Parramatta Leagues Club board sacked, administrator appointed

[hineyrulz]

Must have been a mistake, I don’t do funnies I do whiney’s.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Hiney did a funny.

Yes, he should take a Beau.

 

[strider]

.....and some of you merkins laughed at me when I suggested that this affair could lead to fraud charges.....

Oh barry ... lol

 

[El Diablo]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/an...ed-over-eels-cap-scandal-20180502-p4zczb.html

Anger rises as sanctions for agents deferred over Eels cap scandal

Action against agents embroiled in the Parramatta salary cap scandal has been deferred yet again, as two lawyers engaged by the Rugby League Player Managers Accreditation Committee build nuclear proof cases.

The deferral will anger many club administrators and coaches who point out the Eels and five officials were punished by the NRL two years ago, while player managers continue to be a major source of instability in the game.

Some club chairs are agitating to have players pay agents’ commission direct, severing the co-operative relationship where clubs deduct the fees from the monthly payments made to players.

The agent then invoices the club for the commission it collects.

“The NRL could shut down this industry overnight if players were required to pay their agents direct,” one club boss fumed.

Coaches and club football managers also point out agents oppose the NFL model where salary offers for players are transparent between clubs, citing a breach of privacy. However, confidentiality is the least of the concerns of rugby league agents when it benefits them to destabilise a coach with leaked stories he is "losing the dressing room".

Agents also oppose transparency of offers because it is counter to their tactic of fuelling inflation (including their fees) by exaggerating offers from rival clubs, including the fictitious promise of third party deals.

The initial delay in action against player managers involved in the Parramatta salary cap breaches was the indemnities the seven members of the RLPMAC required in the likely event a sanctioned player manager would take legal action against them.

The NRL has provided the indemnities but with protection comes a level of control.

The agents sanctioning body is an independent committee, not owned by the NRL or RLPA. Because the NRL is providing legal protection to the seven committee members, it requires they be comfortably satisfied their judgements withstand challenge in the highest court in the land.

The agents sanctioning body met on Tuesday, just two days short of the second anniversary of NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg ruling Parramatta would be docked 12 competition points and fined $1m for salary cap cheating.

Paul Massey, the Operations Manager of the RLPMAC said, “The Parramatta investigation was on the agenda at our meeting and the matter was discussed at length. However, we decided to put it back on the agenda until our next meeting on June 6.”

With over 600 pages of evidence, some of questionable credibility, embracing 12,000 emails, the committee must trawl through the material to produce compelling cases. No more evidence is required, merely a judgement on what material accompanies show cause notices which will result in unchallengeable sanctions.

The sheer volume of evidence means that punishment handed down will relate only to the Parramatta salary cap breaches.

Agents complicit in the Manly scandal involving third party agreements may be sanctioned at a later meeting.

However, if a player manager deregistered as a result of the Parramatta evidence, is again exposed by the Manly case, the original punishment may render later penalties unnecessary.

The eventual punishment will need to be very strong to placate some NRL coaches and administrators increasingly frustrated agents are rarely challenged by a timid media.

An eventual casualty is also expected to be the RLPMAC itself, an unwieldy body where the NRL has only one representative and the RLPA two.

It is expected the next iteration of the sanctioning body will be a committee consisting of equal numbers from the NRL and RLPA.

The RLPA would take over the day to day management of the committee, while the NRL would resource it, provided it had a robust set of rules.

This would overcome the criticism of the current committee structure which has three player manager representatives, meaning agents are judging agents.

Rugby league’s player managers, collectively, rake in annual fees equivalent to the salary cap of one NRL club.

 

[Twizzle]

low life bottom feeders the lot of them

 

[El Diablo]

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sp...l/news-story/9e144cc8f07bca86c4a745b808c79b4a

NRL: Players managers to face sanctions over Parramatta scandal

• The Australian
• 12:00AM May 3, 2018
• Brent Read
  

The final brief of evidence against the agents involved in the Parramatta salary cap scandal is only days away from landing on the desks of key powerbrokers as a two-year pursuit of those responsible for one of the biggest rorts in the game’s history edges closer to its painstaking conclusion.

At least two player managers are likely to face sanctions over the scandal, which cost Parramatta 12 premiership points and $1 million in fines.

The football club has also required more than $20m from its affluent leagues club over the past two years as it counts the cost of the scandal, a significant amount of that shortfall due to legal fees and the backlash from the scandal.

While Parramatta have paid a hefty price for one of the biggest rorts in the game’s history, the agents at the centre of the scandal are yet to face any sanctions. That is about to change.

It is understood the ARL Commission has agreed to indemnify the accreditation committee against legal action should the agents fight the allegations, creating the prospect of a lengthy legal process that could prove a test case for the game’s ability to penalise player managers for breaching the rules.

With the brief of evidence in their possession, the accreditation committee will digest the information before deciding whether to issue show-cause notices against those considered the most culpable.

It would be a major surprise if they opted not to issue sanctions given the extent of the rorts and the volumes of evidence against those involved. The Australian has seen witness testimony which is damning towards the agents in the crosshairs of the accreditation committee.

The agents involved will be given time to defend themselves and if sanctions remain in place, legal action could follow. It is understood some of the agents involved in the Parramatta scandal have already begun preparing themselves for the prospect of losing their accreditation.

