i'm sure the final number will come out when the investigation has concluded
What is now a hard point to swallow as the number rises, is the complicity of the players. When the number was $100k for each of 06 & 07, we thought what a joke to lose a premiership for basically nothing. $400k for each of 08 & 09 no complaints about the penalty. Originally $700 for this year, this is getting silly, time to really clear shop.
We have had Cameron come out and say that the players knew nothing as it was only $50-100K per senior person and we dont know what other players were on. Sounded fair as I have never known what my co-workers were paid, let alone total salary in a room of 35 people.
But now, if the number is $1.3M (or higher), there needs to be personal penalties against players, they must have known. The number for 2011 was rumoured to be $900K, what could it actually be?
The question for the NRL is not what club will these players will be at next year, but will they be de-registered.
I now understand why other supporters are so angry as this has fully undermined the salary cap for the NRL and the ease for bypassing. This also explains why the Hayne, Thurston, etc are so strong about higher salaries especially if the Storm players ever joked through SOO or tests about what they were on.