lineup having been changed positions throughout the year, including Doueihi’s move from the halves to centre and then back to the halves again, he says the talk and belief in each other are big factors.

“Communication is a big one obviously,” Doueihi says.

“With new combos and also new players with different sorts of habits, it’s about players finding out what habits they are and how to have that trust to know that the inside player is going to come and help us and work out to the sideline.”

Despite the confidence of a strong run home, Doueihi says he understands the frustration of the fanbase. Especially growing up being a Wests Tigers fan and junior of the club himself.

“We’re a pretty big club and cover a lot of regions in the Sydney area,” he said.

“But we have the biggest finals drought in the competition. So when the club is losing, I guess fans aren’t happy and obviously the media are going to be into us every now and then when we are not getting the results we are after.

“We know that comes along with our job. We’ve got passionate fans and they should jump up and down when we aren’t getting the results.

“I guess until that happens, it’s going to keep happening.”

The Wests Tigers face the redhot Manly Sea Eagles at 5:30pm on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium.

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Opinion: Wests Tigers need their next Robbie Farah

Our beloved team – amongst other adjectives – can be described as ‘baffling’ right now. The media says we need a new coach. Fans say we need a new board or better players (or both). Players are pointing fingers at each other literally on the field. Almost everyone says they need to burn it down and start again. Again.

My late grandfather was born and raised in Balmain. He had many opinions on things, but none like that of anything regarding our beloved Tigers. One of my most memorable opinions of his was back in 2016 when then coach Jason Taylor dropped club veteran and hooker Robbie Farah to reserve grade.

Pa, like many Wests Tigers fans, was disgusted by the treatment of Farah. A lot of it was because of Farah’s longtime loyalty to the club, but “how can you possibly drop a hooker who’s good enough to play for NSW?”, Pa said. At the time, I’ll admit, I thought perhaps it was time for us to look towards a fresh future seeing as it’d been a whole FIVE YEARS since the team had made the finals and a change was needed.

There are many things I would today love to be able to tell Pa what he was right about when it came to the Tigers, but I never got the chance after his sudden death on ANZAC Day this year. Truth be told, he definitely knew he was right and I was wrong anyway.

In fact it didn’t take long for the club to realise their mistake as well. Jason Taylor was sacked merely weeks into the following season. Robbie Farah eventually brought back into team. But the damage had been done. The foundations of the club had been shattered.

Listen to the WestsLife Podcast Q&A with Shawn Blore on Spotify here or on Apple Podcasts here.

Despite the finals drought already being five years into the now decade-long length it is now, you can easily pinpoint that as the moment that made the franchise spiral into the basketcase that it is right now.

Now my Pa was pissed off over Farah’s dumping mainly because of the former Kangaroo’s playing ability alone. But what went down the Concord Oval toilets was something that the always underdog Wests Tigers had engrained during the Robbie era; loyalty.

In 2005, Wests Tigers won the premiership and it was fuelled mostly by camaraderie. They had no Origin players. They had no established superstars. They didn’t even have the entire salary cap spent. But what Tim Sheens had put together was a bunch of promising young kids like Farah, Benji Marshall and Anthony Laffranchi, mixed with some old pre-merger club stalwarts like John Skandalis and Mark O’Neil and some players thrown on the scrapheap by other clubs like Brett Hodgson and Scott Prince. It became the perfect mix purely because of one thing, the players played for each other. To this day that squad still refer to one another as brothers and you only need to watch a few minutes of highlights from that season to recognise that. The 2010, 2011 teams were much the same. Again, a well oiled machine built around Farah and Marshall.

Unlike the Sydney Roosters or South Sydney Rabbitohs today or in previous era’s the juggernaut teams Manly Sea Eagles and Brisbane Broncos, the Wests Tigers don’t have the luxury of making marquee player signings. Much like the Penrith Panthers have now done successfully, the only road to success for them has to be through nurturing young talent. They’re still one of the best at it, you only have to see the ‘former Wests Tigers’ teamlists media outlets put out every two weeks when it’s a slow news day to see how many of the game’s best players they’ve produced. But the issue is retaining them.

