Western Suburbs Magpies to enter final season

[DIEHARD]

Western Suburbs Magpies to enter final season



FOUNDATION club Western Suburbs Magpies are about to approach their final winter in Sydney before they vanish once and for all.

But the diehards out west are not prepared to go quietly, organising a protest rally on February 5 to fight for survival.

When the Magpies merged with Balmain in 1999 to form the Wests Tigers, one of the agreements was Wests and Balmain maintain their own identities in the NSW Cup.

But as of 2013, Wests Tigers plan to field just one team in the Cup to save money for junior development - meaning Wests Magpies will cease to exist at senior level.

Officials at Wests have privately fumed they have received the raw end of the deal from the Wests Tigers marriage. They do not appear on the Wests Tigers logo, and in recent years have watched all NRL fringe players sent to Balmain.

Magpies chairman Paul Dillon last night said he was disappointed with the Wests Tigers and their plans to enter just one team in the Cup - even if it sounded the death knell of the same club that made Tommy Raudonikis, Noel Kelly and Keith Holman household names.

Even if they wanted to go it alone, the Magpies could not afford it as major backers Wests Ashfield, who spend $300,000 on the Cup side, will end their association at season's end."We're very disappointed with the Wests Tigers, and what should have been a wonderful celebration has come to this," Dillon said.

"The agreement was the Wests Tigers be the NRL side, and Wests and Balmain remain in the NSW Cup. We offered to the Tigers to play in the NSW Cup with a Magpies jersey and stick a Tiger on the sleeve but they said no."

Dillon said there were disgruntled junior clubs in the region who had been barred from training and playing in the Campbelltown district. He said the protest also wanted to highlight the need for more than four NRL games to be played at Campbelltown.

The merger has meant Wests Tigers have needed to spend up to $1 million annually to support two NSW Cup teams.

Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys said last night that junior development programs needed to be a higher priority than running two State Cup sides.

"In my opinion Wests Balmain and Wests Tigers spend an inordinate amount of time, money and effort on the NSW Cup, and I believe we'd all be far better off if some of that time, effort and money was redirected into the junior leagues and junior development programs," he said.

"I've expressed that view to the Wests Tigers directors."

Western Suburbs Magpies will maintain an identity in the junior representative competitions but cease to exist at senior level.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/

[DIEHARD]

I'm guttered to read this, that Magpie fans have to lose their club TWICE.

It should be the business of Rugby League to ensure our foundation clubs don't fold. Newtown, Norths... It felt good that they were still alive playing senior footy.

This is another damnation of the cutting of support to the NSW Cup.

It must be a very confusing and sad time for a Magpie Wests Tigers fan. It is not really a joint venture now.

[DIEHARD]

Sad to see Wests Ashfield pull out of the Wests Magpies....

[Steelers]

It must be a very confusing and sad time for a Magpie Wests Tigers fan. It is not really a joint venture now.

I feel their pain. At least our merger is improving rather than disintegrating.

[Smakked]

Sad thing to see happen but it is a sign of the times, Who knows what will happen as our economy fails even more, i dread to think.

[DIEHARD]

Sad thing to see happen but it is a sign of the times, Who knows what will happen as our economy fails even more, i dread to think.

Always good to err on the side of caution. And make sure that you get in and support your club financially as well.

Even take it to other levels such as sponsoring a locsal Junior club, it is surprisingly affordable.

[TITAN PETE]

It will be sad for many if the Magies are gone forever but if they can protest loud & long it may upset the West Tigers & cause some unrest for the upcoming NRL season which can only be good for the rest of the comp