The Tigers had been close to announcing a new deal for fullback Jahream Bula, which would have locked down the young gun long-term, but all that may have been delayed or even torpedoed by the club’s civil war.
Things exploded at Wests earlier this week, with the majority owners, Holman Barnes Group, axing four independent Wests Tigers directors, including chairman Barry O’Farrell, from the board in a fiery split.
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The boardroom civil war at the Tigers has gotten so bad so quickly that there are already suggestions that the NRL, or even the state’s liquor and gaming watchdog, Liquor & Gaming NSW, will have to step in. That latter body is the same that cleansed the entire Parramatta Leagues board in 2016 after they had “ceased to become an effective governing body.”
For fans, there may be another, worse casualty beyond the bigwigs: Bula’s extension deal.
The Sporting Base understands everything had been basically agreed some days ago, with an announcement only pending Bula’s final legal signatures on the paper, though that’s all in doubt after this latest chaotic internal drama.
This has been backed up by reporting from the Sydney Morning Herald, where Christian Nicolussi wrote that the deal has been “potentially jeopardised” after originally only needing the ‘GO’ button pressed. “Sources with knowledge of the situation… confirmed the Tigers were close to announcing a new deal for Bula that would have locked him in long-term,” he had written.
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Worrying is the fact that the media has immediately started mentioning Bula’s name in association with Canterbury. Nicolussi’s December 3 report even pointed to the fact Bula had “even popped up at a Bulldogs game last season to cheer one of his best mates, Lachie Galvin.” No links yet, of course, but that it’s even popped up would be concerning.
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Last time Bula was linked with an exit from the Tigers, he was quick to shoot things down on social media, so that may happen again — and Tigers fans will be refreshing his Instagram page today, we’re sure — but nothing’s cropped up yet.
Whether he decides to leave or not, Bula is still contracted for 2026 and can’t leave until 2027.
No matter what, Bula has said he plans to “just focus on playing footy” and serving the Tigers as best he can.
