The press conference

[stormbati]

It is a major concern yes, but unfair to keep painting them as guilty.
I do wish the players were cooperative though.

 

[_Johnsy]

Every player who plays for Melbourne at this point in time has no integrity at all.

They chose not to cooperate with the investigation, a chance to clear their name. They knew the consequences of their stance. The mud will stick and rightfully so.

Each one of the current players is an absolute merkin, they have no integrity at all.

 

[Spot On]

Those players should be stood down? WTF for?

Are you still implying the players knew even when all evidence suggests otherwise?

Well 13 blokes shared in millions of dollars above the cap over a few years. People would find it a little hard to believe that maybe some of the player managers and the players themselves didn't pick up on something somewhere along the line. C'mon.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

they didnt know.

ha!

if you dont co operate with an investigation, madatory or othewise into dodgy practices involving your employer then it implies you have somtheing to hide.

these guys arent idiots. they knew

 

[user_nat]

If there were evidence against them.. what would they do anyhow. Ban them for life? Seems stupid.

Maybe they should also ban every player who has been at the Storm in the last 4 years.

 

[petetheileet]

* Players should be stood down until they agree with the investigation
* O'Sullivan should get punted
* Premiership rings should be returned
* Fine should be doubled (Based on the fact they cheated twice as much)
* Deloittes should be contracted as full time Salary Cap auditors and Schubert punted
* Gallop should f**k the QRL off and get the IC in by January 1st 2011

That would just about satisfy me.

 

[user_nat]

Wasn't the original fine only 500k + prize money? It wasn't really based on the amount they were over the cap by.

 

[petetheileet]

there really wasnt a fine...it was the returning of money and the righting of wrongs...

If you rob a bank, then get caught and give money back...that isnt a punishment

 

[Quidgybo]

WTF? News Limited, the governing body of both the NRL and Melbourne Storm, has referred the matter to the police.

The Victorian police have stated that they have not yet received any complaint. This is the second time that News Ltd have said they have referred it to the police, the first time was at the original announcement in April. Yet here we are 11 weeks later and still no complaint has been made official. Saying they've referred it to the police sounds great in a press conference but until they actually do, it's nothing more than spin. Personally, I'll believe it when I see it. A criminal investigation with legally binding warrants and summons removes all control of the situation from News Ltd and opens the door to their own dirty secrets leaking into the public domain. Better to keep it as a throw away promise, quickly forgotten as soon as the cameras leave the room.

Leigh.

 

[stormbati]

What f**kwits you guys are. Regardless if they cooperated, it wouldn't have made any difference in them being guilty or not. Why? Because all the f**kin evidence pointed the other way!!! That's what it's all about regardless of WTF the interview would of said.

You bludgers are acting like you would be happy if they cooperated, bullsh*t!!
then youze would all be saying they lied in the interviews. Because really, that's all they had to do if they knew.

 

[Spot On]

* Players should be stood down until they agree with the investigation
* O'Sullivan should get punted
* Premiership rings should be returned
* Fine should be doubled (Based on the fact they cheated twice as much)
* Deloittes should be contracted as full time Salary Cap auditors and Schubert punted
* Gallop should f**k the QRL off and get the IC in by January 1st 2011

That would just about satisfy me.

This point in particular. The NRL will attest it doesn't have the "powers" to uncover such roarts and must rely on evidence when it arises. For an organisation that relies on a salary cap to provide a level playing field and competitive product they skimp on the methods they can use to ensure their clubs are behaving properly. Apparently the NRL is not willing to employ more auditors. Maybe Schubert is not be the best bloke for the job?

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

i dunno what you can do. these guys are marquee guys. the best. so the league loses out twice that A they are floored characters and false idols. B, if you ban them you run the risk of alienating more fans and the game loses their talents.

its crap.

what i hope is this.

the ATO goes after the players for fraud on tax and they get big fines etc.

personally ii wouldnt want cronulla to sign any of these cheats (if we could afford it). cheating on the field is gamesman hip. its part of the game. if you can get away with it salute whatever..you pulled a swifty in the heat of battle.

but this..its building an evil empire. killing the competitive balance in the competition. stocking up on talent unfairly when other clubs try and fail to hold onto their players.

