NRL hands down Parramatta Eels penalty for salary cap rorting
CAN Anthony Watmough retiring help fix Parramatta’s salary cap crisis? YES, reveals PHIL ROTHFIELD. HAVE YOUR SAY.
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Eels docked 12 points and fined $1 million
Chairman Steve Sharp among five officials to be sacked
Eels stripped of Auckland Nines title
Eels will be able to play for points once under salary cap
CAN Anthony Watmough retiring help fix Parramatta’s salary cap crisis? YES.
He is on $700,000 and the club is $570,000 over the cap this year.
The former Sea Eagles star has not played this year because of a knee injury,
“Any player that suffers a career-ending injury – as long as the salary cap auditor is satisfied that it’s genuine – with medical certificates - they can be remove from the cap,” said NRL head of integrity Nick Weeks.
It’s unlikely the entirety of Watmough’s contract could come off the Eels’ salary cap, given he’s already been paid part of his wage for the 2016 season.
The NRL has ruled out pay cuts from players to get the club under the cap.
Earlier, it was revealed that the NRL has fined the Parramatta Eels $1 million, dock them all 12 competition points as a result of systemic salary cap rorting and stripped them of the Auckland Nines title.
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The NRL’s recently appointed chief executive Todd Greenberg handed down the massive penalty on Tuesday morning following a three-month forensic investigation into a scandal was first revealed in The Daily Telegraph in March.
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Five Eels officials - chairman Steve Sharp, CEO John Boulos, head of football Daniel Anderson, deputy chairman Tom Issa and director Peter Serrao - have also been sacked as part of the penalties, the heaviest since Melbourne Storm was stripped of two premierships, lost all their competition points and were fined $1.7 million back in 2010.
Parramatta was in fifth place on the premiership table on 12 competition points before the decision was handed down on Tuesday morning.
The NRL has no choice but to come down so heavily given the size of the breaches.
Greenberg spoke about the punishments at a media conference later on Tuesday morning.
“This is the day no one in rugby league wanted to see,” Greenberg said.
“It’s a tough day for one of our clubs, and a truly heartbreaking day for Parramatta fans and their players.
“But sometimes the hardest thing to do is also the right thing to do.”
Greenberg said the Eels have breached the salary cap in five of the last six years.
“This has to stop. It stops today,” he said.
Greenberg addressed Parramatta players with the news on Tuesday morning.
“I think it would be fair to say they were shattered,” Greenberg said.
“Really felt for the players this morning and I was desperate to make sure Nick and I faced them face to face this morning and they found this out from us directly. I wanted to face them and wanted them to hear it from us. I feel really sorry for the players this is a really difficult time. The game has a duty and I have a duty to represent 16 clubs.”
Mathematically the Parramatta Eels can still make the finals this year — but it will take a herculean effort.
Once they have removed players to get back under the salary cap, the team can compete for competition points.
With 15 games to go and two byes, they could potentially finish the season on 34 points.
Most years a minimum 28 points are required to make the finals, which means the Eels could win 12 of their last 15 and make the playoffs.
It is understood they will have to reduce this year’s cap by more than $500,000 to compete for points.
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