Official: The Wests Group buy the Newcastle Knights

Will be interesting to see what Gardner brings to the table in the battle of the clubs vs NRL vs RLPA that's been taking place for seemingly forever. That and he has to run the Knights and the Wests. I reckon he will be like a David Gallop type where hes here for maybe 12-18 months before a new CEO is appointed when the dust has settled. Very excited to see what the Wests plans and visions are but I imagine they will get to work straight away in funding junior pathways developement programs and the clubs recruitment and retention strategy so guys like Jack Bird dont slip away with 3rd party deals
 
Sombrero? Sombrero?

How dare you Billy have you not read Turdburg's press release all Clubs will be salary cap compliant next year lol? I know I know lol makes you chuckle!
 
Wests wasting no time locking up those sponsorships, good to see. And good to hear they are on the move regarding membership drives as well.
 
Yes have no doubt we will spend it, but still very early days. We won't buy a bunch of reserve graders in November to make it up. Hopefully some good players fall out of the tree over the coming months.
 
2 years ago did we even think we could be looking in this good a shape , we've bought some very good players we have some great young guys playing in 1st grade that have come through the ranks ...Wests now own the club we have a good looking team and still have $2,000,000 to spend , I have to say the Board , the club , the coach and the young players have all done very well .....
 
Bit of a whisper that the state government are close to announcing 40 mill for RL centres of excellence, with Newcastle a good chance to get their 10 mill - so it might go ahead.
Last mock up of it I saw had a cricket ground where the trotting track is now. With the stand for the trots and a new stand and some hills around it, it might be good enough for Big Bash games.
 
This from sporting news

"Outgoing Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle has been linked to the club after announcing her departure from Belmore earlier in the year."

Surely thats a g up from sporting news.

Definitely a gee up. Raelene Castle is now in charge of the tire fire known as Australian Rugby. [emoji23]

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 
www.theherald.com.au/story/5194044/knights-close-to-appointing-football-advisory-committee/?cs=12

Wests going to appoint football advisory committee.
Sounds like money for nothing.
It's probably a way to offer some post football money like Brisbane do.

I hope that it is the way you see it Billy...I will have more faith when I see who is appointed and their terms of reference.

After reading the drivel of some comments under the article, again I couldn't resist the opportunity just to test whether I have been banned from passing comment in the Herald (and I don't think I've given them any ammunition to do so this time :p- in case it doesn't make the site, here is what I submitted...


Seems like a performance based culture is just what we need here in Newie.


With a squad largely of his choosing now and a focus on the on-field performance of the Knights team, I expect the players and coaching staff will be happy to be judged on what happens in 2018...and barring a significant injury toll to key personnel, I expect the Advisory Committee will be reporting on a very positive season for this club...


And if it happens that we don't show significant enough improvement, then management have put in place the appropriate mechanisms to hold people to account - on the other hand, if the improvements continue above and beyond expectations, then that should also be recognised with the appropriate rewards for those who deliver.


I get and appreciate that the Wests group acknowledge that their skill set rests in the business acumen to run the Knights and I have full faith in that. My only questions are:


Who will be the 'former club legends' that will make up the advisory committee? Depending on the scope of their 'advisory' capacities, it will be important that they get the right individuals with objectivity to provide 'governance and oversight of football matters' in the best interests of the club going forward.


What sort of recommendations will they be asked to make to the board? I just hope that the breadth of matters they will be assessing and evaluating relates to objective measures and does not rely on personal opinions of what they would do if they were the coach, football manager, etc. - for all the pain the club and fans have had to go through since Tinkler and Bennett have departed, that sort of subjective oversight would be toxic to the club culture going forward
 
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