 

[manly40gimps0]

Gallop on 2gb now.. just said the ATO has already contacted the regarding the storm.

 

[Timmah]

What f**kwits you guys are. Regardless if they cooperated, it wouldn't have made any difference in them being guilty or not. Why? Because all the f**kin evidence pointed the other way!!! That's what it's all about regardless of WTF the interview would of said.

You bludgers are acting like you would be happy if they cooperated, bullsh*t!!
then youze would all be saying they lied in the interviews. Because really, that's all they had to do if they knew.

EPIC WTF.

The players not cooperating means there is likely to be evidence not submitted that would then not be considered.

I understand this is painful and it sucks as a Storm fan, but please try to be rational.

 

[petetheileet]

^^ LOL Awesome!! ^^

 

[_Johnsy]

What f**kwits you guys are. Regardless if they cooperated, it wouldn't have made any difference in them being guilty or not. Why? Because all the f**kin evidence pointed the other way!!! That's what it's all about regardless of WTF the interview would of said.

You bludgers are acting like you would be happy if they cooperated, bullsh*t!!
then youze would all be saying they lied in the interviews. Because really, that's all they had to do if they knew.

So you are in a position to know if they fully cooperated it would have made no difference at all to establishing their guilt (knowingly cheating the salary cap).

The evidence they had was due to one board member partially cooperating, and the coach cooperating with the investigators, not one other person willingly assisted investigators in any way shape or form.

yes I would be happy if every employee at that franchise cooperated with the forensic investigators.

I believe the word you are after is you, not youze.

So what you are saying is, they would have lied if they cooperated, but they did the right thing by not cooperating. What a wonderful culture the franchise known as Melbourne Storm have, it has even filtered through to their ignorant, blind fans.

Enjoy the years of karma that is coming your way. Pack of f**king lying, integrity void merkins.

Honestly how old are you 13 ?

 

[Drew-Sta]

The Victorian police have stated that they have not yet received any complaint. This is the second time that News Ltd have said they have referred it to the police, the first time was at the original announcement in April. Yet here we are 11 weeks later and still no complaint has been made official. Saying they've referred it to the police sounds great in a press conference but until they actually do, it's nothing more than spin. Personally, I'll believe it when I see it. A criminal investigation with legally binding warrants and summons removes all control of the situation from News Ltd and opens the door to their own dirty secrets leaking into the public domain. Better to keep it as a throw away promise, quickly forgotten as soon as the cameras leave the room.

Leigh.

Another very important point to note here.

I hope the ATO gets involved and runs through them like a epsom salts spruiked with hot green curry.

 

[stormbati]

Yeah likely but you don't know that. Anyway, the players would of all had representation there with them so any tough questions will be blocked by their lawyers.

 

[dragonfire]

wouldnt the players be better off by cooperating fully? obviously they werent legally required to but to many observers makes it look like they are hiding something whereas full cooperation and transparency will ensure they arent complicit with the rorts

 

[_Johnsy]

Yeah likely but you don't know that. Anyway, the players would of all had representation there with them so any tough questions will be blocked by their lawyers.

Likely?, two moments ago it was definatley not. That didn't take long to change your tune. Do their lawyers have some kind of magic wand that makes an apparent "tough" question dissapear from the moment it leaves the mouth, stopping it before it reaches an ear. Wow, amazing. How does that power work with a qustion that is not "tough"?

Well let's hope an official complaint is made by the ATO or News Ltd so warrants can be applied for and all documents and/or electronic documents relating to the breach can be shown. Then we'd really see what transpired, lawyer or not that would come out and make ignorant idiots like you a complete moron. Hold on you are already doing a stellar job of that, continue..................