Broncos Leagues club seeks legal advice as NRL salary cap investigation digs deeper
7 hours ago August 08, 2014 12:00AM
BRONCOS Leagues club have hired one of Queensland’s top lawyers as the NRL extends its salary cap probe to eight players including Brisbane-bound Anthony Milford and co-captain Corey Parker.
On the eve of their must-win clash against the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium, a Courier-Mail investigation can reveal:
■ Former Broncos Leagues boss Geoff Kuehner, who quit on July 23, allegedly authorised payments totalling $298,000 to Brisbane’s football arm;
■ NRL salary cap auditor Jamie L’Oste Brown will interview Milford next week over the composition of his Broncos contract;
■ Parker’s new two-year deal, brokered in April, will be scrutinised;
■ One player has fronted a Broncos board member seeking more than $50,000 in unpaid contract money;
■ Former football manager Andrew Gee has sought legal advice following his sudden resignation in May; and
■ Corporate lawyer Angelo Venardos has been engaged by Broncos Leagues after the club, via Venardos, voluntarily submitted a report to ASIC a fortnight ago.
While Ben Barba and Martin Kennedy have been interviewed, Parker and Milford are other leading players in the crosshairs of the NRL’s integrity unit probe.
L’Oste Brown was scheduled to meet Milford, currently contracted to the Raiders, in Canberra on Tuesday. But without legal representation, Milford was unable to attend and will now be interviewed after his side’s clash against Parramatta this Saturday in Darwin.
There is no suggestion the players, their agents or any current or ex-Broncos employees have orchestrated a salary cap breach.
A third of Brisbane’s full-time squad were summoned to Red Hill last week to be interviewed by NRL investigators. The group was told the selection was “random”. The players’ managers were banned from attending but the Broncos organised legal representation for the group, which included Barba and Kennedy.
Auditors asked the players about the nature of their deals and details of any third-party arrangements. The NRL is specifically interested in contracts brokered between 2011-14, including that of Parker, who does not have a manager and deals directly with Broncos hierarchy.
Milford’s manager Sam Ayoub confirmed his client has been contacted by NRL investigators. He insists Milford’s Broncos deal is not in jeopardy, despite Canberra being perplexed at the 20-year-old rejecting their base offer of $900,000 a season for three years.
“The NRL want to interview him and they are entitled to,” Ayoub said.
“Anthony couldn’t make it at a day’s notice so it didn’t happen, but we said not a problem in the world, we have no issue.
“I’ve been told by the NRL it’s in relation to salary cap issues at the Broncos from 2011-14. Anthony joins the Broncos in 2015 so we have no concerns.”
Asked if his deal was being investigated by the NRL, Parker said: “They would talk to most people. It’s all part of the process of an investigation.”
Barba’s manager Chris Orr said the former Dally M winner left the interview comfortable with his contractual terms at the Broncos.
“Ben was among a bunch of players who were interviewed,” he said.
“He was asked a few questions and he fully co-operated with the Broncos and the NRL.”
While the NRL are ramping up their football-club probe, Broncos Leagues have engaged legal help via Venardos to assist in dealings with ASIC.
At this stage, ASIC have not launched a formal investigation.
It is believed that the evidence submitted to ASIC says Gee did not use any funds for personal gain. All transactions were itemised in Broncos Leagues Club accounts, with Kuehner, as CEO, allegedly approving the alleged payments.
Kuehner did not return calls to The Courier-Mail. Broncos chairman Dennis Watt declined to comment, while CEO Paul White said following Kuehner’s departure: “We continue to co-operate fully with the NRL.”
Venardos, who worked at ASIC for seven years, confirmed on Wednesday he was representing Broncos Leagues. Should ASIC choose to open an investigation, they have the power to interview Gee, who is refusing to co-operate with the NRL probe.
“A letter was sent on behalf of the Leagues club spelling out a history of certain matters (the alleged payments) and some of the issues that have already been made public,” he said.
“At this stage, it’s in the assessment phase. Just because ASIC has been notified it doesn’t mean the leagues club or anyone associated with the leagues club has done anything wrong.”
Asked if Gee could be compelled to talk, Venardos said: “Absolutely, they can interview anyone.
“If ASIC choose to investigate, they (can) could talk to staff members at the leagues club, former directors, as long as there is a link or relevance to any matter under investigation. They have very broad powers in the course of investigations.”
