Sharks under investigation for salary cap breaches

[Foordy]

Fair enough, I didn't realize that there was some irregularity in the 2017 season. I didn't see that reported. Is there a link?

saw it on NRL 360.

 

[Ironbroncos]

Caught a bit of NRL 360 last night with Luke Lewis & Josh Reynolds.

IMO Lewis started off alright when they asked him about the scandal, but then once Kent (& to some extent Ikin) started sinking his teeth in with some roundabout questions, Lewis got all defensive with his 'don't know how the cap works, I leave it to my manager, I don't know where the moneys coming from'.

Pretty sad to see the convo kinda turn like that (well that's how I felt about it) since both players are on the show every week, and Lewis is retiring, so i don't think he would've really cared because hes out the door anytime in the next few weeks.

It was just weird how they're all goody to each other every other week and then this pops up and then boom, Lewis had a target on his head because he plays @ the Sharks.

 

[1910]

What does the "significance" of the breach matter? If the payment in question was used to retain a player, who also played in the 2016 season under the same contract, why would the amount matter? $250k, or $500, they cheated the cap to retain a player for what would ultimately be a premiership-winning season, strip it.

They haven't mentioned a player / players. I wonder if it has anything to do with the discreet Gallen incident, AKA the actual dude who paid Gallen illegally coming out with it publicly?

The significance matters a lot- big difference between one third party payment which a couple of clubs get fined for every year and systematic rorting of millions and two books.

Broncos were $100,000 over in 2000- want it stripped?
And again in 2006 and were fined $30,000- strip that too?

 

[broncos4life]

Caught a bit of NRL 360 last night with Luke Lewis & Josh Reynolds.

IMO Lewis started off alright when they asked him about the scandal, but then once Kent (& to some extent Ikin) started sinking his teeth in with some roundabout questions, Lewis got all defensive with his 'don't know how the cap works, I leave it to my manager, I don't know where the moneys coming from'.

Pretty sad to see the convo kinda turn like that (well that's how I felt about it) since both players are on the show every week, and Lewis is retiring, so i don't think he would've really cared because hes out the door anytime in the next few weeks.

It was just weird how they're all goody to each other every other week and then this pops up and then boom, Lewis had a target on his head because he plays @ the Sharks.

I actually have to praise Kent and Ikin (which doesn't happen much for me). I expected them to give their mate some easy questions but they took it seriously and asked him some tough questions. I really like Luke Lewis but I have to say I have some doubts after watching his answers. They way he flipped between "it's all my manager I don't know how the cap works" then "I learnt how it works when I did it all myself" then flip flopped when pressured on that. He could just have been taken aback but surely they would have given him a heads up on the line of questioning.

 

[Morkel]

The significance matters a lot- big difference between one third party payment which a couple of clubs get fined for every year and systematic rorting of millions and two books.

Broncos were $100,000 over in 2000- want it stripped?
And again in 2006 and were fined $30,000- strip that too?

Sure. We have enough to lose. If you knew me you’d know I’d support zero tolerance. Any player, manager, and club signatories caught need to be rubbed out for the duration of the player’s contract. And relevant seasons declared invalid. Should clean it up. Would have set a precedence in 2010 if the NRL weren’t gutless.

 

[Nashy]

The significance matters a lot- big difference between one third party payment which a couple of clubs get fined for every year and systematic rorting of millions and two books.

Broncos were $100,000 over in 2000- want it stripped?
And again in 2006 and were fined $30,000- strip that too?

The only difference they should look at is, was it on purpose, or was it accidental?

 

[Huge]

The only difference they should look at is, was it on purpose, or was it accidental?

No no no Nashy. We have to do it morkels way, any breach, even for $24 must be treated as though it were $10,000,000. It doesn't matter how it happened or for any amount including $1 unaccounted or over the cap. Zer tolerance, morkel style pefection.

