Tigers position ‘very serious’

The threat to Balmain Leagues and its football club remains “very serious”, Leichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrne says.

A public meeting held last night, after print deadline, was expected to discuss contingency plans in case the club is put into receivership.

Balmain Leagues has successfully sought an injunction against developer Rozelle Village, which attempted to place the club into administration. Balmain Leagues owes millions of dollars in loans paid by the developer to support the club during what was supposed to be an interim period while the old Tigers site was redeveloped.

“Were the Balmain Leagues Club to go into receivership there has to be a plan to how we will keep the football club alive,” Cr Byrne said.

“Otherwise thousands of junior rugby league players will lose their competition, and in the long term, there’s no guarantee that the Tigers part of Wests Tigers will survive.”

The mayor said the meeting’s purpose would be to disseminate the facts and begin formulating an action plan to save the club.

“We need Tigers fans across the country to show the developers, Rozelle Village, how important it is that they reach a negotiated settlement with the leagues club.”

Both parties have previously indicated they would prefer to reach agreement out of court, and will attend a mediation session on April 30.

Rozelle Village has failed to get state government approval for its planned development on the old Tigers site. Most recently, an application for a 20-storey apartment tower was recommended for rejection by the Department of Planning.

“It’s time for Rozelle Village to accept that a much more modest development is the only one that will be ever approved,” Cr Byrne said.