Cronulla Sharks coach Flanagan happy for NRL to bring on salary cap investigation
CRONULLA coach Shane Flanagan has encouraged the NRL to talk to him about the games ongoing salary cap investigations into the Sharks.
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CRONULLA coach Shane Flanagan has encouraged the NRL to talk to him about the games ongoing salary cap investigations into the Sharks.
A defiant Flanagan said he and his club had nothing to hide after revelations the club were being investigated for a third party payment of up to $50,000 made to former forward Chris Heighington.
“I look forward to meeting with the NRL in the near future to clarify any questions they may have regarding our current issue,” said Flanagan, who read off palm cards on Friday before taking questions. “I have nothing to hide, in fact I have worked closely with the NRL for many years.
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“I knew of the third party with Chris Heighington. It was all registered.
“I have very little to do with third party agreements. There’s many of them that come through the club every day. Whether it’s for Val Holmes doing a teeth whitening or Uber Eats, whatever it maybe. It might be for gear …. There’s hundreds of them that come through the club every week and they don’t come through me. All I can comment is what I know and the club’s mantra is all TPAs (third party arrangements) have got to be registered.”
Flanagan was told by new chief executive Barry Russell about the potential salary cap problems three months ago. He backed Russell’s decision to self-report the issue to the NRL.
“I didn’t know anything until three months ago that it was an issue,” Flanagan said.
“It was a decision (Russell) made. I didn’t know it would end up where it has ended up.
“There is no cheating of the cap. Don’t even use the word. There has been a discrepancy. The club has done the right thing now people want to say we’ve cheated? It’s a minimal dollar amount.
“You can’t kick us and then applaud us. You can’t say we should’ve reported it and then all of a sudden kick us when we do.
“The club made that decision. Good on them.
Flanagan, who denied the club’s 2016 premiership win was now tainted, also distanced himself from suggestions he had fallen out with Russell.
The rumour mill has been in full swing that the self-reporting could be a way of forcing Flanagan — whose contract expires at the end of next year — from the club.
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“Barry gave Kyle (Flanagan) his jersey last Sunday,” Flanagan said. “Do you think someone I would ask someone I’m having a stink with I’d ask him to present my son’s debut jersey? C’mon.”
The Sharks have more than half a million dollars to spend on their salary cap this season. Flanagan said the underspend was not linked to the club’s ongoing cash flow problems.
”We won’t (spend it all),” Flanagan said. “Our 30 players are done. We can pre-pay players to help for next year. Our club runs on an oily rag and I’m proud of that. We are under the cap for a reason because we’re stingy with the way we do things.”
Flanagan said the issue had been a distraction for the side ahead of their match against Canterbury on Sunday where a top four spot is on the line.
“It’s a bad time,” Flanagan said. “You can’t help these things. It’s out of our control.
“I’ve got a strong group of players. The external noise has been a lot the last couple of days. There is not much we can do about it.”
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