That list of lost talent is long but the top of the pile is James Tedesco. It’s hard to argue with the excuse for him leaving being Nick Politis throwing paperbags of cash, rent free beachside mansions and luxury cars and other outside the salary cap perks at the Camden Rams junior. But Tedesco backflipped on a big money offer deal with the Canberra Raiders back in 2014 to stay at Wests Tigers. That change of decision by Teddy was down to one man pretty much, Robbie Farah. When Farah was sent packing by Taylor, Tedesco (and Mitchell Moses and Aaron Woods) said see you later as well. Why show loyalty to a club that would not be loyal to its most loyal servant?

It has to be more than a coincidence. Despite the Alan Border-like captain grumpy persona he was painted out to be, the fact was players wanted to play with Robbie and Robbie had no desire to play for anyone other than the Tigers. It was the perfect combination. It’s something we’ve been missing for years.

Bringing Robbie Farah back into the club, this time in the training staff, was a good move my coach Michael Maguire. But as good as it is having him in a blue shirt, what the team needs is their next Robbie Farah out there in the trenches. Unfortunately it’s a little late for the 37 year-old to make comeback again. But I’m sure it’s crossed his mind in the last few weeks.

So looking at our current playing group, is there a player in this squad that you could ever picture getting ‘Wests Tigers’ tattooed on their bicep? Is there a player in this squad that would look at home sitting on the Leichhardt Oval scoreboard drinking a beer and drawn to tears thinking how much they’ll miss playing there? Is there a player in this squad that would live, breathe, bleed, sweat, fight, yell, scream for the Wests Tigers just like Robbie Farah did 277 times? The jury is out.

You could make a case for fellow Lebanese-Australian and also good friend of Farah, Adam Doueihi. When the Wests Tigers beat the Penrith Panthers at Leichhardt Oval four games ago, he was fist pumping to the crowd and you could see his love, desire and passion for the jersey he was wearing. If you squinted a little, it was like looking at a fresh faced Robbie Farah (and they do kinda look alike to be fair). In this writer’s opinion, it should be AD’s team and built around him from the ground up going forward.

If any the current squad read this (hey, you never know), please know that this passion that Adam showed that evening is what us fans notice the most. It’s not the stats or the Supercoach points. It’s even a little more important than winning or losing. We want to see guys out there and playing with desire. You can tell the media, write on Twitter or shout it from the rooftop that you’re trying your damn hardest. But you’re not going to convince a single one of us that it’s the case right now.

Is it too much to ask you as professional athletes to just try harder? Losing on the scoreboard ruins our Mondays, but we get over it. If we had exited through the gates of Leichhardt Oval, or Campbelltown Stadium, or Bankwest Stadium or Tamworth (or any goddamn football ground on the planet we follow you blokes to week in, week out) having witnessed the 17 men wearing the same colours as us out there put their heart and soul into the game, you can bank on us coming back next Friday, Saturday or Sunday. And the week after that. And the season after that.

But the current attitude being showed by the playing group is turning away even the most loyal of Wests Tigers fans right now. If you purely don’t care that it’s happening on your watch, then go ahead and try and make one of those ‘former Wests Tigers’ listicles then and leave.

Or you can turn up and perform not only for your next contract or for a highlight feature on Instagram, but for those of us who shape their entire life around the club you’re representing.

You can become more than just a former player. You can become a club legend.

Become our next Robbie Farah. Please.

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Why a positive Wests Tigers future is seen in a Magpies jersey

As the halfway point of the 2021 NRL season approaches, the Wests Tigers NRL team has just three wins on the board. Meanwhile, their Knock On Effect NSW Cup team, currently known under the Wests Magpies side of the joint venture, is second behind the Penrith Panthers.

The Maggies have won eight straight and now sit four points clear of the Parramatta Eels and five clear of the fourth placed North Sydney Bears, whom are the Sydney Roosters reserve grade side. Now if you had’ve noticed, the three teams around them on the table are part of three of the current four best NRL sides in Sydney.

Often a good NRL side has a flow on effect into having a strong seconds side. Good teams are deep with talent, competing for first grade nods is harder and sometimes just good vibes can flow through a club as well creating success. So why are these Magpies an anomaly right now?

