What a day it is to be a Wests Tigers fan! Sure, we haven't kicked a ball yet in 2025, but today might just be one of the biggest in the club's long history.

Today, Wests Tigers had four independent directors appointed to the club's board.

This means that Wests Tigers now has a board that meets the independent review recommendations that we all fought so hard for. These are directors who bring talent and nous from different backgrounds and are giving of their time and professional skills for one reason - to advance the Wests Tigers.

That is very exciting!

Barry O'Farrell is one of the independent board members, he is expected to be voted in as Wests Tigers Chairman at a meeting later this month.

Joining the representatives from Holman Barnes Group, Balmain Tigers, and Wests Magpies on the Wests Tigers board will be:

• Charlie Viola, Executive Chair of Viola Private Wealth, and former Partner at Pitcher Partners. Charlie is a prominent Financial Advisor and Industry leader, with exceptional financial management, commercial and strategy skills. Charlie grew up in Campbelltown and now lives in the Inner West.
• Michelle McDowell, former Managing Director of Allied Express, brings a wealth of experience in commercial, operations and logistics. Michelle has significant business acumen and is passionate about community. Michelle has deep commercial insights into the Western suburbs of Sydney.
• Annabelle Williams OAM PLY, Former Chair of the Athlete’s Commission for Paralympics Australia, and former Board member of the Paralympics Australia and Swimming Australia. Annabelle is a Lawyer and a decorated athlete, with deep insights in High-Performance, and is an advocate for inclusion and excellence in sport. Annabelle grew up in Balmain.

To mark these important appointments, and this important day, Garry Watson and Joel Helmes sat down and recorded this latest edition of the Wests Tigers Unite podcast. 

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