Eels Salary Cap Mk V

[Gronk]

Deputy chairman Tom Issa questioned why the NRL didn’t allow the club to “trade out” of trouble. Issa said he discussed the issues at Newcastle and the Gold Coast — both clubs are now owned by the NRL — with Crawford.

“And my understanding was the NRL allowed those clubs to trade out of some serious sins of the past,” Issa said.

If true, I wanna know about it. Toddy was quite scathing about our lack of self reporting. This is something that Kent & Co crow about when calling for our heads.

Issa is painting a picture of taking over a mess from the Seward years and being blamed for it all. The fall guys.

I think we deserve a full explanation.

Also, if Newcastle and Gold Coast we allowed to "trade out" then why were we not afforded that luxury ?

 

[El Diablo]

So Seward seems to be dodgy af yet his mate hasn't said a word about him.....helps to have Toddles in your corner I guess.

especially if he can incriminate him

 

[Gronk]

ABC News24 are running a video interview with Sharp that basically says the same as ^^^above.

He wants to know why his 7,000,000 page response was ignored. He expects a written response today from the NRL.

 

[Chipmunk]

I'd be calling the cops and ASIC on Seward and his mate Irvine. At least you'll soon see whether or not they're telling the truth.

 

[Chipmunk]

Still waiting for the NRL's determination ?

In writing I would imagine

 

[Twizzle]

Thats right but why are we still waiting ?

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Also, if Newcastle and Gold Coast we allowed to "trade out" then why were we not afforded that luxury ?

This is conflating (sorry Lingard) two separate issues. You don't 'trade out' of systematic salary cap cheating.......you 'trade out' of financial trouble. While a complete disregard for basic governance issues is related to both problems......they are not the same thing. There's a pretty obvious difference b/w our case and the GC/ Newcastle. The fact that Issa doesn't get it speaks volumes. Christ we are run by a bunch of tools.

 

[ash411]

It seems more and more as more information leaks out that the rogue employee thing is becoming more likely.

However, that doesn't excuse the board. They share an equal part of the responsibility here. If they didn't actually have a hand in it, and didn't know that it was happening, they should have. That is their job.

Of course Seward and Irvine are also to blame (a lot it would seem) and it's odd they haven't had their public lynchings yet. Greenberg was quite happy to publicly drag the Go5's names through the mud, it seems the media is going to take care of the other two.

 

[emjaycee]

This is conflating (sorry Lingard) two separate issues. You don't 'trade out' of systematic salary cap cheating.......you 'trade out' of financial trouble. While a complete disregard for basic governance issues is related to both problems......they are not the same thing. There's a pretty obvious difference b/w our case and the GC/ Newcastle. The fact that Issa doesn't get it speaks volumes. Christ we are run by a bunch of tools.

I think Issa was probably meaning "trade out" in the context of fixing the TPA's by replacing them with legitimate ones.

Of course this may not have been possible back then and it would be even harder to do so now.

 

[Gronk]

This is conflating (sorry Lingard) two separate issues. You don't 'trade out' of systematic salary cap cheating.......you 'trade out' of financial trouble. While a complete disregard for basic governance issues is related to both problems......they are not the same thing. There's a pretty obvious difference b/w our case and the GC/ Newcastle. The fact that Issa doesn't get it speaks volumes. Christ we are run by a bunch of tools.

Of course you can trade out of poor practices. Illegally arranged TPAs are replaced by legitimate ones. Contracts that are topped up with carpark cash are upgraded to reflect a true consideration.

That's exactly was Issa was alluding to when he referred to serious sins. Nothing to do with debt etc.

 

[Oscarman]

Thats right but why are we still waiting ?

Exactly. My guess is the NRL are holding out until either Round 26 or the EGM. What if we appeal and win (or get a reduction in the points taken off) but the finals have already started?

The written decision and reasons must surely be completed - the club was told it would have it yesterday. Does the club need to go to Court to force the NRL to provide it?

As much as the current and previous board and executive have completely shithouse, the NRL and especially Greenberg have been an absolute disgrace. The whole thing is amateur hour.

 

[hineyrulz]

It boggles the mind how Seward,Nolan and Irvine have got out of this scott free. And after their dodgy practices how can anyone take anything they say seriously???

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Until Nolan, Seward and Irvine get sanctions for their supposed actions then a foul smell will hang over this whole thing.