Arguably, the most correct answer to that question is that the Magpies are a parliament of the best young talent on the verge of NRL stardom in the competition. In the round 11 win over the Canberra Raiders, here is a list of players whom have made their NRL debuts and their age:

Zac Cini (21)
Reece Hoffman (20)
Jock Madden (21)
Jake Simpkin (19)
Stefano Utoikamanu (21)
Shawn Blore (20)

Then there’s other young talent yet to play first grade but very likely will by the end of the 2021 or 2022 season:

Allan Fitzgibbon (age not listed)
Kiah Cooper (23)
Tom Amone (24)
Kelma Tuilagi (22)
Tukimihia Simpkins (19)

Listen to the WestsLife Podcast Q&A with Shawn Blore on Spotify here or on Apple Podcasts here.

The WestsLife Podcast crew spoke to Wests Tigers Michael Maguire after the game at Lidcombe Oval on Saturday and you could hear not only how frustrated he was with the first grade team’s close loss to the New Zealand Warriors, but also the excitement about the amount of young talent he’s amassing at the club.

The WestsLife team (Rob Bechara, Shayne Calder and Josh Barnett) chewing Madge’s ear off at Lidcombe Oval. He was so open and honest with his answers and left us having zero doubt that he’s the man to lead our beloved Wests Tigers to success.

It’s hard for fans to be positive about the direction of Wests Tigers right now. It’s also somewhat understandable that fans without a close ear to the ground would buy into some media clickbait articles and social media posts about Madge being under pressure to keep his job. But the fact is firing yet another coach who’s only just laying the foundations for a successful future is downright dumb.

If you look beyond the scoreboard in Wests Tigers games in 2021, you can see our best performers consistently are some of Madge’s recruits namely Daine Laurie, Adam Doueihi and Luciano Leilua. They themselves are just 20, 23 and 24 years old themselves respectively.

Of course you can’t expect too much success packing an NRL squad full of inexperienced kids (though the Penrith Panthers are showing it’s not such a bad idea), but additions to the roster for established talent is incoming as the team’s salary cap giving us plenty of room to spend. You just have to see the ingredients chef Maguire is preparing.

It’s hard to be patient when you hold the longest finals drought in the league, but I highly recommend the Wests Tigers faithful get down to Lidcombe Oval in the coming weeks and see these fresh organically growing juniors in person (it’s also super easy to get up close and meet them too).

Beyond that, it’s a sensational cheap day out (free entry if you’re a Wests Tigers member) to enjoy some local rugby league with the Ron Massey and Jersey Flegg sides playing on the same day. It’s also nice to be cheering on a team who’s likely to win.

Pack a picnic rug, some camping chairs and some snacks when you head to the historic oval. But also pack a notebook and pen, as you should note down the names of the kids who impress you on the day. It’ll be proof in the not-too-distant future that you saw the stars of the finals-bound Wests Tigers squad before 99% of the other fans of our beloved club did.

Or just take our word for it.

Listen to the Westslife Podcast on Apple and Spotify with weekly reviews and previews of every game of the Wests Tigers season as well as interviews with players both past and current.

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Blore itching to get back and ‘just drill someone’

After suffering a broken wrist in a pre-season incident, ruling him out for the start of the Wests Tigers season, Shawn Blore tells WestsLife he’s excited to get back on the field and put a big hit on.

Blore was originally told he could miss up to the first 10 rounds of the season, but rehab has gone so well he’s looking at returning much earlier and he’s not going to just ease back into the game either.

“I’m pushing for round seven possibly,” said on the WestsLife podcast.

“I told everyone my first involvement back will be just drilling someone.

“It’s just been so long and it gets to the point where it’s frustrating You just want to do something. I’m just hoping the first involvement is a good one. If we’re on attack, get in early and tuck the ball under my arm and just run.”

Download the latest episode of the WestsLife Podcast featuring the Q&A with Shawn Blore on Spotify here or on Apple Podcasts here.

Other than putting on big hits on opposition players, Blore is also keen to start forming combinations with teammates including fellow Panthers junior, Daine Laurie.

“We had such a great preseason and I was building such good combos with a few boys on the edge,” Blore said.

“I’m just so excited to get back into training and do some of that stuff on the field. It’s gonna take a while.

“The focus is just to get back foremost and just start drilling some people.”

