Benny Elias slams 'farcical' drama at Wests Tigers amid calls for joint venture to split

Balmain Tigers legend Benny Elias has lashed out at a rebel Wests Tigers board member who has called for a split with the Western Suburbs side of the joint venture. Balmain director Garry Leo dropped a bombshell on the NRL club on Thursday when he told The Sydney Morning Herald that a crisis meeting was being planned to try and work out a split from the Western Suburbs faction of the club.

The Wests Tigers have been struggling both on and off the footy field for years and Leo's frustrations centre around the majority owners of the joint venture - the Holman Barnes Group (HBG) - and many of the decisions they have made. Leo wants the Balmain Tigers to split from Western Suburbs and argues that they have a much stronger following in Sydney's inner-west than in the western suburbs.

The Balmain director pointed to the redevelopment of Balmain's spiritual home ground Leichhardt Oval and said with the right financial backing, the Balmain Tigers would be able to return to the NRL as a single entity. But a furious Elias says the relationship with Balmain and Western Suburbs is "as strong as it’s ever been" and has called for Leo to be sacked over his "absolutely farcical comments".

“Wests Tigers have a licence with the NRL. Balmain is a big part of Wests Tigers, just as Western Suburbs is. We are partners and will continue being partners," Elias told News Corp. "It has taken 25 years for Balmain and Wests to marry and it will go on for an eternity. We have built our brand over those 25 years. That relationship is as strong as it’s ever been. Splitting with Wests Tigers is totally unrealistic.”

Balmain chair says support is strong for joint venture

Balmain chair Danny Stapleton has also echoed many of the comments from the Tigers legend after revealing that he has contacted fellow board members and been given assurances they were committed to the joint venture. The Balmain chair says his board is fully supportive of the joint venture with the Holman Barnes Group, the Wests Magpies group and the Wests Tigers as a whole.

Stapleton also rejected suggestions from Leo that a Balmain Tigers crisis meeting and a vote was set to be held on potentially ending the partnership. The Balmain chair's reassurances come after Leo told SMH on Thursday that the time had come for the Balmain Tigers to split from Western Suburbs and try and go it alone in the NRL again.

“We’ve got more of a following than the Wests side of the merger. To be honest, we have lost faith in them," Leo told SMH. "We’re getting Leichhardt Oval upgraded and we could play there every second week. If we can find the right backers, we want a shot at returning to the NRL. Leo - who played 156 games for Balmain - says the NRL needs a Tigers team in the competition but doubts league would allow the Wests Tigers to operate without Balmain's involvement.

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The drama comes amid an end-of-season battle for the Wests Tigers to try and avoid a third-straight NRL wooden spoon. The Tigers have a bye this weekend, before facing Parramatta in a final-round showdown that's set to decide which club finishes the season on the bottom of the ladder.