Under NRL rules, clubs are not permitted to deal with unaccredited agents. The pursuit of the agents involved in the Eels scandal has been a drawn-out affair, the accreditation committee gun-shy about chasing those responsible without an indemnity from the ARL Commission.

The length of time it has taken to punish those involved has no doubt played a part in plans to overhaul the system. The players union is likely to have a greater say in its operation under the revised structure being negotiated.

Meanwhile, emotional Eels centre Michael Jennings has spoken of his pride at seeing his younger brother George overcome injury to become a fixture in the Parramatta side this season.

George Jennings struggled with injury to the point where he considered giving the game away. Michael urged him to give it one more go and his reward has been a consistent run in the first grade side in recent weeks, a period in which the Eels have put together back-to-back wins after a slow start to the year.

Michael Jennings appeared to choke back tears yesterday as he spoke about his younger brother’s courage and determination in overcoming injury setbacks to pursue his dream of playing in the NRL.

“He has worked hard to get to where he is so I am pretty happy for him,” Michael Jennings said.

“All the work he has done — coming from injury — I am just happy he is getting an opportunity and he is keeping his spot, which is good. When he broke his leg, that was a big one because it got infected after he had surgery.

“I think he was close to kind of giving up the game, which is sad for me to talk about. It is unbelievable where he has come from. He thought if he didn’t get an opportunity this year he would look to other options in his life.”

 

[Gronk]

 

[emjaycee]

Haven't seen this anywhere else.

Source: clicky

Eels mull backflip on culled directors

Parramatta chairman Max Donnelly: ‘If those people want to stand, the members can vote for them’ Picture Brett Costello
Eels chairman Max Donnelly has revealed he is considering a change of tack on constitutional reform at the Parramatta Leagues Club, a move which could allow former supremo Denis Fitzgerald and three of the Eels directors who stood down in the wake of the salary cap crisis to once again wield influence over the football side.

Donnelly had previously proposed that all former directors be frozen out of future elections but he is ready to alter that stance as he looks to change the way elections are conducted at the leagues club, which is largely responsible for financing the football side.

The changes off the field come as the club begins to reshape its squad on the field. The club confirmed that Canberra Raider Junior Paulo has signed a four-year deal and revelations Corey Norman has been offered to rival clubs.

Fitzgerald was the most powerful figure at Parramatta for more than 20 years before he parted ways with the club in an official capacity in 2009. However, Donnelly revealed he was willing to bend his stance on former directors in an attempt to push through constitutional reform, saying that could mean Fitzgerald re-enters the picture to take on an official position at the Eels, although it is understood there are other impediments to that, not least winning members’ support.

Former Parramatta directors Tanya Gadiel, Paul Garrard and Andrew Cordwell, who all stood down during the salary cap crisis which cost the club 12 premiership points in 2016 and millions in legal costs, could also run again for election.

Donnelly has been previously frustrated in his attempt to reform the leagues club constitution, one of his key reasons to remove the factional fighting which has blighted the club over the years, but he will raise the matter again during a meeting with members on June 21.

The outcome of that meeting will determine whether Donnelly takes reform to a vote.

“I want to get other changes through like triennial elections, postal voting, whatever else,” Donnelly said.

“If those people want to stand, the members can vote for them. There is a discussion meeting with members and I am prepared to recommend that I give in on that restriction to help enable changes that will improve the governance of Parramatta Leagues Club.”

 

[hineyrulz]

Max what a dud.

 

[Gronk]

How about you hold the elections at a time and place that eligible members can attend ? That way when Fitzy turns up with his bus of 2GB listeners, they won't stand a chance.

Rosehill Gardens early on a Wednesday Night was always doomed to fail.

How about you host the elections on the roof of the new carpark. That way you can provide the fans with an update on the new Stadium and get them to vote as well. Put on a sausage sizzle too please, I have a long drive.

 

[Gronk]

Max what a dud.

#boo

 

[El Diablo]

#BringBackSpags

 

[Chipmunk]

Can someone explain to me how having a rule that no former director of the club can stand for the board stops Denis Fitzgerald standing for the board?

 

[hineyrulz]

How about you hold the elections at a time and place that eligible members can attend ? That way when Fitzy turns up with his bus of 2GB listeners, they won't stand a chance.

Rosehill Gardens early on a Wednesday Night was always doomed to fail.

How about you host the elections on the roof of the new carpark. That way you can provide the fans with an update on the new Stadium and get them to vote as well. Put on a sausage sizzle too please, I have a long drive.

Agreed with all of this, it's like they were set up to fail.


2 years and the bloke has achieved almost zero.

 

[hineyrulz]

#BringBackSpags

Looks like you and Jake might get your wish.

 

[El Diablo]

#BringBackOssie

 

[Twizzle]

#BringBackOssie

 

[MarkInTheStands]

Can someone explain to me how having a rule that no former director of the club can stand for the board stops Denis Fitzgerald standing for the board?

He was the elected secretary of the Football club in 1980Something. So as a previous board member, he couldn't stand again, as far as I take it.

 

[forward pass]

Can anyone update me on the story on Nine news last night about someone trying to get Max thrown out? I missed most of it.

 

[El Diablo]

never heard anything about it but then i don't watch the news