A wave of anger and frustration swept through Sydney’s Inner West over the weekend as hundreds of passionate rugby league supporters gathered to protest against the ownership and governance of the West Tigers. The rally, held at Pratten Park on Saturday, marked one of the most significant fan-led demonstrations in the club’s turbulent history, reflecting years of dissatisfaction over performance, leadership instability, and what supporters describe as chronic mismanagement.
The protest was spearheaded by Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne, who has emerged as a prominent voice articulating the concerns of fans who believe the club has been allowed to drift without accountability for more than a decade. The rally followed an extraordinary fortnight of internal upheaval at the West Tigers, during which the club’s boardroom descended into chaos and confusion.
Over the past two weeks, the club dismissed all of its independent directors, accepted the resignation of chief executive Shane Richardson, witnessed the NRL step in to reinstate previously sacked directors, and confirmed a new five-year contract extension for the head coach. For many supporters, these rapid developments only reinforced long-held fears that the club’s governance structures are broken beyond repair.
In a strongly worded statement shared on social media ahead of the rally, Mayor Byrne made it clear that he believed recent changes amounted to little more than superficial fixes that failed to address deeper problems.
“Or to put it another way, Holman Barnes Group seem to be trying to put lipstick on a pig,” he said.
The Holman Barnes Group, which owns the West Tigers, has come under increasing scrutiny from fans who argue that its influence over the board has undermined transparency and independence. According to Byrne, even the reinstatement of independent directors would not restore proper governance if ultimate control remained unchanged.
“This is an acknowledgment of how appalling the treatment of sacked independent directors was, reappointing them to a board which they no longer have any control over is meaningless.
“These independent directors would simply be toothless and this would leave West Tigers in the same … dysfunctional state.”
Such remarks drew loud applause from the crowd, estimated by organisers to number close to 1,000 people. Protesters included lifelong fans, families, former members, and community figures who said the club no longer reflects the values of its supporters or its historical roots in the Inner West and western suburbs.
Mayor Byrne went further by calling for external intervention, urging both Gaming and Liquor NSW and the NRL to take decisive action. He argued that administrators should be appointed to oversee the Holman Barnes Group, while genuinely independent directors should be installed to manage the club itself. For many in attendance, this call symbolised a last-resort plea to save the West Tigers from further decline.
The rally was not only about venting frustration but also about creating a pathway forward. Addressing the crowd, Byrne announced the formation of a new grassroots organisation aimed at empowering supporters and restoring their voice in the club’s future. The group, named West Tigers Unite, is intended to operate as a formal fan association, drawing inspiration from similar movements in football and rugby clubs around the world.
“We will draw from successful examples around the world of fan associations in different sports that have been set up with this sort of situation occurs, when fans get cut out of decision making, when their voices aren’t listened to,” he said.
The sentiment resonated strongly with supporters who feel increasingly alienated from decisions that directly affect the club they have followed for generations. Many fans at the rally carried handmade signs calling for transparency, accountability, and respect, while others wore old jerseys to symbolise a connection to more successful and stable eras.
“We’re all here because we haven’t been listened to, in fact, when we’ve complained about the fact they’re not listening to the fans they say, ‘No it’s not their club, it’s our club.’”
That perception of exclusion has become a central grievance among West Tigers supporters. Once regarded as a club deeply embedded in its community, the Tigers now face accusations of being run as a corporate asset rather than a sporting institution with social responsibilities.
The stakes, according to Byrne and many fans, extend beyond short-term results on the field. They warn that continued instability could threaten the club’s long-term place in the NRL, particularly as the league expands and competition for relevance intensifies.
“We simply won’t be in the NRL in a couple of years time if these people are allowed to continue the way they have been.”
Those words underscored the gravity of the situation and the sense of urgency driving the protest. While the West Tigers have endured prolonged struggles on the ladder, supporters argue that poor performances are symptoms of deeper structural issues rather than isolated failures.
As the rally concluded, chants echoed around Pratten Park, signalling a renewed determination among fans to remain vocal and organised. Whether the protest will lead to meaningful change remains uncertain, but it has undeniably placed the West Tigers’ governance crisis under a harsh public spotlight.
For now, the formation of West Tigers Unite represents a symbolic and practical step toward reclaiming a sense of ownership and identity. In a sport where loyalty runs deep, the message from Pratten Park was clear: supporters are no longer willing to watch silently from the sidelines as their club’s future hangs in the balance.
