NRL player agent sanctions: Gavin Orr and Isaac Moses in firing line
The NRL has made good on their promise to crack down on player agents, stripping the accreditation from one of the game’s biggest player managers and hitting several others with heavy sanctions.
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Leading agent Gavin Orr is scrambling to save his place in the game while the spat between Isaac Moses and former Parramatta forward Tim Mannah has become an issue for the integrity unit as the NRL makes good on their promise to crack down on player managers.
Orr, who along with his brother Chris manages the likes off Payne Haas, Valentine Holmes and Daly Cherry-Evans, has had his registration cancelled by the NRL over sanctions relating to knowingly aiding breaches of the salary cap rules.
Orr is planning to appeal the decision and will be allowed to continue to act as a player agent until that appeal is heard in February. It is understood his issues relate to former Parramatta and Melbourne centre Cheyse Blair during his time at the Eels several years ago.
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While the NRL promised not to go over old ground when they seized control of the agents late last year, the issue with Blair had not been fully exhausted by the previous body charged with investigating player managers.
Moses, along with Mario Tartak, was also issued with a beach notice but will be given the opportunity to present his side of the story in the new year.
Moses late on Wednesday vowed to fight the allegations and insisted he had done nothing wrong. The NRL will have the final say, his relationship with Mannah and mysterious football whisperer Joe Wehbe at the heart of the issue.
Moses and Wehbe, who has the ear of some of the game’s biggest names, were former business partners but their relationship soured, leading to court action as they haggled over the split of their business.
Mannah was one of a handful of players who sided with Wehbe — Sydney Roosters superstar James Tedesco also left Moses — and the breakdown of that relationship now threatens Moses’ place in the game.
It is understood Mannah, now employed by Parramatta off the field, gave evidence to the integrity unit that prompted the NRL to issue Moses with a breach notice.
The NRL confirmed Moses, formerly the agent of Israel Folau and now controlling the affairs of the likes of Cameron Smith and Mitchell Moses, stood accused of breaching his obligations as an accredited agent “by counselling or assisting a person not to co-operate with the NRL integrity unit”.
Moses issued a statement through his company the Cove Agency in which he said he intended to defend himself.
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“The NRL has published a media release today regarding disciplinary proceedings against Isaac Moses of Cove Agency,” the statement said.
“Cove Agency does not wish to comment at this time in relation to the media statement as it refers to an ongoing matter which has yet to be determined by the NRL.
“Cove Agency does wish to put on record that Isaac Moses respects the processes of the NRL and is co-operating fully with the NRL’s proceedings.
“Isaac Moses strenuously denies any wrongdoing. He is defending the proceedings and expects they will be resolved in the New Year.”
Tartak, who looks after the likes of Damien Cook and Benji Marshall, had his accreditation suspended on November 15 following the discovery of previously undisclosed bankruptcy proceedings.
His accreditation was reinstated in late November following the resolution of those proceedings but the NRL has now issued a show cause notice to Tartak over his failure to inform the integrity unit of the bankruptcy proceedings.
He declined to comment on the latest developments.
Like Moses, a final decision on Tartak’s accreditation will be made in the new year.
The NRL brought the agents under their umbrella in late-2018, vowing to clean up an aspect of the game that many believed had spiralled out of control.
They promised to wield a big stick. On Wednesday afternoon, they made good on that promise. Antoun Zibara was the final agent to be sanctioned as he received a fine and probation for three years for submitting contracts that had not been witnessed in accordance with NRL rules.
“Our integrity unit has conducted extensive investigations over a number of months which has resulted in disciplinary proceedings against four player agents,’’ NRL chief operating officer Nick Weeks said.
“The reform of the rules relating to player agents at the end of last year has allowed the NRL to hold player agents accountable in the same way as players and club officials.”
Many within the game will rejoice at Thursday’s developments given the belief that agents wield too much power.