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James Tamou: Wests Tigers talent at same level as Penrith Panthers

James Tamou has already been so extremely impressed with his new squad, he’s comparing them to the young team he led to the NRL Grand Final just a few months ago.

The young playing group at the foot of the mountains is as good as any in the league, but Tamou has seen enough that Wests Tigers can match it with them in the future.

“It’s a young group,” Tamou told media on Tuesday. “The similarities between here and Penrith are of the same talent pool. I’ve said that many times.

“Penrith have had that talent pool for a while, it’s just about putting it all there on one page and doing good things with it.

“I am pretty confident in this special group that we’ve got. But like I said it’s not really known until we get tested on Sunday.”

Tamou also gave the highest of praises and a significant comparison to young hooker, Jacob Liddle.

“I felt (in the Manly trial) he was very quick out of dummy half,” Tamou said.
“If we’re able to get a roll on, he’s able to get out. He can create opportunities there. He’s a bit like Api Koroisau.

“Obviously the hooker comes into the game now it’s quicker around the ruck.”

“I definitely think he’s more than capable and can take a hit. That’s probably one of the most pleasing things to see, you want someone to line up beside you and they do their job.”

The Wests Tigers open their season against the Canberra Raiders at 4:05pm, Sunday.

Listen to our latest podcast where we preview the match as well as make predictions. Download on Spotify here. Download on Apple Podcasts here.

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Why it’s an exciting fresh start for Wests Tigers in 2021

It’s been a long 10 year wait, but previous seasons mean nothing. Every season sees every team back to zero. Here is why Wests Tigers are top eight bound in 2021.

Wests Tigers announced on Friday, February 12th that new Penrith Panthers recruit James Tamou will be the captain of the side in 2021. On paper or to an outsider, that probably is a shock. But to those within the club, or those who follow the club’s every word intensely (we are the latter), it was very predictable. Jimmy lead the Penrith Panthers to a minor premiership and grand final while in 2015 he scored a try in the North Queensland Cowboys’ only grand final win. Throw in 12 tests and 14 Origins, he knows what it’s like on the big stage. He knows what winning culture and elite teams look like. The captaincy is among several changes that coach Michael Maguire has made this summer. Unlike in previous years and with previous coaches, player recruitment has been well calculated and the spending on salaries much more cautious. There hasn’t been a superstar signed, but there hasn’t been superstar coin added to the salary cap. Former Origin star James Roberts is on close to minimum wage. Joe Ofahengaue has his contract topped up by his former club the Brisbane Broncos. Former Penrith Panthers captain James Tamou is on just $400,000 (that’s not a lot for a starting front row forward, if you didn’t know).Young gun Stefano Utoikamanu is on decent coin for an inexperienced player, but if he lives up to his hype he will be more than worth every dollar. Many Wests Tigers fans felt like the signings lacked a marquee signing. While that’s somewhat true, our current cap situation means that it’s probably not going to happen until the 2022 and 2023 seasons when our highest paid players are coming off contract. In terms of the outs, the 2021 season will be the first since 2006 without veteran Chris Lawrence. Benji Marshall was offered an off the field role but declined and has signed with Souths. Josh Reynolds has gone to the UK Super League as has Elijah Taylor. Chris McQueen and Matt Eisenhuth are also on the list of players whom have not only been released, they’re all closer to the end of their careers than they are to the start. Tamou is the only player signed that was born in the 80s. Our squad’s average age has dropped significantly. The joke about the Wests Tigers being the superannuation club is coming to an end.

The signings that are coming in all have either speed, size and power. The forwards incoming like Joe Ofahengaue, Tukimihia Simpkins, James Tamou and Stefano Utoikamanu are exactly what the doctor ordered. In recent seasons, our team just seemed to lack that momentum and consistency in the forwards that the top teams have. While one of our best forwards in Josh Aloiai did a runner to the Northern Beaches, Tamou, Ofahengaue and Utoikamanu all have one thing in common: they’re all post contact machines. Also don’t underestimate how much we missed Zane Musgrove in 2020 as well. Injury meant he only played six games and he was impressive in almost all of them. There’s also our guy Shawn Blore who’ll be better for his first offseason as an NRL player. We got a good taste of what he can do in his rookie year and apparently he’s been training the house down. Expect more of Blore flooring blokes in 2021.

