Storm for Wooden Spoon - Betting Suspended

[Coxy]

I actually agree with AP. I don't think the premierships and minor premierships should've been stripped. Prizemoney paid back, sure, but unless there's hard evidence the players were explicitly aware of the scam then they should have no blame apportioned to them.

And to be told your achievements as a sportsman for the last 4 years are null and void is way worse than any financial punishment you could give them.

I feel sorry for the players. I really do.

 

[gUt]

This makes their new stadium shits this year feel pretty hollow.

What shockingly bad news for Rugby League.

 

[ningnangnong]

You are kidding me.

Their team would've been missing a fair few key players if they hadn't cheated the cap, how can you say they still would have achieved what they did? They were able to use players they wouldn't have been able to if they followed the rules.

They're cheats. Worthy punishment.

the players that they had still won the premierships and minor premierships. it doesnt matter if they MIGHT NOT have been there - they were, and they won.

the premierships should stand because the players that were there won them fair and square, on the field.

BUT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE.

That's the whole point.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

just reading over the storm forums... responses like this

I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS %$#@! CHEATING CLUB ....... I'M ABSOLUTELY GUTTERED ...... I AM NO LONGER A STORM SUPPORTER ..... I HOPE MANAGEMENT HEADS ROLL

I just threw my two premiership DVDs in the bin. I feel like crying. I am numb.

Gotta feel for them

 

[ningnangnong]

just reading over the storm forums... responses like this

I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS %$#@! CHEATING CLUB ....... I'M ABSOLUTELY GUTTERED ...... I AM NO LONGER A STORM SUPPORTER ..... I HOPE MANAGEMENT HEADS ROLL

I just threw my two premiership DVDs in the bin. I feel like crying. I am numb.

Gotta feel for them

Definitely.

Their fans are the biggest losers here. I'd be absolutely devastated if I was them.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

[quote="Anonymous person":2ms19hcl]

You are kidding me.

Their team would've been missing a fair few key players if they hadn't cheated the cap, how can you say they still would have achieved what they did? They were able to use players they wouldn't have been able to if they followed the rules.

They're cheats. Worthy punishment.

the players that they had still won the premierships and minor premierships. it doesnt matter if they MIGHT NOT have been there - they were, and they won.

the premierships should stand because the players that were there won them fair and square, on the field.

Retard. They wouldn't have had all the players if they all weren't over-paid!!!

Smith could have been elsewhere![/quote:2ms19hcl]

But for all we know, he didnt know of the cheating, so why should the players be punished?

 

[Coxy]

Rugby League will die.

Many teams that were on their way to premierships during the final series MUST feel cheated. Not only the teams, but the fans too. This is disgusting.

No wonder the Storm have been able to keep key players, everyone is over-paid thus equals more success on the field for sure.

If any positive comes out of this it's that the NRL will surely see the salary cap is ridiculous.

 

[user_nat]

I also agree with not stripping Premierships. What has happened in the past is gone.. leave it that way.

 

[Anonymous person]

Retard. They wouldn't have had all the players if they all weren't over-paid!!!

Smith could have been elsewhere!

name calling, nice work :roll:

read what i said. it doesnt matter if they MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD ALL THE PLAYERS!!! they DID have all the players, and they DID win the premierships.

smith COULD have been elsewhere, but if he was not aware that any underhanded tactics were going on, why would he leave? smith WASNT elsewhere, he was winning premierships with the Storm.

 

[ningnangnong]

This must be the most users we've had on BHQ since we lost to Melbourne in 2008.

 

[Beachy]

I don't blame the players.

The investigations have revealed the Storm maintained a dual contract system and the club has today confirmed that side letters promising extra payments were stored in a secret file at the home of the Chief Executive.

The accounts were structured in such a way that it would appear the commitments were not apparent to either the Melbourne Storm Board or its owners.

Are we sure the players didn't know??

 

[subsbligh]

2008. Never forget

Rugby League in Melbourne died a very sudden death today

 

[Beachy]

News Ltd statement

News Ltd has just released a media statement on the Melbourne Storm decision.

