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“When the Wests boys saw the orange in the jumper, they had a conniption… all the jumpers had to be withdrawn and remade.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.
westslife.com 