Storm and Rhinos World Club result in doubt - Leeds won't claim

[Timmah]

Leeds could profit from Melbourne scandal
(UKPA) – 34 minutes ago


Players from Super League champions Leeds Rhinos could land a £50,000 windfall as a result of the salary-cap scandal involving Melbourne Storm.
The National Rugby League (NRL) have stripped the Storm of their 2007 and 2009 premiership titles after they were found guilty of systematic salary cap cheating worth £1.02million over the past five years. The governing body also ruled the club will accumulate no competition points for the entire 2010 season and hit them with £1m in fines and returned prize money.
The prize fund includes £50,000 Melbourne collected for beating Leeds 18-10 in the Gillette World Club Challenge at Elland Road in February and that money could now go to the Super League club.
Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington, who before the match had promised to share the prize money between the players, said: "In light of the decision to order Melbourne to forfeit all prize money, it's an issue for the RFL to take up.
"What Thursday's announcement does do is elevate the achievement of Leeds Rhinos.
"Melbourne have been without doubt the best team in the NRL for the last few years and we can see why. We beat them in 2008 and lost narrowly this year.
"Over the two games we came out on equal terms and, with the advantage Melbourne clearly had, it shows it was an even bigger achievement by the Leeds Rhinos and also by Super League."
A spokesman for the RFL said: "The board of directors are aware of the developments and will be considering the consequences."
Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5h8KEhujEq2BAlFapcXVoddUNUyOw

 

[Misanthrope]

Does the ESL even have a salary cap, though? Why would Melbourne's squad value have any bearing on the fact they beat Leeds?

 

[Th1rteen]

Does the ESL even have a salary cap, though?

Of course it does!

Why would Melbourne's squad value have any bearing on the fact they beat Leeds?

It has the same amount of bearing on the fact that they beat many of the other NRL clubs and won two Premiers. Without these breaches the team might have not won the NRL Grand Final, and therefore wouldn't have even qualified to play in the World Club Challenge.

 

[Manly fLIP]

Thats clutching at straws Th1rteen.

The world club challenge result should stand as is. The ESL salary cap / exchange rate far outweighs that of the NRL. The reason this is such a big deal is the salary cap is there to make the NRL even. Not in comparison to anything other than the NRL itself. Not to make the world club challenge balanced that doesn't even come into consideration.

Its the two best sides from each continent playing for the best side in the world. Melbourne were still the best side, just not best side within NRL rules.

Next thing they will want the 2008 WCC because manly beat a cheating team and so therefore it was a non event and leeds didn't play the winner of the NRL cause they technically didn't win cause you cant play a team that is breaking the rules to decide who wins.... you get it.

This is another case of the whinging poms having another whingy mc whingy whinge.

Cry more leeds, you got dusted within the rules of that game.

 

[Johns Magic]

It has the same amount of bearing on the fact that they beat many of the other NRL clubs and won two Premiers. Without these breaches the team might have not won the NRL Grand Final, and therefore wouldn't have even qualified to play in the World Club Challenge.

And another club would have won the NRL Grand Final and gone on to smash you guys.

 

[nadera78]

This is another case of the whinging poms having another whingy mc whingy whinge.

Cry more leeds, you got dusted within the rules of that game.

You either didn't read the article or you're a moron. Leeds haven't said a word about being cheated or anything else that could be seen as a whinge.

For what it's worth, the money should be given to the developing nations, they need the help.

 

[Timmah]

Opens up an interesting case here... could clubs spend big on "cameo" appearances by big name players in order to get themselves the WCC? Provided it meant anything - is that an available loophole?

 

[Loudstrat]

Hello hypocrite. Why not just add this to the 3000 other threads on the same subject and not pretend that your opinions are more important that others? :lol:

 

[Eels Dude]

Seems fair enough to me. The ESL does have a salary cap, and the fact they were beaten by a team which was created illegally means they have a right to claim compensation. It's not a large payout considering, Melbourne should offer it to them to save more embarrassment.

 

[Hanscholo]

I'm kinda in the middle on this one. One part of me says its another competition with different rules, and another part of me says, no f**k em, they cheated to get there take it off them too.