It reads:

News Limited today said there could be further penalties against Melbourne Storm management and others involved in the salary cap rorts that have cost the club the 2007 and 2009 premierships, a substantial fine and a place in the 2010 finals.

News’ chairman and chief executive John Hartigan expressed his disappointment and anger today, condemning those at the club that have admitted involvement.

“Today is a regrettable day in the history of the game,” he said.

“I don’t think there will be a league fan anywhere who is not outraged by what appears to be a highly orchestrated, deeply deceptive fraud in which there was systematic and deliberate concealment of unlawful payments to certain players over an extended period.”

Mr Hartigan said the unprecedented penalties imposed by the NRL today were warranted.

As well as the NRL penalties, News announced a range of actions effective today including:

· The appointment of accounting firm Deloitte to conduct a forensic audit of the club’s accounts and financial affairs;

· Standing down two senior staff still employed by the club who are implicated in the deception pending the outcome of the audit;

· Appointing highly respected rugby league administrator Frank Stanton as caretaker CEO of the club;

· Preparing to take further action against club officials and any other parties if the Deloitte investigation finds others are or were knowingly involved in the deception.

News met Storm management at an emergency meeting in Sydney today ahead of a meeting with the NRL.

The company said other actions included referring the matter to the police. As well as commissioning the forensic audit, News Limited and the board of the Melbourne Storm are cooperating fully with the NRL’s investigation.

The precise details of the fraud are still being established but it is believed to have involved breaches of $1.7 million over 5 years and that a number of current and former Storm officials colluded with third parties to make secret payments to a number of players.

“This elaborate collusion and the scale of the deception has been concealed from News Limited and it is our understanding that it has been concealed from the Board of the Storm,” Mr Hartigan said.

The NRL discovered the discrepancies when it compared the remuneration amounts in the club’s letters of offer to the players, with amounts disclosed in the formal contracts the club has with those players that were lodged with the NRL.

Mr Hartigan added: “I regret we have probably not yet uncovered the full extent of this fraud. Make no mistake, News does not tolerate this behaviour.

“I want to apologise unreservedly to the vast majority of people at the club who are victims of this fraud and to the other 15 premiership clubs, to the Storm’s thousands of loyal fans and rugby league fans everywhere, and to the Storm’s sponsors and people who support what the club does including the Victorian Government,” Mr Hartigan said.

“News remains committed to the Storm in Melbourne. However, the company will support further action against the club by the NRL, and take further action of its own against the club or individuals if the extent of the breaches widens,” he said.

News makes it a condition of the internal and external audits that are conducted into the club’s affairs annually, that Storm management must verify in writing each quarter that its contractual obligations to the NRL under the salary cap have been complied with and, specifically, that there is no fraud.

“These assurances were given but they were not true,” Mr Hartigan said.

 

[Charmamba]

i feel for........ manly and parra fans..... Oh i just died inside.

 

[chazta]

i really doubt that none of the players knew about it in some way

 

[Coxy]

Coxy way to miss the point.

Who says that the Storm's key players would still be at the Club over the 5 year period??? Do you think they would have still won all premierships if they didn't have Cam Smith or some other stars?

I feel for the players and fans though.

I don't blame the players.

Who says they wouldn't?

My point is the money and shit doesn't matter to the players. And unless THE PLAYERS KNEW their squad was made by cheating the salary cap then why strip them of the premierships?

The club management couldn't give a shit about the actual premierships. They were all about the money and success and attracting sponsors, blah blah blah. That's why they did it. The players shed blood, sweat and tears over those 4 years to win 3 minor premierships and 2 titles. They don't deserve to look at those premiership rings and feel like cheats.

As I said, UNLESS the players THEMSELVES knew about this scam. At this stage there's no evidence to suggest that.

 

[subsbligh]

Do you think this will perhaps sway the players to band together and win a GF in 2011?

Izzy to return to Melbourne to put things right?

Imagine a 2011 Broncos v Storm GF - the drama

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

Really though, they trust their managers with their livelihood, and the manager probably just said, "ok sign here... and here" and that was it. The managers are the ones behind this