We here at WestsLife have been one of the shrinking number of people on Luke Brooks island and maintained that the kid (wait, he’s 26 already!) needs a forward pack around him to work with. We stand by that. But with the big boppas in front of him now, this is his time to shine. Halves partners, be it Adam Doueihi or Jock Madden, should suit him well. It’s a popular opinion that he goes missing when he’s paired up with a game dominator like Benji Marshall. Well the king has become a peasant of Redfern now. Brooksy, this is your team now. Prove us right (we’re due to be). The aspirations for even the most one-eyed Wests Tigers fans this season is eighth place. We’re desperate for it. Experts are saying it’s impossible. The memes about our beloved club are endless. But 2012 to 2020 are run and won. 2021 is a new year and we’ve got a premiership winning coach with a premiership experienced captain. It just smells a little different around Concord this year. Here’s hoping that’s a waft of finals footy in the air. Bring. It. On.

Subscribe to the WestsLife Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean.

Wests Tigers confident Jahream Bula will remain at the Club

Summary: Wests Tigers interim CEO Shaun Mielekamp has expressed strong confidence that rising star Jahream Bula will remain at the Club, with all parties aligned on extending his future in the black, white and gold.

Wests Tigers interim CEO Shaun Mielekamp says the Club is confident young fullback Jahream Bula will remain in the black and gold, with positive discussions underway to secure his future beyond his current contract option.

Speaking on SEN Breakfast, Mielekamp describes Bula’s contract situation as “unique”, noting that both the player and the Club hold options within the agreement. Despite that complexity, he stresses there is strong alignment across all parties.

“We’ve got a player who wants to stay, we’ve got a Club who wants him to stay, and we’ve got a coach who wants him to stay,” Mielekamp says. “When you start from that position, you’re in a really good place.”

Bula has quickly established himself as a key part of the Tigers’ long-term plans, earning praise for his composure and development at NRL level. Mielekamp says discussions are now focused on structure rather than any disagreement over direction.

The interim CEO also addresses the Club’s dealings with Bula’s manager, Isaac Moses, saying the relationship remains professional and constructive as negotiations continue.

“It’s really just a matter of working really closely with his agent and getting through what the best model looks like,” Mielekamp says. “That’s about making sure we unlock this properly moving forward.”

Mielekamp confirms he has spoken directly with Bula and comes away feeling confident about the outcome, reinforcing that there is no disconnect between the player, his management or the Club.

“I feel very positive that everyone wants this to work,” he says. “We’re all on the same page and now it’s about dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.”

While stopping short of announcing a formal extension, Mielekamp indicates the Tigers are hopeful the matter will be resolved before the season begins.

“That will take care of itself before the season kicks off,” he says.

The comments underline the Tigers’ broader focus on stability and retention as the Club continues to build around emerging talent and strengthen its foundations heading into the new season.

Wests Tigers interim CEO Shaun Mielekamp outlines priorities: stay the course, lift communication

Wests Tigers interim chief executive officer Shaun Mielekamp has moved to reassure members and supporters that,
despite “noise” around the Club externally, the organisation’s internal foundations remain steady.

In a Q&A posted to YouTube, Mielekamp explains that strong internal processes and alignment are central to
keeping momentum going, even when the public conversation feels unsettled.

“You go through and it’s a tick, tick, tick, tick, tick exercise,” Mielekamp says, describing the focus on
fundamentals inside the four walls. He adds that while it has been “difficult with the amount of noise that’s
happened externally”, “internally, the club is very, very strong”. (07:09–07:13)

“I know that’s hard for, for everybody to see from the outside, but internally, I think we will see that what
has been built over the last couple years, this legacy that has been created, it’s our job to just continue that
process and keep some sustainability in the place.”

— Shaun Mielekamp, YouTube Q&A (around 07:09)

Maintaining the plan

Mielekamp’s message is that the immediate task is not reinvention — it is discipline. “My priorities is to really
maintain the strategy, strategy that’s been in place,” he says. (07:23–07:41)

He doubles down on that point moments later, saying the Club’s priority is “maintaining that and keeping on course”.
(07:23–07:41)

“We’re not looking at having to do anything different apart from, yeah, really just keep on course.”

