Seward evidence missing from NRL investigation into Eels
The Australian
May 9, 2016 12:00AM
Brent Read
Senior sports writer
Sydney
Parramatta’s legal team is set to ask the NRL this morning whether crucial pieces of evidence were left out of information forwarded to the club late last week amid suggestions the only sign of former chief executive Scott Seward among the documentation was a lone statement.
Seward was believed to be a cornerstone of the NRL investigation into the club’s salary cap breaches but it is understood Eels officials were bemused when they reviewed the documentation and discovered no interview transcript from the club’s former chief executive.
Instead, the only information provided in relation to Seward was a single statement signed on May 2 — the day before the NRL handed down sanctions against the club.
Seward was only allowed to provide evidence to the NRL after the Eels agreed to relent on a confidentiality clause related to his departure from the club.
It is understood Eels directors, including the three who have been singled out by the NRL for their part in the salary cap breaches, devoted much of their weekend to reviewing more than 700 pages of interview transcripts which formed the basis of the NRL’s review of the club.
Those three — chairman Steve Sharp, deputy chairman Tom Issa and director Peter Serrao — along with chief executive John Boulous and head of football Daniel Anderson return to the Supreme Court this morning as they continue their legal action against the club.
The court case heats up as the club accelerates its attempt to become cap compliant when former salary cap auditor Ian Schubert, now a consultant with the Eels, meets his successor at the NRL Jamie L’oste Brown. Schubert believes the club’s salary cap woes are significantly less than the $570,000 suggested by the NRL. The club has already shaved $70,000 off its cap by allowing centre Ryan Morgan to join Melbourne, but the most pertinent issue remains the possible retirement of backrower Anthony Watmough. Watmough is on a mega-contract with Parramatta and his retirement could ease much of their pain, although that would require the NRL accepting Parramatta’s view that his knee problem is a career-ending injury.
Those players not involved in representative football returned to their Parramatta base yesterday, insisting the week off had given them time to freshen up both mentally and physically.
They also expressed regret at knowing what their penalty was for cap breaches — the club will be docked 12 premiership points once the provisional sanctions are confirmed early next month.
“It’s been hanging over our heads all season,” club captain Tim Mannah said.
“The solidarity we’ve showed throughout the whole thing has actually galvanised us and drawn us closer together. It’s not ideal but it’s the cards we’ve been dealt. And we’ve got a team and coaching staff than deal with this.”
Mannah was reluctant to criticise the officials who have taken legal action against the NRL — chief executive Todd Greenberg initially suggested the Eels would be unable to play for premiership points while action remained on the table, although the NRL later backed away from that threat.
“Hard for us to comment on the boardroom because we don’t know all the details,” he said.
“It’s easy for you and I to point our fingers on what we think went wrong. But unless we know exactly what happened it’s no good commenting or throwing our two cents worth in there.”
Fullback Michael Gordon said the players didn’t really want to see anyone forced out and the *decision on Watmough would largely determine how taxing the scandal is on the club’s roster.
“They could take my salary but it’s not much coming off the cap,” Gordon said. “I like to joke about it because there’s no point whingeing or moaning about it. What’s done is done so let’s move forward. All the boys are being really positive and I’m a positive person, so we’ll go from there.
“My opinion at the start of the year is that we were capable of playing finals footy and that hasn’t changed,” Gordon said on losing 12 competition points.
“Nobody wants this season to go to waste. So we’ll come out with a positive attitude. At least now we know we’re still playing.”
