Eels bosses prepared to risk loss of competition points rather than fall on their own swords
HAVING been heavily criticised over the weekend for failing to answer questions about Parramatta’s salary cap scandal, Eels boss John Boulous broke his silence yesterday via a carefully prepared statement.
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PARRAMATTA’S bosses appear prepared to risk their team losing competition points to save their own positions.
Having been heavily criticised over the weekend for failing to answer questions about the club’s salary cap scandal, Eels chief executive John Boulous finally broke his silence yesterday via a carefully prepared club statement.
The NRL will begin investigations this week into The Daily Telegraph’s revelations that board meeting minutes from 2014 included discussions on how to skirt around the governing body’s stringent salary cap rules to reward third-party sponsors with corporate box tickets and hospitality packages in exchange for player payments.
A team of salary cap auditors, forensic accountants and the integrity unit will assess Parramatta’s books and, if the club is found to have breached the rules, it’s understood the NRL will push ahead to either have officials removed who had knowledge of the dealings or dock the club competition points.
But Boulous’ statement yesterday only cast more concern over the Eels’ precarious position as he indicated that none of the bosses were looking to give up their positions.
“I assure every single one of our members and fans that the board and I are utterly determined to continue to drive these reforms,” Boulous said.
Those reforms are the 117 compliance recommendations that were made after the NRL’s initial threat last year of penalising the club four competition points relating to governance, prior to the latest allegations.
“The club is taking the recent reports very seriously and the board has met at length to discuss the various matters raised.
“We have commenced an internal investigation and are also fully committed to assisting the NRL,” Boulous said.
“In my time as CEO and under the direction of the board, the club has acted in good faith with the NRL, and we have overhauled and dramatically improved the club’s governance.”
“Our current team is united in this purpose, and we share in the disappointment of our members and fans that our club has again appeared in the media for the wrong reasons.”
There was outrage on Friday when coach Brad Arthur was left to cop the heat for the salary cap allegations when he fronted the media alone on Friday ahead of their clash with North Queensland.
It was after his team’s courageous 20-16 victory that Boulous sent his statement out.
Boulous was announced as the club’s fulltime chief executive in January, having taken charge last June on an interim basis as the fifth CEO in five years.
Prior to that, Boulous joined the Eels in 2014 as their chief operating officer.
Originally published as Eels bosses prepared to risk loss of competition points rather than fall on their own swords
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