Warriors under investigation for salary cap breaches

[Granty]

http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200602/s1574798.htm

Warriors under investigation for salary cap breaches

The National Rugby League (NRL) has confirmed it is investigating possible salary cap breaches by the New Zealand Warriors.

The Warriors had a senior management reshuffle after last season, and the NRL says new officials have uncovered a number of previously undisclosed salary cap issues.

NRL chief executive David Gallop said the issues related to past seasons, and possibly affected the 2006 season.

But he said the current Warriors management was offering its full cooperation.

"They are to be commended for their attitude to date, but any breach of the cap remains a serious matter," he said.

"It is not normal for us to comment on an investigation until all findings are completed but in this instance the Warriors have chosen to go public with the issue in the interests of transparency."

The potential salary cap discrepancies were discovered by Warriors management during preparations for a standard pre-season follow-up audit by the NRL.

Warriors chairman Maurice Kidd said the investigation related to some player payments and arrangements negotiated prior to the appointment of the new management team.

"We are in the process of clarifying the extent and current status of these arrangements and what obligations they may place on the club for the 2006 season and beyond, as well as any possible impact on the salary cap," Mr Kidd said in a club statement.

Mr Kidd said the club was unable to go into further details until the investigation was completed.

[Granty]

Two things:

1) good on the new management for not trying to sweep this under the carpet and coming clean to the NRL :applause:.

2) bad on the old management :cussing: .... if you are going to fiddle the salary cap you should at least get better value than you did in the last couple of seasons :tongue:.

[Granty]

Interesting that Gallop took the time to point out that it's not just clubs that can be penalised :silent:.

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,18240582-23214,00.html

Cap cheats face expulsion: Gallop

By Brent Read and Dan Koch
February 23, 2006

THE NRL has warned it had the power to suspend or de-register players if it finds indisputable evidence they had knowingly taken part in the New Zealand Warriors' rorting of the salary cap.

The game's governing body has the ability to take action against players culpable under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, NRL chief executive David Gallop said as Warriors owner Eric Watson broke his silence on the issue.

Those penalties include fines, suspension or de-registration.

"Part of the last agreement negotiation incorporated a provision that any player knowingly involved in salary cap breaches was liable to penalties," Gallop side.

Watson said he fully supported "the actions being taken by the Warriors board to resolve the matter as quickly as possible".

"I am committed to the Warriors," Watson said.

"I believe in the team and ability of the new management - Wayne Scurrah, John Hart and Ivan Cleary - and their ability to drive the club forward and make sure the team is a force to be reckoned with."

While the NRL has declined to name the player contracts involved in the Warriors scandal, The Australian revealed yesterday that the contract of Ruben Wiki had rung alarm bells at NRL and Warriors headquarters.

Wiki is understood to have been promised an assistant coach's job after his retirement.

There is no suggestion that Wiki knew of any impropriety on behalf of the Warriors, but any players found to have knowingly taken part in salary cap breaches face stiff penalties from the NRL.

Wiki, who was on the Gold Coast with his teammates yesterday preparing for Saturday night's trial against the Bulldogs, was reluctant to buy into the issue.

"They assured us they would sort this out and leave us to play football and we are confident they can sort everything out," Wiki said.

"I haven't met them individually, but I will when we get back to New Zealand as I am sure most of the guys will, just to clear up where we all stand.

"Really, none of us are too worried about it. We can't control it and so we aren't wasting our time.

"It's not our problem, mate."

However, former New Zealand coach Graham Lowe called on players and managers to be thrown out of the game if they were found to be circumventing the salary cap.

Lowe described the Warriors' predicament as "inexcusable" and said some players and managers needed to take a good look in the mirror.

"If players knowingly accept some form of back-hander, I don't care how good they are, we have to get rid of them," Lowe said.

"Some strong deterrents have to be put in place, otherwise forget the salary cap."

The Warriors have until tomorrow to submit their response to the NRL, with suggestions the club could be heavily fined and docked up to six competition points.

The incident has prompted plenty of finger-pointing across the Tasman, with most blame being heaped on former chief executive Mick Watson.

However, New Zealand Rugby League chairman Selwyn Pearson, who sits on the Warriors board as a representative of the NZRL, a minor shareholder in the club, and former Warriors marketing manager Dean Lonergan claimed it would be folly to suggest Watson was totally to blame.

"Everyone seems to be pointing the finger at Mick," Pearson said.

"Until it's over you can't point the finger at anyone." Lonergan said chairman Maurice Kidd had to shoulder some responsibility.

"He was chairman of the board when all this was going on," Lonergan said.

The Australian