OT: Wooden spoon betting

[_goParra]

HE NRL has stripped Melbourne Storm of two premierships, as well as any competition points this season, in the heaviest punishment for a salary cap breach in NRL history.

NRL chief David Gallop has just announced the extradordinary penalty, after it was uncovered that the club paid $1.7 million to its players outside the cap in the past five years.

The Storm has been stripped of its premierships in 2007 and 2009, three minor premierships and their eight competition points this season. They will not be able to accrue any more points this season, have been fined $500,000 and must pay back $1.1m in prize money.

 

[fish eel]

Hadley on GB saying the premiership wont be awarded to Parra or Manly in 07.

TBH, it would feel a bit hollow, especially from the perspective of being there and feeling gutted and not seeing them do a lap of honour. I want us to win a premiership through a winning a grand final, not have it handed to us retrospectively.

 

[strider]

F.M.D. !!!!! :shock:

 

[Parra2006]

i doubt hindy would want a premiership this way

 

[_goParra]

still be good to finally get one ;-)

 

[MarkInTheStands]

Brian Waldron might want to leave the country, I think he is going to get some gaol time.

 

[Parra Steve]

Its pretty much fraud, some people could be behind bars for awhile.

 

[parra-matters]

no wonder Waldron left earlier this season.
Do the players have to hand back premiership rings etc?

 

[carson]

Looks like the NRL will have to reshoot another ad campaign!!

 

[Bazal]

I believe they do. Waldron is a shot duck, News LTD rep named him specifically as the man they believe is at the centre of it

 

[nöyd]

what about the A.T.O? i think a few storm players may be looking at an audit in the near future

 

[fish eel]

Want some juicy irony ? Watch for Waldron (who now is in charge of Melbourne Rebels) sign Cronk or Inglis.

you reckon he'll be around the rebels to sign them?

 

[The EELiminator]

you reckon he'll be around the rebels to sign them?

i think the rebels will punt him quick seeing his next job might be dropping the soap in a prison shower

p.s. wouldnt it be ironic if he gets charged and is sent to parramatta prison

 

[The Colonel]

Wouldn't want the premiership now they have had their hands on it. What really sucks the most - I stood in the stands at ANZ at the end of the GF feeling gutted but feeling that the better team won on the day and now find out that the 'better' team was there only because of systematically cheating the system. The fines handed down by the NRL are harsh but could well go further......

 

[Gronk]

I don't buy the figure of $1.7M over 5 years. They have been caught rorting the cap by $400k in 2009 and $700k in 2010. It's bullsh!t that they only rorted the cap by the remaining $600k over the other 3 years. There's more too it and I bet other clubs are up to their eyeballs as well.

It seems that there are a whole bunch of people from the staff back office that may be up for charges for make false declarations under the Oaths Act (Vic or NSW) at the minimum and perhaps even breaches of the Corporations Act. Players will be scrutinised from a personal tax point of view as will potentially their partners.

I bet that there is merit to the Prince (new house) story and a hell of a lot of other clubs have similar stories.

It's hard to fathom that players like Finch (for example) who stated that he was playing for a minor contract fee over the past two seasons (for the opportunity to play for a great club like Storm) was not getting a cash top-up and that Bellemy and his manager were not aware of it. Same goes for some of their glamour players like Cam Smith who knocked back a massive offer from the Titans. Players unaware ? I think not.

The punishment may be harsh but it sends a stern message to the other clubs that they may even face a revocation of their franchise agreement should they be the next one to get caught.

I laughed when I saw the Telecrap front page this morning - League's Darkest Hour. No that was when you pr!cks hijacked the competition in 96/97.

 

[Gronk]

Groundhog Day ?

Brian Waldron was CEO @ St Kilda. Apparently wooded spoon betting for St Kilda has just gone from $1000 to 1 to $3.50 to 1.

 

[MarkInTheStands]

Has Nick Riewoldt died of that Hamstring problem?

 

[strider]

:lol: ....... get the paper shredder!!!

 

[parra pete]

Buggar...My bet on Cronulla to be wooden spooners was improving every week Timmmmy was playing in the 7 shirt too. Just another way to do your dough...
Ah well twenty bucks @ $4 not a big loss....

 

[parra pete]

Just watching an advert for Skins at half time of the Stormers v Reds Rugby Union game on Fox.

"To all you cheats, keep up the good work, we need the competition"...
Ironic that Skins has now withdrawn its sponsorship of the Storm