Queenslander
05-03-06, 01:34 AM
Eleven Warriors stars in cap rort
By Steve Mascord
March 5, 2006
ELEVEN New Zealand Warriors players were involved in the $860,000 salary cap rort that cost the club a hefty fine and four competition points.
NRL chief executive David Gallop made the admission when club bosses challenged him last week over why players weren't being directly punished for their involvement in dodgy deals.
Several sources have confirmed Gallop argued during a chief executives meeting that direct action could have been taken if there had been only a couple of stars affected but suspending 11 would be over the top.
"That sounds like a lot. I would have thought there were fewer but it could be right," Warriors chairman Maurice Kidd told The Sunday Telegraph when the figure was put to him.
"I haven't actually sat down and counted them."
Gallop said yesterday: "It's fair to say there were a number of transactions, ranging from sloppy paperwork to undisclosed arrangements which were more serious.
"Some of them were only in the area of totalling a few thousand dollars."
South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson wants all players involved in misdealings banned for six weeks - something the NRL can do under current rules.
But Kidd responded: "That's a difficult one.
"Management of the salary cap is the club's responsibility.
"If a player signs a contract, howdoes he know that the earnings of his teammates put them over the cap?
"I suppose what it does show is that they need to take responsibility for the sort of things they are being offered. But I have a problem with it (punishing players)."
The New Zealanders have until Thursday to respond to their breach notice, which involves a $430,000 fine and the loss of four competition points before they have won any
When that process is complete, salary cap auditor Ian Schubert will hand over details of his investigation to the Agent Accreditation Committee.
AAC operations manager Paul Osborne will then make a recommendation on whether any managers should be deregistered.
The Warriors came under increasing scrutiny during the week when a former player claimed that director of football John Hart told him the Warriors had a "salary cap issue" and quibbled over $10,000 - five months before the club came forward over cap breaches.
Officials have maintained they didn't know about the cap drama until two weeks ago.
Backrower Karl Temata, now with the Harlequins league team in London, told TV New Zealand that on September 7 last year Hart said "we don't have an issue with you - it's a salary-cap issue. That's why we haven't offered you anything".
Hart also allegedly made Temata surrender a month's pay - in writing - but Kidd said: "Releasing a player for salary-cap reasons does not mean we knew about major salary-cap problems at the time."
The Sunday Telegraph
By Steve Mascord
March 5, 2006
ELEVEN New Zealand Warriors players were involved in the $860,000 salary cap rort that cost the club a hefty fine and four competition points.
NRL chief executive David Gallop made the admission when club bosses challenged him last week over why players weren't being directly punished for their involvement in dodgy deals.
Several sources have confirmed Gallop argued during a chief executives meeting that direct action could have been taken if there had been only a couple of stars affected but suspending 11 would be over the top.
"That sounds like a lot. I would have thought there were fewer but it could be right," Warriors chairman Maurice Kidd told The Sunday Telegraph when the figure was put to him.
"I haven't actually sat down and counted them."
Gallop said yesterday: "It's fair to say there were a number of transactions, ranging from sloppy paperwork to undisclosed arrangements which were more serious.
"Some of them were only in the area of totalling a few thousand dollars."
South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson wants all players involved in misdealings banned for six weeks - something the NRL can do under current rules.
But Kidd responded: "That's a difficult one.
"Management of the salary cap is the club's responsibility.
"If a player signs a contract, howdoes he know that the earnings of his teammates put them over the cap?
"I suppose what it does show is that they need to take responsibility for the sort of things they are being offered. But I have a problem with it (punishing players)."
The New Zealanders have until Thursday to respond to their breach notice, which involves a $430,000 fine and the loss of four competition points before they have won any
When that process is complete, salary cap auditor Ian Schubert will hand over details of his investigation to the Agent Accreditation Committee.
AAC operations manager Paul Osborne will then make a recommendation on whether any managers should be deregistered.
The Warriors came under increasing scrutiny during the week when a former player claimed that director of football John Hart told him the Warriors had a "salary cap issue" and quibbled over $10,000 - five months before the club came forward over cap breaches.
Officials have maintained they didn't know about the cap drama until two weeks ago.
Backrower Karl Temata, now with the Harlequins league team in London, told TV New Zealand that on September 7 last year Hart said "we don't have an issue with you - it's a salary-cap issue. That's why we haven't offered you anything".
Hart also allegedly made Temata surrender a month's pay - in writing - but Kidd said: "Releasing a player for salary-cap reasons does not mean we knew about major salary-cap problems at the time."
The Sunday Telegraph