Storm stripped of GF wins

[daveyk]

NRL investigation uncovers further $150,000 in Melbourne Storm salary cap rorts
Exclusive by Phil Rothfield From: The Daily Telegraph May 01, 2010 12:00AM

THE NRL was rocked last night by stunning revelations that disgraced premiers Melbourne Storm had broken the salary cap by 20 per cent more than cheating officials originally confessed to.

NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert and a team of forensic accountants have uncovered more evidence of rorting and fraud, which lifts this year's player salaries to $4.95 million. There are now genuine fears the payments for 2010 will burst over the $5 million mark by the time investigations are completed.

Original estimates, which came from the confessions of sacked CEO Matt Hanson last Thursday week, indicated the club was $700,000 over the cap this year, having spent $4.8 million.

"Yes, I can confirm it's now up to $850,000 for this year alone," said NRL boss David Gallop when confronted by The Daily Telegraph. "More information has come to light over the past seven days and the investigation has another couple of weeks to run. It's going to take some time to finalise the figures."

Gallop says the fact that the amount of the rorting continues to rise justifies the NRL's heavy punishment in not allowing the Storm to compete for premiership points this season.

"This highlights the flaws in what some people were suggesting that the club simply sheds a few players, goes back to zero and starts again," Gallop said. "At first it was $700,000 worth of players, now it's $850,000. At this stage we don't know what they've got to do to get back under the cap. That's why I stand by our original decision."

To counter Gallop's argument, fans from other clubs will be even angrier knowing their teams are only spending $4.1 million but could miss out on a finals berth by losing to the Storm, who have spent $850,000 more on players.

Salary cap auditor Ian Schubert has yet to reveal how he uncovered the extra $150,000 of illegal payments during the week.

Stand-in chief executive Frank Stanton worked alongside Schubert and the accountants, checking all the books and computer records at Storm headquarters.

Still, the players remain hopeful the team will stick together as they prepare for tonight's game against the Cowboys in Townsville.

"I think it's going to take a little bit more than this to ruin what the Melbourne Storm have done down there over 12 years," champion fullback Billy Slater said.

"We've just got to stick together. There's not much else for us to do other than play football. We'd love to hold this group together, we're not just colleagues, we're great mates.

"We've played a lot of football together.

"I've played with some of these guys for 10 years now, but the future is unknown."

The Daily Telegraph

[DIEHARD]

Devastating. They'll definitely lose players now cwe could help them by signing Cronk. He is the only one I'd be eager for. Slater a close second. But I can't see as much of a need for Billy.

I feel so very bad for Storm fans. Rugby League. And the game in Victoria.

But the Storm and Rugby League will endure. An era is over. But one day a new era will rise.

An era of home grown Victorian talent leading the Storm to glory.

[tallis12]

This is crazy, and im with Gallop for once, stick to the punishment at least until investigations are over.

[titansrawesome]

Devastating. They'll definitely lose players now cwe could help them by signing Cronk. He is the only one I'd be eager for. Slater a close second. But I can't see as much of a need for Billy.

I feel so very bad for Storm fans. Rugby League. And the game in Victoria.

But the Storm and Rugby League will endure. An era is over. But one day a new era will rise.

An era of home grown Victorian talent leading the Storm to glory.

wouldn't mind lima or blair.

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

Storm's secret $1m pokies link
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...0502-u0iq.html


THE Melbourne Storm are under investigation by Victoria's gambling watchdog over $1.1 million in sponsorship payments made by a pokie venue owned by pokies and pub king Bruce Mathieson and Woolworths.

The secret sponsorship deal is also being examined by Deloitte auditors and the NRL amid concerns that the payments may have been part of salary cap breaches that have left the Storm on the brink of collapse.

Aces Sporting Club paid $1,113,829 in ''sport sponsorships'' after 2003 but did not declare the recipient in five annual statements lodged with the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation. The gaming venue acknowledged for the first time in 2008-09 that a payment of $165,000 had been made to Melbourne Storm.

Last week, NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert revealed the NRL club had broken the salary cap by $150,000 more than original estimates that came from the confessions of acting chief executive Matt Hanson, who has been stood down. Schubert did not disclose the source of the funding.

The commission's executive commissioner, Peter Cohen, confirmed an investigation into the sponsorship payments had been launched.

''The VCGR is investigating the Aces Sporting Club and its relationship with the Melbourne Storm. [We] will examine the community benefit statements submitted by Aces Sporting Club to review the legitimacy of claims for payments made in statements, in particular payments made to Melbourne Storm,'' Cohen said.

He told The Sun-Herald that the relationship between Storm's disgraced former chief executive Brian Waldron and the gaming venue - in Keysborough, south-east of the city centre - would also be scrutinised.

News Ltd chief executive John Hartigan claimed Waldron was the architect of the NRL club's salary cap scandal.

Under the commission's guidelines, all gaming venues are required to maintain a list of approved individuals and companies who hold a financial stake or beneficial interest. Waldron and his predecessor, John Ribot, both appear on the commission's list of approved associates of Aces Sporting Club.

But neither Melbourne Storm nor its owner, News Ltd, was ever an approved corporate entity, despite the massive sponsorship deal with the pokie venue. A holding company, Valimanda, which was established to oversee Storm's sponsorships and corporate agreements, also fails to appear on the list of approved entities.

The embattled NRL club was also reluctant to acknowledge any financial relationship with the pokies club.

Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group chief executive Ross Blair-Holt confirmed that Aces Sporting Club had sponsored Storm for about 10 years.

Asked why Aces had not declared the relationship until 2008, he said: ''I don't know, but it is all above board.'' He said Aces' payments met the government definition of a community benefit.

Waldron's spokesman, Michael Smith, refused to ask Waldron about the issue.

[titanstattman]

Befor they found more coin.. i thought year let them play for points but now i say NO cause theye will be so much more to be found.. say keep them at the bottom.........

[DIEHARD]

Be interesting to see if the Storm can maintain the rage and continue to smash teams. And also for the fans. I hope they continue to turn up.

But we beat the Storm at the height of their power. At the end of their era. I'll always remember that.