— Shaun Mielekamp, YouTube Q&A (08:22–08:28)

Turning up communication and member engagement

Where Mielekamp does want change is in how loudly the Club communicates and connects. He says the strategy stays,
but the volume lifts — particularly around keeping members informed and engaged.

“Double down in regards to really turning up the volume in regards to communication, really turning up the volume
in regards to our engagement with our members.”

— Shaun Mielekamp, YouTube Q&A (07:23–07:41)

Looking ahead

Mielekamp also points to belief in the people already at the Club as a reason for optimism. “When you’ve got really
good people here who can all play footy and all do the right thing, I can only see good times ahead,” he says.
(13:52–13:59)

Note: All quotes in this article are taken directly from the YouTube video linked above.

Former Wests Tigers chair Lee Hagipantelis says the club’s latest boardroom upheaval comes as no surprise, claiming deep-rooted tensions within the joint venture and insisting elements within the Wests Group are actively pursuing a long-term Magpies-first agenda.

Speaking on SEN Breakfast with Vossy & Brandy, Hagipantelis detailed what he described as years of internal conflict, disenfranchisement and political manoeuvring, including suggestions that some directors ultimately want to see the Wests Magpies returned to the NRL.

“They feel they’re not respected within the joint venture”

Hagipantelis said he was recently contacted by a director of the Holman Barnes Group who expressed significant frustration about being “kept in the dark” by the club’s executive.

“They were very, very concerned… many of them feel that they’re not adequately or properly represented, that the Magpies are not properly identified or respected within the joint venture.”

He said the friction is longstanding and traces back to the formation of the joint venture in 1999.

“The tensions of 1999 and the forced merger remain to this very day. Do not think for one moment that it’s a happy partnership or a JV of sorts. It’s not.”

The jumper incident and ongoing sensitivity

Hagipantelis recalled a moment during his tenure when CEO Justin Pascoe attempted to incorporate orange into the Magpies’ State Cup jersey.

“When the Wests boys saw the orange in the jumper, they had a conniption… all the jumpers had to be withdrawn and remade. They’re very, very sensitive about that sort of thing.”

He argued the latest turmoil—including the blow-up around governance and reporting lines—was “never going to take much” to ignite.

Claims of a push to revive standalone Magpies and extract Balmain

Hagipantelis said a current Magpies director privately admitted to him that the long-term goal is a Magpies return to the NRL.

“It was admitted to me… that the ultimate aim is to return the Magpies to the NRL.”

He also said he was aware of “quiet discussions” about removing Balmain from the joint venture and returning to a standalone State Cup side.

“There is a level of discontent that would not take much for it to bubble to the surface.”

Board concerns aimed squarely at the CEO

According to Hagipantelis, the complaints raised with him by Holman Barnes were primarily directed at the club’s CEO rather than the board.

“The concern… was that the CEO was reporting to Barry and Barry only… and a lot of things that were occurring weren’t being put before the Holman Barnes board.”

He labelled the wider situation “amateurish” and suggested the Holman Barnes-funded governance review ultimately triggered the club’s implosion.

“They should stick to the sewing club” — blistering assessment of Wests Group role

Hagipantelis didn’t hold back when discussing Wests Group’s involvement in running the football operations.

“They should have no engagement in the running of a football club. They should confine themselves to the fishing club, the sewing club, the tennis club… They run leagues clubs very well, but the Rugby League club itself, they struggle with.”

He said many long-serving figures inside Wests Group remain entrenched in old grievances and incapable of moving the club forward.

Backing Marshall and the football department

Despite the turbulence, Hagipantelis said he retains total confidence in Benji Marshall, Brett Hodgson, Shannon Gallant and the broader football program.

“I have complete faith in Benji… those boys are absolutely committed and focused on 2026. As a fan of the club, I’m very excited for the football department.”

But he drew a stark line between the on-field program and the club’s off-field leadership.

“People just need to distinguish between the rabble and the football department.”

“They own the club… they can’t be forced to sell”

Hagipantelis said fans hoping for wholesale change among ownership need to accept that Wests Group’s 90 per cent shareholding means they cannot be removed.

“They own the club. They can’t be forced to sell it. They’re the licensees.”

For now, he believes the internal politics, identity battles and decades-old grievances inside the joint venture remain unresolved — and continue to shape the club’s direction.