 

[Morkel]

No no no Nashy. We have to do it morkels way, any breach, even for $24 must be treated as though it were $10,000,000. It doesn't matter how it happened or for any amount including $1 unaccounted or over the cap. Zer tolerance, morkel style pefection.

It's just a little bit of peptides, it's all good.

The NRL should not be allowed to have so many grey areas. It allows them to feign incompetence when in reality they're just gutless ***** who don't want to have to make a hard choice. It's rife, not just on the field (penalty crackdowns, then not), but off it as well.

In this case, grey areas allow them to not have to take appropriate action when it's called for, and only does them more harm in the long term. So yeah, I advocate to take a stronger, no-leniency approach on things that actually are black & white but are politicised in to being grey.

 

[Foordy]

It's just a little bit of peptides, it's all good.

The NRL should not be allowed to have so many grey areas. It allows them to feign incompetence when in reality they're just gutless ***** who don't want to have to make a hard choice. It's rife, not just on the field (penalty crackdowns, then not), but off it as well.

In this case, grey areas allow them to not have to take appropriate action when it's called for, and only does them more harm in the long term. So yeah, I advocate to take a stronger, no-leniency approach on things that actually are black & white but are politicised in to being grey.

They still haven't been punished for the peptides scandal ... a similar thing will probably happen here, i.e. no real punishment or deterrent for other clubs to obey the rules ...

there is actually a common denominator for both the peptides and salary cap scandals ... Shane Flanagan

 

[Unbreakable]

NRL strongly punishing club = less members = less crowd numbers = less viewership = never going to happen.

 

[Morkel]

NRL strongly punishing club = less members = less crowd numbers = less viewership = never going to happen.

I honestly don't think that'll happen. The opposite could in fact be true. It may well galvanise opposition fans in to throwing further support behind their club because they feel more righteous, and may even feel that their club has a better chance of success now that the cheating club(s) have been exposed and penalised. One club might go down but 15 go up.

That, and the NRL surely knows that the game thrives on controversy.

 

[Morkel]

Sounds like the scam involved paying another staff member an inflated wage, with that staff member then passing on the extra cash directly to the player.

So obviously deliberate. And oh so dumb.

 

[Dash]

Sounds like the scam involved paying another staff member an inflated wage, with that staff member then passing on the extra cash directly to the player.

So obviously deliberate. And oh so dumb.

And no way the player/s in question could feign ignorance. I'd sure as hell notice if a random colleague of mine started handing me free money.

 

[Browny]

NRL strongly punishing club = less members = less crowd numbers = less viewership = never going to happen.

Don’t forget how staunch the Storm were after their breach. The bullshit team walk across the field to the media, arrogant harmichaels

 

[Battler]

I actually have to praise Kent and Ikin (which doesn't happen much for me). I expected them to give their mate some easy questions but they took it seriously and asked him some tough questions. I really like Luke Lewis but I have to say I have some doubts after watching his answers. They way he flipped between "it's all my manager I don't know how the cap works" then "I learnt how it works when I did it all myself" then flip flopped when pressured on that. He could just have been taken aback but surely they would have given him a heads up on the line of questioning.

Lewis probably received (legal) advice from the club before appearing on 360, or at least realises the seriousness of the charge and is trying to be as diplomatic as a footy player can be.

 

[Super Freak]

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Funny how it's been nothing but NSW teams (and Melbourne) being pinged for breaches over the past 10 years and yet WE are the problem according to the mouth breathers down south lol

 

[mrslong]

I just found an article saying 2017 may have a breach in it too. Naturally that's not proven yet and all we can really do is wait until the NRL finish their investigation and make our informed observations then. Until then we can only speculate but given the CEO was upfront and called in the NRL and they've been busy investigating for three months it just goes to show that some parts of the NRL are working well. I mean, how did they keep this secret up until now? You'd think the dribbler, Slothfield would have known about it but it wasn't reported until now.

My speculation is that Rothfield has known all about it, but now that the Cronulla players have come out and insulted him, he's started releasing the information that he knows.
Cutting off his nose to spite his face. Wouldn't put it past him.