I really dont care anymore about what they are going to lose. To me, in all honestly when you look back at this in 20 years time....two comps being taken away, the pride the honor that has been removed is surely punishment enough. I am even wavering on wether or not they should not be able to accrue points this season. I know that is the precedent, and that they are effectively still cheating this year too...but the rest of the game and the melbourne fans shouldnt be punished for it. perhaps they could have just given the players involved a year ban and let the struggle, like the rest of us.

 

[Timmah]

Hello hypocrite. Why not just add this to the 3000 other threads on the same subject and not pretend that your opinions are more important that others? :lol:

Because unlike your ridiculous opinion this is actually a separate news story, but I wouldn't expect your pea-brain to differentiate one from the other.

 

[kay]

pretty annoyed at Leeds chief executive pumping up Leeds' achievements, as if the nrl isn't suffering enough. Speaking about beating Melbourne(7 points) but only narrowly losing to them by 8. Thank god manly beat them in 09 so we have some bragging rights.

 

[WireMan]

pretty annoyed at Leeds chief executive pumping up Leeds' achievements, as if the nrl isn't suffering enough. Speaking about beating Melbourne(7 points) but only narrowly losing to them by 8. Thank god manly beat them in 09 so we have some bragging rights.

To be fair on the Leeds guy, and i hate being fair to anything leeds. They don't want to acknowledged as winners and its the prize fund thats being given to them, like the grand final prize in the NRL.

The bit about running them close is probably a little dig at some of the Aussie press/fans that likes to run the super league down at every opportunity. He basically said the gap isn't that big, despite the fact the Storm wage structure gave them a huge advantage.

 

[Th1rteen]

Thats clutching at straws Th1rteen.

The world club challenge result should stand as is. The ESL salary cap / exchange rate far outweighs that of the NRL. The reason this is such a big deal is the salary cap is there to make the NRL even. Not in comparison to anything other than the NRL itself. Not to make the world club challenge balanced that doesn't even come into consideration.

Its the two best sides from each continent playing for the best side in the world. Melbourne were still the best side, just not best side within NRL rules.

Next thing they will want the 2008 WCC because manly beat a cheating team and so therefore it was a non event and leeds didn't play the winner of the NRL cause they technically didn't win cause you cant play a team that is breaking the rules to decide who wins.... you get it.

This is another case of the whinging poms having another whingy mc whingy whinge.

Cry more leeds, you got dusted within the rules of that game.

And another club would have won the NRL Grand Final and gone on to smash you guys.

It seems like you're the whinging ones, not me. Firstly I don't support Leeds Rhinos, infact I don't support any Rugby League teams (due to my location) although coincidentally Melbourne Storm were always the team I enjoyed watching the most.

Secondly I feel that the result should not be a Leeds victory, but there should be no winner, in the exact same way that Manly and Parramatta will NOT be NRL champions. And as for this comment "Melbourne were still the best side, just not best side within NRL rules." do you not understand what is so wrong with that?

Thirdly I don't feel that the Storm or the Rhinos should be given the money, reasons being cheating and the fact that they lost the game on the night respectively. The money should be fed back into the development of the game somewhere around the world. I certainly hope Leeds don't do the wrong thing and keep it all.

Man you categorise "Poms" with the same brush, thankfully there are posters on here which stop me from doing the same with all Aussies.

 

[Misanthrope]

Seems fair enough to me. The ESL does have a salary cap, and the fact they were beaten by a team which was created illegally means they have a right to claim compensation. It's not a large payout considering, Melbourne should offer it to them to save more embarrassment.

Is it the same as the NRL salary cap, though?

More importantly, do the World Cup Challenge rules mention a salary cap requirement?

 

[Eels Dude]

Is it the same as the NRL salary cap, though?

More importantly, do the World Cup Challenge rules mention a salary cap requirement?

It is different. The point is they would only be there in the WCC if they won the NRL premiership, which they did but illegally. They shouldn't have been in that game in the first place as they cheated. The prizemoney should be returned just like the prize money the Storm have recieved from winning the NRL competition has to be returned.

 

[Tipster]

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