Seward is Toddy's old mate and Nolan is a godfather in rugby league, so what are the chances?

And unless they can prove that, say, Norman and Peats took cash then the findings wouldn't stand up. They'd simply be an unproven statement made by a disgruntled former employee whose mate is the boss and who never himself received sanctions. Rock solid, that shit.

 

[hineyrulz]

Exactly. My guess is the NRL are holding out until either Round 26 or the EGM. What if we appeal and win (or get a reduction in the points taken off) but the finals have already started?

The written decision and reasons must surely be completed - the club was told it would have it yesterday. Does the club need to go to Court to force the NRL to provide it?

As much as the current and previous board and executive have completely shithouse, the NRL and especially Greenberg have been an absolute disgrace. The whole thing is amateur hour.

Amateur hour all round IMO.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Exactly. My guess is the NRL are holding out until either Round 26 or the EGM. What if we appeal and win (or get a reduction in the points taken off) but the finals have already started?
.

Then the lawsuit would be massive.

Denying us our first finals series in 7 years and a chance at our first Premiership in 30? $$$$$!

 

[Gronk]

Until Nolan, Seward and Irvine get sanctions for their supposed actions then a foul smell will hang over this whole thing.

Seward is Toddy's old mate and Nolan is a godfather in rugby league, so what are the chances?

And unless they can prove that, say, Norman and Peats took cash then the findings wouldn't stand up. They'd simply be an unproven statement made by a disgruntled former employee whose mate is the boss and who never himself received sanctions. Rock solid, that shit.

IIRC someone did raise Seward and receiving a sanction from the NRL. The response was that that it would only be ever dealt with if Seward applied for NRL accreditation in the future. Which of course is total bullshit because the NRL went very public with Dank's sanction and he was not connected with a club or applying fro accreditation. Crony protectionism at it's best.

At the very least, Nolan needs to have his accreditation removed. After all, it was Seward & Irvine's testimonies that outed Nolan and the NRL have taken a position that they are credible and reliable witnesses.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

IIRC someone did raise Seward and receiving a sanction from the NRL. The response was that that it would only be ever dealt with if Seward applied for NRL accreditation in the future. Which of course is total bullshit because the NRL went very public with Dank's sanction and he was not connected with a club or applying fro accreditation. Crony protectionism at it's best.

At the very least, Nolan needs to have his accreditation removed. After all, it was Seward & Irvine's testimonies that outed Nolan and the NRL have taken a position that they are credible and reliable witnesses.

Bingo bango on both counts, Gronkorino!

 

[Sphagnum]

This is what happens when the media try and tell the tale of what happened. It turns into a total clusterf**k of misinformation and fiction.

So many reputations ruined and careers destroyed. When neither side will concede that the other is right, you know it's nowhere near as cut and dried as the NRL integrity unit would have you believe.

 

[Kornstar]

Until Nolan, Seward and Irvine get sanctions for their supposed actions then a foul smell will hang over this whole thing.

Seward is Toddy's old mate and Nolan is a godfather in rugby league, so what are the chances?

And unless they can prove that, say, Norman and Peats took cash then the findings wouldn't stand up. They'd simply be an unproven statement made by a disgruntled former employee whose mate is the boss and who never himself received sanctions. Rock solid, that shit.

That would also mean the testimony of Seward and Irvine are invalid, therefore the NRL has zero proof of anything and can't take our points.

The NRL cannot have it both ways with this.

 

[phantom eel]

Surely they're keeping Seward and Irvine as "informants" for the next stage of the investigation - the one where they go after player managers and/or players - and start to clean up the whole league?

Once they've got what they've needed from them, I suspect we'll see "bans" for Seward and Irvine - but are either even working in rugby league anymore? The one with the most to lose moving forward is Peter Nolan, star recruiter lol... when they eventually bring down the ban hammer on him, he actually loses his source of income. Watch Nolan "retire" from league at the end of the year too, before their penalties are confirmed or announced.

As for the NRL handing down a written penalty to us - didn't they already do so as part of the premilimary breach notice? The only change in penalty seems to be the clarification that points deduction includes a wipe of our for and against for those 9 games. They'll just have to advise us that provisional penalty has been upheld - which can be a sentence in an email as far as I can tell... it's the NRL's competition and we play by their rules in all this, including how they notify us of penalties.